Artist Biography
b. James W. Alexander, 1925, USA. Singing in church from early childhood, Alexander tried other careers before becoming wholly involved in music. These other activities included playing semi-pro baseball in the then-segregated Negro League. In 1945, Alexander joined the Pilgrim Travelers gospel group. Already dynamic and popular with churchgoers in the Los Angeles area, the group comprised founders Joe Johnson and Willie Davis, with Kylo Turner, Keith Barber and Raphael Taylor. With the arrival of Alexander, who also took over as manager, the group became enormously successful. From 1947-56, the Pilgrim Travelers made records, notably for Specialty Records, and influenced artists such as Ray Charles, Lou Rawls and Sam Cooke. During this period, Alexander heard Sister Wynona Carr and recommended her to Specialty owner Art Rupe who promptly signed her. Another artist Alexander spotted for Specialty was Brother Joe May, the ‘Thunderbolt of the Mid-West’, and he also found Jesse Dixon, appointing him as May’s accompanist.
In 1959 SAR Records and Kags Music Corporation were formed in Los Angeles, California, by Alexander in partnership with Cooke and Silas Roy Crain, both former members of the Soul Stirrers gospel group. It was Crain who had discovered Cooke (the label name allegedly came from Sam, Alex and Roy). The new label’s first single was the Soul Stirrers’ ‘Wade In The Water’, which was backed by ‘He Cares’. A gospel label, SAR also recorded singles by the Womack Brothers and Robert H. Harris And His Gospel Paraders, the latter being formerly lead singer with the Soul Stirrers. The singles apart, the company released a handful of albums, all by the Soul Stirrers. Kags published songs by Alexander and Cooke as well as others. (SAR and Kags eventually became ABKCO Records and ABKCO Music Inc. respectively.) In the early 60s, Alexander and Cooke formed pop label Derby, recording Mel Carter’s When A Boy Falls In Love and Billy Preston’s 16 Year Old Soul. Among Alexander’s compositions is ‘Lost And Lookin’’, written in collaboration with Lowell Jordan and recorded in the early 60s by several artists including Les McCann and Lou Rawls. The latter had made his start as a member of the Pilgrim Travelers.
Hometown
Hamilton, MS, United States
Genre
Christian