James Michael | |
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 James Michael | |
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| Birth name | James Andrew Michael |
| Origin | Holland, Michigan, U.S. |
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| Website | www |
James Andrew Michael is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, singer, sound engineer and mixer. He was the lead singer of the rock band Sixx:A.M.
He took piano lessons while growing up and sang in Holland High School's show choir, Vocal Dimensions. As a teen, he played in different local rock bands including The Way We Dress and Night Shift. In the late 1980s, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue his musical career. [2]
James Michael has worked as a record producer, songwriter, and/or engineer and mixer with many rock and pop recording artists including Kelly Clarkson, Alanis Morissette, Meat Loaf, Mötley Crüe, HammerFall, Scorpions, Hilary Duff, The Rasmus, Papa Roach, Trapt, American Bang, Saliva, The Exies, Deana Carter, Sammy Hagar, Lillix, Sarah Kelly, Halestorm, Jack's Mannequin, Brides of Destruction, Marion Raven and Victoria Justice.
He put out his first solo album in 2000 titled Inhale. [3] Michael wrote, produced and mixed the entire album and often played all of the instruments.
Michael is co-founder (along with Nikki Sixx and DJ Ashba) and lead singer of the rock band Sixx:A.M. [4] The band's debut album, The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack , produced by Michael, was on the Billboard 200 album chart for 26 consecutive weeks and featured the No. 1 rock track of 2008 and gold-selling single "Life Is Beautiful". [5] He also co-wrote and handled production for the band's second album, This Is Gonna Hurt , which debuted at No. 10 on the Billboard 200 and its second track, "Lies of the Beautiful People", went No. 1 on Active Rock radio. [6]
Michael produced, mixed and co-wrote (alongside Sixx:A.M. bandmate DJ Ashba) Mötley Crüe's last studio album Saints of Los Angeles that debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200. [7] He also co-wrote the song "Higher Than Heaven" for James Durbin's Memories of a Beautiful Disaster album released on November 21, 2011. He produced Papa Roach’s new album, The Connection (as well as co-wrote the track "Where Did the Angels Go"), which debuted at No. 17 on the Billboard 200 chart. [8] Other projects from around this time include writing the track "People Like Us" for the Kelly Clarkson Greatest Hits – Chapter One [9] mixing Hinder’s new album Welcome to the Freak Show and writing with and contributing vocals for Halestorm, [6] plus writing and producing "Take a Hint" for Victoria Justice featured in the show Victorious.
He released a solo song "Learn to Hate You," which premiered on November 26, 2012.
Michael met up with Sixx and Ashba early in 2013 to start writing songs for a new Sixx:A.M. album, which turned out to be Modern Vintage , released in 2014. It debuted at #1 on the rock charts. [10] [11] The band followed up in 2016 with two albums Prayers for the Damned [12] and Prayers for the Blessed , before going on a successful USA and European tour. [13] The following year, they decided to take a hiatus. [14]
In 2019, Sixx:A.M. released their first song in three years, "Talk to Me," in support of the #TalktoMe campaign against opioid addiction. [15] The following year, James performed on a remake of a Sixx:A.M. song, “Maybe It’s Time,” featuring Ivan Moody (Five Finger Death Punch), Tommy Vext (Bad Wolves), Arron Bruno (Awolnation), Joe Elliot (Def Leppard) and Slash (Guns N' Roses), all proceeds again were donated to the battle against opioid addiction, [16] a cause important to James throughout his career. [17]
In 2021, Sixx:A.M. released their Hits album, [18] a compilation of fan favorites and a few new tracks most notably "The First 21." [19]
James Michael's 2022 releases include The Retaliators movie theme, “21 Bullets,” written by James and Nikki Sixx. [20] He recently released a solo recording, "California Smile." He is currently working in his recording studios in both the US and UK/Ireland developing new rock and pop artists, focusing heavily on his strengths as a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, lead vocalist, producer, and mixer.
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Hollywood, California in 1981. The group was founded by bassist Nikki Sixx, drummer Tommy Lee and guitarist/lead vocalist Greg Leon. After some time, Leon was replaced by guitarist Mick Mars and lead vocalist Vince Neil respectively. Mötley Crüe has sold over 100 million albums worldwide. They have also achieved seven platinum or multi-platinum certifications, nine Top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 chart, twenty-two Top 40 mainstream rock hits, and six Top 20 pop singles. The band experienced several short-term lineup changes in the 1990s and 2000s; these included the introduction of vocalist John Corabi and drummers Randy Castillo and Samantha Maloney, both of whom filled in for Lee following his departure from Mötley Crüe in 1999; he returned to the band in 2004. More recently in 2022 guitarist Mick Mars announced his retirement from touring with the band, with former Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie guitarist John 5 taking his place on live duties.
Shout at the Devil is the second studio album by American heavy metal band Mötley Crüe, released on September 23, 1983. It was the band's breakthrough album, establishing Mötley Crüe as one of the top selling heavy metal acts of the 1980s. The singles "Looks That Kill" and "Too Young to Fall in Love" were moderate hits for the band.
Nikki Sixx is an American musician, best known as the co-founder, bassist, and primary songwriter of the heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. Prior to forming Mötley Crüe, Sixx was a member of Sister before going on to form London with his Sister bandmate Lizzie Grey. In 2000, he formed side project group 58 with Dave Darling, Steve Gibb and Bucket Baker, issuing one album, Diet for a New America. Also in 2002, he formed the hard rock supergroup Brides of Destruction with L.A. Guns guitarist Tracii Guns. Formed in 2006, initially to record an audio accompaniment to Sixx's autobiography The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star, his side band Sixx:A.M. featured songwriter, producer, and vocalist James Michael and guitarist DJ Ashba.
Robert Alan Deal, known professionally as Mick Mars, is an American musician and the lead guitarist and co-founder of the heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. He is known for his aggressive, melodic solos and bluesy riffs.
Brides of Destruction was an American hard rock supergroup from Los Angeles, California, formed in 2002. The band's last lineup consisted of singer London LeGrand (vocals), Tracii Guns and Scot Coogan. Previous members of the band were Nikki Sixx (bass), Kris Kohls (drums), Adam Hamilton (keyboard), John Corabi, Scott Sorry (bass) and Ginger.
Mötley Crüe is the sixth studio album by heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. It was released on March 15, 1994. It was the band's only album released with singer John Corabi, and was the first album of new material released by the band since their 1989 album, Dr. Feelgood.
Generation Swine is the seventh studio album by the American heavy metal band Mötley Crüe, released on June 24, 1997. The album marks the return of lead singer Vince Neil following his last appearance on 1991's Decade of Decadence and the last to feature drummer Tommy Lee until the 2008 album Saints of Los Angeles. It is also the band's last album to be released on Elektra Records. The album's name as well as the title track is derived from Generation of Swine by Hunter S. Thompson.
Here Come the Brides is the debut album by Brides of Destruction released via Sanctuary Records on March 9, 2004. It is their most successful album being the only one to have a charting on the Billboard 200, it is also the only album that features bassist Nikki Sixx who would leave the band to rejoin Mötley Crüe for their reunion tour in 2005, and also the only album to feature John Corabi. The album's only single, "Shut The Fuck Up" failed to chart due to little airplay. "Only Get So Far" was originally written by Nikki Sixx for Tim McGraw and Faith Hill.
Beautiful Creatures are an American hard rock band formed in 1999 by guitarist DJ Ashba and singer Joe Lesté of Bang Tango. The group's current lineup is composed of Lesté, Alex Grossi, Anthony Focx, Kenny Kweens (bass) and Timmy Russell (drums). Previously the group featured Michael Thomas and Glen Sobel among others while founder DJ Ashba is currently the lead guitarist for Sixx:A.M.
The Last Vegas are an American hard rock band from Chicago whose style draws from glam, punk, and sleaze metal. Composed of Chad Cherry, John Wator (guitar), Adam Arling (guitar), Danny Smash (bass), and Nate Arling (drums), the band released the album Whatever Gets You Off, in April 2009, on Eleven Seven Music. The album was produced by Nikki Sixx, Sixx:A.M. guitarist DJ Ashba, as well as Marti Frederiksen.
Sixx:A.M. was an American hard rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 2007 by Nikki Sixx, DJ Ashba, and James Michael, and was a side project of Sixx, who was also at the time bass guitarist for Mötley Crüe. The group is best known for their songs "Life Is Beautiful" and "Lies of the Beautiful People". The name Sixx:A.M. is a combination of all of the members' last names.
The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack, often referred to as simply The Heroin Diaries, is the debut studio album by Sixx:A.M., a side project of Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx. The band also features lead vocalist James Michael and guitarist DJ Ashba. The concept album serves as the companion soundtrack to Sixx's autobiography, The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star, and is about Sixx's severe heroin addiction in 1987. The first single, "Life Is Beautiful," debuted at number 26 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
Daren Jay Ashba is an American musician, guitarist, songwriter, record producer, and graphic designer. He is currently the lead guitarist in Sixx:A.M. He is also known for his work with hard rock bands BulletBoys, Beautiful Creatures and Guns N' Roses. He has worked with various artists including Mötley Crüe, Drowning Pool, Marion Raven, Aimee Allen and Neil Diamond. He is the CEO of Ashba Media.
Saints of Los Angeles is the ninth and final studio album by the American heavy metal band Mötley Crüe, released on June 24, 2008. It was the first full-length studio album with the band's original lineup since 1997's Generation Swine, following the return of drummer Tommy Lee, and also their final album before their three-year hiatus from 2015 to 2018.
"Saints of Los Angeles" is the Grammy-nominated first single from Mötley Crüe's album of the same name. It was released on April 11, 2008, and started airing on radio stations on April 15 and charted at number 5 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks. In the original Gang Vocal version, found on the album, the lyrics from the Lords Prayer can be heard at the beginning of the song. The song was given further promotion through the music video game Rock Band, being released as downloadable content on Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Store on the same day.
This Is Gonna Hurt is the second studio album by Sixx:A.M., a side project of Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx, released on May 3, 2011. Like the first album which served as a companion soundtrack to Nikki Sixx's first book The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star, this album is a companion to the book of the same name, Sixx's second book, which was released on April 12, 2011. Unlike its predecessor, This Is Gonna Hurt does not feature any spoken word.
Memories of a Beautiful Disaster is the debut studio album of American rock musician James Durbin, released on November 21, 2011 through Wind-up Records.
7 is an EP by American hard rock trio Sixx:A.M., side project of Mötley Crüe's Nikki Sixx, released on December 13, 2011. The EP features 7 previously released songs from the band's previous two studio albums: The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack and This Is Gonna Hurt, in all-new acoustic stripped-down renditions.
Modern Vintage is the third studio album by American rock band Sixx:A.M.
"All Bad Things Must End" is a song by American band Mötley Crüe, released as a single in January 2015. The song is about the internal forces threatening the band, and its intro features Nikki Sixx stating that the band "would rather just break up than be bland".
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