James Hunter

James Hunter’s soulful singing, guitar playing and original songs hark back to the 1960s soul scene but with a 21st century sensibility. One of the major soul singers to emerge from England, Hunter, during the past few years, has been making a strong impression in the United States. Born in Colchester, England, he loved soul and R&B from his early days. Hunter began his music career in the 1980s using the name Howlin’ Wilf (after blues legend Howlin’ Wolf), although he soon reverted back to his real name. Performing R&B, soul and rock ‘n’ roll, Hunter played throughout Great Britain at clubs and festivals for 20 years, building up both his repertoire and his personal style. In 1994 he recorded his first CD under his own name, Believe What I Say, and he toured during part of the 1990s with Van Morrison’s Rhythm & Blues Revue, appearing on two of Morrison’s albums. He also shared the stage with John Lee Hooker, Georgie Fame, Junior Wells and Jimmy Witherspoon. Hunter’s 2001 recording Kick It Around gained him some attention but it was 2006’s People Gonna Talk, which was widely heard in the United States, that resulted in Hunter becoming internationally famous. His most recent recording, The Hard Way, has built upon that success, bringing back the sound of classic soul but revitalizing it with new material and arrangements rather than merely recreating the past.