...James Morrison?
His name is alive: It's hard enough making a name for yourself in the crowded pop arena, but when your namesake is a towering legend of music, then you have to work even harder to prove you've got the right stuff. James Morrison might feel a bit intimidated by his namesake, the priapic singer of The Doors who pushed the boundaries of acceptable rock star behaviour. But the young man from Rugby has no intention of following the other Jim into bloated, drug-addled demise - he just wants people to know him as a guy who makes great, rootsy soul music in the tradition of those other long-gone greats, Otis Redding and Marvin Gaye. When his debut album, Undiscovered, is released, expect James Morrison to be hailed as the big discovery of 2006.
Iron man: James Morrison was born in Rugby in 1984, but was soon uprooted to Northampton, the first of many moves for this one-parent family of meagre means. "Everybody has it hard growing up," says Morrison. "I'm not going to say I had it harder than anyone else. But most of the emotion in my singing has come from my upbringing." While his mum, a former band singer, worked to support the family, seven-year-old James and his two siblings would iron the clothes, cook dinner and get themselves to school and back. James also listened to his mum's record collection, which included Pink Floyd, Van Morrison, Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson. "I always loved songs where the singer would sing with real soul, like they really believed in what they were singing about. I can't sing a song about something I don't believe in."
Otis lifts: After his uncle taught him a blues riff, Morrison bought his own guitar and, as soon as the ironing was done, he'd practise for hours on end. He also worked on finding his own voice, concerned not to sound like an inferior copy of the greats. "Any white English guy that tries to sing exactly like Otis Redding is going to look stupid," he reckons. With a clutch of classic songs in his repertoire, Morrison went out busking, regularly pulling big crowds with his soulful, emotive singing. It gave him the confidence to perform in front of audiences, and soon he was playing regular gigs while paying the bills by doing such soul-destroying jobs as cleaning hotel rooms and washing vans.
Hollywood shuffle: Then, one day, he got an offer that he couldn't refuse: a part in a Hollywood movie starring Robin Williams. He had sent music to the film's producers, hoping to get soundtrack work, but ended up being asked to play a musician who falls in love with the leading lady. He turned it down. Instead, he signed to Polydor, did support slots with Corinne Bailey Rae, and completed his album. Undiscovered is due out at the end of this month, preceded by a single, You Give Me Something, out today.
