The End of Rick James

'tis a tragic day in music.....

Funk Singer Rick James Dies in Los Angeles


LOS ANGELES (AP) - Funk legend Rick James, best known for the 1981 hit ``Super Freak,'' died Friday, apparently of natural causes, police said.
James died at 9:45 a.m. at a residence near Universal City, said Police Department spokeswoman Esther Reyes.
We learned of his death after responding to a radio call,'' Reyes said.
After his big hit, James' fame began to fade as he became embroiled in drugs, legal problems and health issues.
James was convicted in 1993 of assaulting two women. The first attack occurred in 1991 when he restrained and burned a young woman with a hot pipe during a cocaine binge at his house in West Hollywood. He was free on bail when the second assault occurred in 1992 in James' hotel room.
James was sentenced to more than two years in state prison.
In 1997, he released a new album, but a year later he suffered a stroke while performing at Denver's Mammoth Events Center, derailing a comeback tour.
In 1998 he also underwent hip replacement surgery.
With his trademark Jheri curl, James was one of the biggest R&B stars of the 1980s, using danceable rhythms and passionate ballads to gain a wide following. Aside from ``Super Freak'' - which MC Hammer used a decade later as the backing track for his monster hit ``U Can't Touch This'' - James' hits included ``Mary Jane,'' ``Ebony Eyes'' and ``Fire and Desire,'' a stirring duet with Teena Marie.

That's terrible, man. I was hoping to see another episode featuring Rick James on Chappelle's Show.

"I'm Rick James, Bit*h!"

Strange, I thought he was already dead. Silly me.

Oh dear, I don't think my mate J has heard about this yet, and he'll be rather upset as he was as big a Rick James fan (I liked him too, of course, but never as much) as I am of PF.

Rick also started out strumming with the likes of unknowns as Neil Young and others in the late sixties/early seventies; he was a rocker before becoming King Funkstar.

RIP RJ

I really only heard of him last year, when Q mag ran one of those 'maddest people' style things, featuring the above gentleman (not Byron, thank you) and detailing some of his nuts actions. I guess that I must have heard his music along the way, but am also of PF stock, so may have blinker'dly ignored it.

Word is, he did a bunch of cocaine.

Lets be thankful that Neil Young and Rick James decided to go their seperate ways.

I don't know...Crosby, Stills, Nash, Young & James? Has a ring to it...

Funk and folk aren't meant to mix.

How so? Rick and Neil shared an apartment together, and funk wasn't even around back then. The way I heard it was that him and neil were buddies and very sad when they found out they'd no longer play and hang out together. Rick was a pretty decent guy, it's just that the drugs got the best of him.

let's also be thankful that Neil Young didn't decide to pusue a career making funkadelic music. Could you imagine, a hopped-up disco version of 'Alabama' or 'Southern Man' ?!?!?