September...

Seeing is believing

Vocal illusionist Jimmy James brings the legends back to life

by Doreen Cudnik

There are only certain women artists from the 20th century who can truly claim the title of Diva. And for whatever reason, queer folks have always been drawn into their lives and their art.

Some of them achieved such fame in their lifetimes that they are recognizable by first name only-Judy, Billie, Eartha, Barbra, Marilyn. Those of us not old enough to have seen them live may wonder what it was like to have witnessed them at the height of their

career.

Vocal illusionist Jimmy James makes that fantasy a reality by recreating the distinct voices of Garland, Holiday, Kitt, Streisand, and Monroe, as well as Cher, Karen Carpenter, Patsy Cline, and Bette Davis.

For James, imitating these legends is a labor of love, and preparation is the key. Unlike other illusionists who lip-sync, James uses his own voice.

"The first thing is that I love their music," James says of the women he imitates. "I consume all their music, and listen to it really closely. Then I figure out a way to emulate their voice and recreate it for an audience so we can all enjoy it together and feel what it might have been like to have been in the same room with these great ladies. Many of them are gone, or maybe they don't do concerts as much, so it makes it special for people to hear even an impressionist doing their voice."

As believable as his imitations are, James admits there are "so many" voices that he would love to do, but just can't quite master them. One of those voices is "Queen of Soul" Aretha Franklin.

"I would love, love to do Aretha Franklin, and I can't!" James says with a pout. "With Billie Holiday, you have to sing within one octave, so it's manageable. With Aretha it's just way up there."

"I know I'm not supposed to be doing that with my voice," James adds, echoing the sentiments of several vocal coaches. "It's unnatural for me to do that, I know, and as far as the impressions go, I always wonder how long I have before the voice just starts to say: No more."

What does James love about some of the women he impersonates? With Eartha Kitt, it's "the strong, haunting quality of her voice." He admires Judy Garland because “I think that [she] had a lot of soul and showmanship." With Bette Davis, he says it's her "ambitious self-determination" and "because she could be very funny, in her own serious, dry way." And of blues great Billie Holiday, James says, "She could just take you there. She didn't need anything-maybe a piano and that voice. She only had one octave to work with, and it's what she did with that one octave that's absolutely amazing.”

Originally from San Antonio, Texas, James now lives in the Gramercy Park area of New York City, where he performs regularly.

A gay man, for lack of a better category, James says, "I just feel that the minute I was born I was already out." Proof of this can be found on James's web site, where there are several photos of him looking quite comfortable in his mother's high heels and sporting a lovely handbag.

"I don't even consider myself a man, really," James says. “I don't know what I am, but I'm not really what's considered a man. I've just always been myself, and my being gay is like the Pope having to say he's Catholic-you just know it,” he says with a laugh.

Of all the ladies he's impersonated, it is the larger-than-life Marilyn Monroe with whom James feels the closest bond. Upon noticing a similarity between his and the late screen legend's facial structure and voice, James set out to re-create her trademark look and breathy vocal presence. The result was James' spectacular one-man show Marilyn

and Voices. The "resurrected" Marilyn became a hit on television talk shows and at night clubs and drag shows throughout the country.

Eyewear manufacturer L.A. Eyeworks used an image of James's Marilyn in fullpage ads that ran worldwide, including in the 20-year anniversary issue of Interview magazine—a tribute to Andy Warhol. Another ad campaign for women's clothing manufacturer Kenar landed James as Judy Garland, Marilyn, and Bette Davis-on a giant billboard in the center of Times Square.

James said he studied for three years in order to perfect Monroe's voice and mannerisms.

"In Atlantic City, I got hired only to look like Marilyn and lip-sync a song. That's all I had to do. And the two years that I was stuck back stage I would read a lot and study what she was all about. I actually grew to respect her much more as an artist. It helped me understand the true meaning of the phrase “never criticize anyone before you've walked in their shoes."

Walking in Marilyn's pumps`meant appearing as her at private parties, and James said that like with the real Marilyn, the visual impact just knocked people out.

"The visual of Marilyn had such an impact that it almost didn't matter what she said or did. The visual almost cancelled out her intelligence. People were just in awe of her physical beauty. I'd show up at appearances as Marilyn, and I'm so well studied and I knew how to be her in the charming, funny, and intelligent way. But I knew that it would spin out of control because people were caught anything that I was saying or doing." up in the visual, more so than they were with

James only speaks of impersonating Marilyn in the past tense now.

"I took it very, very seriously as an honor, as a tribute," James said. “Inevitably you

have to move on in terms of trying to uphold the visual. I gave her my youth and my twenties, and in my thirties...well, of course, she died at 36, so there are no pictures of me doing Marilyn past age 36."

James is building a page on his web site (www.jimmyjames.com) dedicated to his years doing Marilyn.

James said when he retired Marilyn, he went through a period of not knowing what to do next. After a few months back in his hometown of San Antonio, James came back to Provincetown, Mass. during women's week "to experiment with doing a show without Marilyn."

"I was terrified because I thought no one would show up," James said. “But the show was sold-out-packed beyond belief. I don't think they ever really knew how much it meant to me that I had all this support for me as an artist beyond the wigs and the dress and the whole thing. That was a big, huge turning point for me. Those women gave me the confidence to move on. I suddenly was free— I was beginning to feel the freedom."

Part of that freedom for James is moving on to his own projects. His first single, Who Wants To Be Your Lover, was released worldwide in 1998. A new live CD, The One and Many Voices of Jimmy James-Live is currently available through the web site. James

"My being gay is

will bring his live show to Wall Street night-like the Pope

club, 144 N. Wall St. in Columbus on Sunday, September 12 at 8:30 p.m. After the show, there will be a release party for the new live CD.

"Columbus is a special place, and I'm not

having to say he's

just saying that," James said. "It's a college Catholic-you just

town, people are intelligent there. Everything that I do the nuances, the double entendres-they always get it. And there's two places like that--Austin, Texas and Columbus, Ohio-that just get me immediately. It's kind of cool."

know it."