8 minute read
James Womack
—James Womack, Jr.
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magine taking what you do naturally and making it a successful lifestyle of excitement and luxury while hanging out with the prestige list of Who’s Who? Well, this man is doing exactly that! Recently, Ambi’ance Uncut literally, “caught up” with longtime friend, James Womack at The Foundational Black American Conference in Atlanta. Even then, you had the experience of being in his presence where everyone wanted a piece of his time, and we were glad that he shared a part of it with us. To watch this man in action is enough to make you want to remove all the coffee pots! Consciously aware of each person in his presence trying to speak to him, James made his rounds to talk to all without making any feel slighted in the least.
Just what makes him so popular? Born in Newark, NJ, James is the son of a Pentecostal preacher. Having been around music growing up, he played the clarinet, saxophone, oboe and the bassoon. With various instrument lessons, this would be to keep him out of trouble. As he got older, his father encouraged him to find a career that would sustain him, keeping him off the streets and allow him to be successful. His father being a minister, he was called upon for funerals which he performed at one of the biggest funeral homes in New- 51
ark. This peaked James’ interest and he started working there. He eventually went to school where he studied Forensic Medicine and worked under the Medical Examiner and performed autopsies. Yes, autopsies! For twenty years this is what he did. He also worked at the funeral home and tried embalming, but he found that he wanted more and found his passion in working with the family offering comfort and support. In 1999, James decided that he would leave all of this and try something different! He was friends with a guy named, Chris Herbert who was a singer/songwriter and the brother of music mogul, Vincent Herbert, who manages Lady Gaga, in the production and management aspect of the music industry. Chris had built a studio in his home and he said, “Hey Womack, listen, if you want to know how the music world works, come by the studio every day and we’ll teach you.” “I kind of went to school in that basement. I was learning raw! I learned how to find talent, put the beats together for a song and writing. I was there every day like clockwork and after three months I understood how this world worked.” (Later, James would go on to be mentored by Vincent Herbert, further securing his standing in the music industry.)
James’ first connection to the music industry led him to connect with Lauryn Hill, the Grammy 52 award-winning hip-hop recording artist and lead singer of The Fugees. It was during the time of her ‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’ album that Lauryn Hill encouraged him to go into the music industry and start a management company. He would soon find a young lady singing on the subway. Sixteen, and a seven-octave range, James asked her mother what she was going to do with her. “Her mother stated that she didn’t know because she didn't know anyone in the industry. At this time, Vincent Herbert was in town visiting his family. I told her that I knew a very wellknown producer and he just happened to be in town. I asked her to bring her daughter to Jersey so that she could meet him. Along with her parents she came to Jersey that Saturday and she sang for Vincent and blew him away! He said, “You know that BabyFace and Andre Harrell are starting up a new label, Nu America Records, and I’d like to take her to NY while Andre is in town and have her sing for him.” Two days later, we took her and her parents to NY where she sang for Andre. He loved her and immediately got on the phone with BabyFace and told him that he had just heard this sixteen-year old Jewish girl with a seven-octave range and he wanted to sign her to the label. They had just signed Robin Thicke and BabyFace said that he would be in Manhattan to shoot Robin’s video in three weeks and would like to meet her. So, in three weeks everyone went to NY and sat on the tour bus with BabyFace while she sang a few bars. Make a long story short, I was staying at the Grafton Hotel on Sunset Blvd having signed my first client with Andre Harrell and BabyFace!” After which, James began networking with Kenneth (Babyface) Edmonds and Andre Harrell. In his capacity as manager, he signed recording artists such as Carly Blair and Joanna Levesque (JoJo) and toured with artists such as Chico DeBarge as tour manager. Highly connected in the industry, James’ understanding of the inner workings of the industry is invaluable.
With a sensational client, and everyone either wanting to write for her or record with her, James began meeting the top music producers and writers in the industry, building not only relationships, but lifelong friendships. “I learned that in this business it is really who you know and nothing to do with anything else.” Having the natural gift of networking, James was in his element. “I’ve always been a networker. At the age of twenty, I was importing cars from Germany and Belgium. We traveled all over the world and I brought my first Rolls Royce at the age of twenty-four. I’ve truly been blessed and have had a successful life with the greatest parents in the world.!”
Unfortunately, after nine songs recorded, BabyFace would call and inform James that although his artist was amazing, she was
a minor and her mother was the worst stage mother that they ever encountered and would be releasing her from her contract! “Her parents already had money with her father being an oral surgeon, so they were fine with returning to NY. Me being the guy that i am and never believing in failure, and couldn’t go back to Jersey without success and having everyone saying, “Womack, what happened to you?” So, I stayed. About two weeks later, I saw a commercial advertising a new show called, ‘America’s Most Talented Kids’ on NBC and knew I had to get there. I had a driver at that time who used to drive me every day to my meetings and so forth. He was a realtor and sold million-dollar properties and we called him “Pops”. Sadly, he passed away recently. Pops was familiar with the industry and after hearing that I was in the industry as well, he offered to be my driver and would go with me to meetings just to be in the presence. Pops drove me around for ten years and introduced me to Smokey Robinson and other heavy hitters. When people saw me, they saw Pops! Anyway, Pops drove me to the show and there was a long line waiting to get in and a sister was at the door. I went up to her and told her that I HAD to get in. She asked me my name and then asked what made me any different than the people who had been waiting in line? I gave her a fifty-dollar bill and she told me to find a seat. On my way in, the Executive Producer of the show stepped on my feet, and I ended up sitting right next to her and we have been friends ever since! Once I meet you, I’m always in your life. You can’t get rid of me! It’s just the way it is!” (laughing)
Joanna Levesque (JoJo) would become his next client catapulting him further into the industry, After appearing on the show, James talked to her mother and introduced her to Vincent Herbert. James became her manager and Vincent, under Da Family Entertainment became the Executive. Producer of her album. ‘JoJo’ became a child sensation, collaborating with numerous artists and eventually went on the summer European tour with R&B superstar Usher.
“Later, I was at a party given by Rick James after he had returned home from jail and he asked me what my name was. I told him and he asked me if I knew Bobby Womack. Of course, I KNEW him, anyway Rick called Bobby and told him that he wanted him to meet me because we both had big heads and could possibly be related. Bobby came over and we met and soon found out that we were cousins. He then took me and introduced me to Dr. Dre, Snoop and a bunch of other people and told them that I was family and to take care of me! So, that’s been kind of how my life has been!” (laughing)
Today James manages Melanie Holt from Love and Marriage, Huntsville. He is still a music manager and a ‘People Connector’. “I returned back to Jersey and met with my mentor, Clarence Avon. I asked him for his blessings, and he told me that I was fine and didn’t need his blessings. He then told me that people love me and to go out and connect. So that’s what I do. As long as I can make money, I position myself in the deal. You never know, it could be a multi-million-dollar connection you just put together through your introduction. So, that’s what I do. I charge a retainer and I connect people!” That he does. As I waited for my turn to interview him, he had already introduced me to other people that he felt needed to be interviewed. Now instead of one interview, I left with four. As I was preparing to leave, I saw him in the distance surrounded by people. He had gone to his room and changed clothes and now, back in his element, the ‘Pied Piper’ was leading them out on the town!
“The favor of God is worth way more than money as He will place you where He wants you to go”-James Womack
Please check out James Womack and follow him on all his platforms:
Facebook:
facebook.com/James Womack
Instagram:
@mrjameswomack
www.jameswomack musicmanagement.com 53
