White Jimmy
Encyclopedia
White Jimmy is the vocalist of the American
punk rock
bands The Deadweights
and The Gitmo Condemned, owner of the Ruined Recordings label, and a solo punk rock
and alternative rock
artist.
to an Italian
father and Irish
/British
mother. He grew up in a mixed neighborhood, but went to the public schools which were mostly African American
, and gained the nickname White Jimmy there. He never took it as racist, and has used it as a moniker his entire life since then. In the 1970s, he became a fan of proto punk band New York Dolls
, and seminal punk band The Ramones, and began singing in a punk rock band. In 1978, he and Eddie Urland formed The Deadweights
.
, head of Def American records, and signed with the label as a solo artist. He released his solo debut, Missing Mindstates, on June 6, 1989. He had a hit on Modern Rock
radio with the song "The Fallen One". After touring for the album, he took a break from the music business.
In 1991 he left Def American and signed with SST Records
, an independent label, and began work on a second solo album. The album was produced by Spot
, who produced The Deadweights
' 1985 album Crisis
. The album, titled Try Trying Again, was released April 27, 1992. The album found some success amongst the alternative rock explosion of Grunge
. In 1994 a collection of B-sides and leftover tracks followed, Found in the Basement Corner.
. He has no kids and has no interest in having any. He was previously married to a woman named Ally in the 1990s.
He is known for his eccentric appearance, specifically his now grey spikes. In the 1980s, he had blonde hair but as it lost its color with age, he left it the way it is. He is also known for wearing sunglasses and having a nose ring
.
Sun Burns Record Co. was his first independent record label, which he used to release his 2000 solo album. He currently owns the Ruined Recordings label, which he has used to release the Gitmo Condemned album.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
bands The Deadweights
The Deadweights
The Deadweights are an influential American punk rock band, formed in New York City in 1978.-Early years:The Deadweights began when James "White Jimmy" White and Eddie Urland left their prior bands. The two soon joined with numerous local punk musicians. Early members included both Raymond Pettibon...
and The Gitmo Condemned, owner of the Ruined Recordings label, and a solo punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
and alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
artist.
Early years
James White was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to an Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
father and Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
/British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
mother. He grew up in a mixed neighborhood, but went to the public schools which were mostly African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, and gained the nickname White Jimmy there. He never took it as racist, and has used it as a moniker his entire life since then. In the 1970s, he became a fan of proto punk band New York Dolls
New York Dolls
The New York Dolls is an American rock band, formed in New York in 1971. The band's protopunk sound prefigured much of what was to come in the punk rock era; their visual style influenced the look of many new wave and 1980s-era glam metal groups, and they began the local New York scene that later...
, and seminal punk band The Ramones, and began singing in a punk rock band. In 1978, he and Eddie Urland formed The Deadweights
The Deadweights
The Deadweights are an influential American punk rock band, formed in New York City in 1978.-Early years:The Deadweights began when James "White Jimmy" White and Eddie Urland left their prior bands. The two soon joined with numerous local punk musicians. Early members included both Raymond Pettibon...
.
Time in The Deadweights
Throughout his time in The Deadweights' original run, he penned most of the lyrics and came up with some of the music. He became an alcoholic and also became addicted to heroin. By 1987, the band was constantly fighting, and Jimmy overdosed twice between the band's breakup and his final stint in rehab in 1988.Solo career
In 1988, he gained the attention of Rick RubinRick Rubin
Frederick Jay "Rick" Rubin is an American record producer and the co-president of Columbia Records. Along with Russell Simmons, Rubin was the co-founder of Def Jam Records and also established American Recordings...
, head of Def American records, and signed with the label as a solo artist. He released his solo debut, Missing Mindstates, on June 6, 1989. He had a hit on Modern Rock
Modern rock
Modern rock is a rock format commonly found on commercial radio; the format consists primarily of the alternative rock genre...
radio with the song "The Fallen One". After touring for the album, he took a break from the music business.
In 1991 he left Def American and signed with SST Records
SST Records
SST Records is an American independent record label formed in 1978 in Long Beach, California by musician Greg Ginn. The company was initially called Solid State Transmitters through which Ginn sold electronics equipment...
, an independent label, and began work on a second solo album. The album was produced by Spot
Spot
The common noun or verb spot has many meanings in English.Otherwise, Spot or SPOT may refer to:-Fiction:* Spot the Dog, a series of children's books adapted for animation* Spot , a character in 101 Dalmatians: The Series...
, who produced The Deadweights
The Deadweights
The Deadweights are an influential American punk rock band, formed in New York City in 1978.-Early years:The Deadweights began when James "White Jimmy" White and Eddie Urland left their prior bands. The two soon joined with numerous local punk musicians. Early members included both Raymond Pettibon...
' 1985 album Crisis
Crisis (Deadweights album)
Crisis is the third studio album from American punk rock band The Deadweights. The album was released in September 1985 on Slash Records, and charted on the Billboard Top 200 upon release. The album was produced by legendary punk producer Spot and Nick Fulton of the band Xes. The album is...
. The album, titled Try Trying Again, was released April 27, 1992. The album found some success amongst the alternative rock explosion of Grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
. In 1994 a collection of B-sides and leftover tracks followed, Found in the Basement Corner.
Return to The Deadweights
In 1995, The Deadweights reunited, and he has continued to work with them. His last solo release, 2000's Electric Schizoids Dream of Sleep, was a self released effort which included appearances from members of The Deadweights. Since then, he has also produced for numerous artists.The Gitmo Condemned
In early 2010, White Jimmy announced he would be touring with the former members of the punk band Guantanamo as The Gitmo Condemned. They toured the United States in 2010 and released the album Guilty Parties on September 6, 2011.Personal life
White Jimmy is currently married to Jen Foss, an artist from PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. He has no kids and has no interest in having any. He was previously married to a woman named Ally in the 1990s.
He is known for his eccentric appearance, specifically his now grey spikes. In the 1980s, he had blonde hair but as it lost its color with age, he left it the way it is. He is also known for wearing sunglasses and having a nose ring
Nose ring
Nose ring may refer to:* A nose ring in humans is also known as a Nose piercing, including:**Nose-jewel, mentioned in the Bible**Mola , a cultural practice featuring nose rings**A sign of a Hindu woman's marital status; see Mangalsutra...
.
Sun Burns Record Co. was his first independent record label, which he used to release his 2000 solo album. He currently owns the Ruined Recordings label, which he has used to release the Gitmo Condemned album.
Politics
White Jimmy has been a lifelong outspoken critic of American government, and has always been strongly opposed to many of its instillments. In 1985, he was investigated by the FBI for statements on the album Crisis. He is currently against the War in Iraq, calling it "a senseless bloodbath in support of oil, greed, and retribution".with The Deadweights
- First Wave Complete DestructionFirst Wave Complete DestructionFirst Wave Complete Destruction is the debut album from punk rock band The Deadweights, released in May 1981 on Slash Records. The album's title is a reference to the 5 mile radius of an atomic bomb's explosion. The cover is a photo taken of the July 1946 atomic test, Operation Crossroads Baker, at...
- 1981 - The DeadweightsThe Deadweights (album)The Deadweights is the second album from American punk rock band The Deadweights. The album was released in June 1983 on Slash Records, and was produced by the band and Shawn Coleri, Jr. The album is often seen as a weaker effort than its predecessor and successors...
- 1983 - CrisisCrisis (Deadweights album)Crisis is the third studio album from American punk rock band The Deadweights. The album was released in September 1985 on Slash Records, and charted on the Billboard Top 200 upon release. The album was produced by legendary punk producer Spot and Nick Fulton of the band Xes. The album is...
- 1985 - Prophecies of Beautiful RegressionProphecies of Beautiful RegressionProphecies of Beautiful Regression is the fourth studio album from The Deadweights, released August 4, 1987, on Slash Records. The album was re-released on CD in 1990.-Reception and break up:...
- 1987 - Recalled to LifeRecalled to Life (Deadweights album)Recalled to Life is the fifth studio album from punk rock band The Deadweights. The album was released February 11, 1997 on Reprise Records, almost 10 years after the band's previous release. The album was the first since the band's 1995 reunion. It was produced by Daniel Rey and co-produced by...
- 1997 - AnimosityAnimosity (Deadweights album)Animosity is the sixth studio album from American punk rock band The Deadweights, released May 28, 2002 on Reprise Records. The album was the first from the band to criticize America's President George W...
- 2002 - From the Age of DoublethinkFrom the Age of DoublethinkFrom the Age of Doublethink is the 7th studio album from The Deadweights, released on February 5, 2008. The album was recorded in September 2007 and is produced by Bill Stevenson...
- 2008
with The Gitmo Condemned
| Date of Release | Title | Label | Charting |
| September 6, 2011 | Guilty Parties | Ruined Recordings | - |
Solo albums
| Date of Release | Title | Label | Charting |
| June 6, 1989 | Missing Mindstates | Def American | #157 US |
| April 27, 1992 | Try Trying Again | SST Records SST Records SST Records is an American independent record label formed in 1978 in Long Beach, California by musician Greg Ginn. The company was initially called Solid State Transmitters through which Ginn sold electronics equipment... |
#106 US #12 US Top Independent Albums #1 US Top Heatseekers |
| October 18, 1994 | Found in the Basement Corner | SST Records SST Records SST Records is an American independent record label formed in 1978 in Long Beach, California by musician Greg Ginn. The company was initially called Solid State Transmitters through which Ginn sold electronics equipment... |
#176 US #11 US Top Independent Albums #5 US Top Heatseekers |
| June 13, 2000 | Electric Schizoids Dream of Sleep | Sun Burns Record Co. | |
Solo singles
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | |
| US Modern Rock | US Mainstream Rock | |||
| 1989 1989 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1989.-Events:*January 14 – Paul McCartney releases Снова в СССР exclusively in the USSR... |
"The Fallen Ones" | #6 | #37 | Missing Mindstates |
| 1989 1989 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1989.-Events:*January 14 – Paul McCartney releases Снова в СССР exclusively in the USSR... |
"Back in the Day" | #31 | - | Missing Mindstates |
| 1992 1992 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1992.-January–February:*January 11**Nirvana's Nevermind album goes to #1 in the US Billboard 200 chart, establishing the widespread popularity of the Grunge movement of the 1990s.... |
"Piece Offering" | #11 | - | Try Trying Again |
| 1992 1992 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1992.-January–February:*January 11**Nirvana's Nevermind album goes to #1 in the US Billboard 200 chart, establishing the widespread popularity of the Grunge movement of the 1990s.... |
"Number Four" | - | - | Try Trying Again |
| 1992 1992 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1992.-January–February:*January 11**Nirvana's Nevermind album goes to #1 in the US Billboard 200 chart, establishing the widespread popularity of the Grunge movement of the 1990s.... |
"Try Trying Again" | #34 | - | Try Trying Again |
| 1994 1994 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1994.-January–February:*January 25 – Alice in Chains release their Jar of Flies album which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, becoming the first ever EP to do so.... |
"Price" | #30 | - | Found in the Basement Corner |
| 2000 2000 in music See also:* 2000 in music Record labels established in 2000-Events:*January – Gary Glitter is released from jail, two months before his sentence for sexual offences ends.*January 1**John Tavener is knighted in the New Year's Honours List.... |
"Far Gone" | - | - | Electric Schizoids Dream of Sleep |