Speaker Details

Born in Lagos, Nigeria to an Australian mother and an English father, Jame Reyne migrated to Australia in the early 60s, settling in Victoria's Mornington Peninsula area. Leaving law school to study drama at the Victorian College of the Arts, James' musical career initially took hold in the early 80s when he and some friends formed the band Australian Crawl.

With his prolific song writing and unique vocal style, James led Australian Crawl to the top of the Australian music scene. The band's popularity skyrocketed with all of their albums achieving top 5 status, winning numerous band, music and video awards, while James won plaudits for the best male vocalist for three consecutive years. He also won acclaim as a songwriter - the song "Reckless" earning him a place in the league of homegrown greats. Australian Crawl achieved a success that has seen firmly secured in Australian rock history.

James' first album, James Reyne, went triple platinum and included three top 10 singles. The following years saw two more solo albums, Hard Reyne and Electric Digger Dandy, each as successful as its predecessor. Joined by Daryl Braithwaite Jef Scott and Simon Hussey, James released The Company of Strangers, which spawned four top 10 singles.

A move to Los Angeles to work with producer Stewart Levine resulted in 1995's critical success The Whiff of Bedlam. In 1999 James recorded and released Design for Living: perhaps the most acclaimed album of his career, it further cemented his position as a one-of-a-kind singer and songwriter.

James' theatre, film and TV credits include Return to Eden, Tina: What's Love Got To Do With It?, State Coroner, DIG TV and The Little Shop of Horrors.

2004's Speedboats for Breakfast was followed in 2005 by ...And The Horse You Rode In On. He toured Australia during 2005-2006, all the while writing and recording, including two children's books with accompanying CDs. A third is due for release in June of 2007.

James' latest release, Every Man A King marks the thirtieth anniversay of Australian Crawl's explosion into Oz rock. His eye and pen grew sharper through a platinum-lined solo career, but never have his wit and poignancy been on more consistently solid musical ground than they are here, on his eigth solo album.

For more information please contact
Saxton on +61 3 9811 3500 or email us at speakers@saxton.com.au

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