11 Facts About James Harman

James Gary Harman was an American blues harmonica player, singer, and songwriter.

Harmonicas owned by his father were stored in the piano bench, and James Harman tried playing them after his piano lessons ended.

In 1964 in Atlanta, Georgia, James Harman recorded the first of nine early singles, which were variously released on five different record labels.

James Harman performed as a blues harmonica player and singer in Chicago, New York City, and elsewhere before moving to southern California in the 1970s.

James Harman became known as a skilled, reliable musician, whether for a backing band or leading his own ensemble.

James Harman's band recorded several albums during the 1980s, before settling in 1990 at Black Top Records.

James Harman was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame and received an award for Best Blues Album of the Year from Real Blues magazine.

James Harman has performed at the Long Beach Blues Festival and in concerts staged around the world.

In 2003, James Harman contributed to the ZZ Top album Mescalero, on the song "Que Lastima" and, in 2012, on La Futura, on the song "Heartache In Blue".

James Harman had been undergoing chemotherapy during a five-month battle with stage 4 esophageal cancer.

James Harman's legacy was celebrated in depth on the May 31,2021, edition of Dr Boogie's radio show, which included a rare recording of James Harman's 1971 guest performance fronting Canned Heat.