Aiden James
| Aiden James | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Born |
August 9, 1982 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Genres | folk-pop |
| Occupation(s) | singer-songwriter, actor |
| Instruments | guitar, vocals, piano, guitar, synthesizer |
| Years active | 2008–present |
| Website |
aidenjamesmusic |
Aiden James (born August 9, 1982) is an American folk-pop singer, songwriter and musician from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[1] He has released two albums to date, and has toured extensively throughout the United States[2] both as a solo performer and as an opening act for Matt Morris, Shawn Colvin and Andy Bell.[3]
Early life
He was born on August 9, 1982 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He grew up in the foster care system and does not know his mother and father. He started playing the piano at age 4, and started to sing at age 6. He started performing in children's choirs and small theatre productions. He has told the press that his first musical memory was trying to play Richard Marx's "Right Here Waiting" on a toy keyboard at the age of four or five.[4]
Music career
In 2008, James released his debut album On the Run.[5] His video for the album's title track received airplay on both MTV and Logo, expanding his audience beyond Philadelphia.[5] Over the next few years, he supported the album by touring extensively, including an appearance at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival in 2010, a live performance on SiriusXM,[6] and a tour with singer-songwriter Christopher Dallman which included performances in Philadelphia, New York City, Boston, Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego.[7]
In 2011, he released the single "Best Shot" to iTunes as an advance preview of his forthcoming album Trouble with This.[5] The album, supported largely through crowdfunding,[8] followed in 2012,[9] and was supported by a video for the single "Hurry Hurry".[4] A house music remix of "Hurry Hurry" by Radboy was also released.
Later in 2012, he also released a non-album cover of Whitney Houston's song "I Wanna Dance With Somebody".[4]
In 2013, his live performances included a show with Matt Morris in Denver, Colorado, performances at the Viva la Vida Festival in Pioneer, California,[2] and the Folsom Street Fair in San Francisco,[2] and a headlining spot at Pride Northwest in Portland, Oregon.[10] In 2014, James released the single "Last Reminder", which was cowritten with Morris,[11] and performed at the Castro Street Fair in San Francisco.[12]
In 2015, he was invited to be one of the last artists to play a show at The Living Room in Brooklyn before that venue's closure.[13]
Personal life
James, who is openly gay,[2] supports organizations including PAWS, a non-profit organization based in Philadelphia dedicated to saving homeless, abandoned and unwanted animals.[14]
References
- ↑ Stout, Brett (19 March 2012). "The Folk Musician Goes Pop". The Advocate. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 "Aiden James: Philly's finest". Bay Area Reporter, September 26, 2013.
- ↑ "10 Minutes with Aiden James". Philadelphia, March 18, 2011.
- 1 2 3 "Queer Bait". Philadelphia City Paper, July 31, 2012.
- 1 2 3 "Aiden James Gives Us His “Best Shot”". NewNowNext, December 12, 2011.
- ↑ "AfterElton Briefs: “Glee” Previews, Aiden James Goes National, “Torchwood” Begins Casting". The Backlot, November 9, 2010.
- ↑ "Watch and Enjoy: Aiden James, Songster, Coffee Lover, Rule Breaker". NewNowNext, March 2, 2010.
- ↑ "Scruffy Songster". Metro Weekly, February 2, 2012.
- ↑ "Review: Aiden James". Metro Weekly, February 2, 2012.
- ↑ "Pride Music Preview". PQ Monthly (PQ Monthly). 10 June 2013. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
- ↑ "Out singer James talks Whitney Houston, defying labels". Windy City Times, July 16, 2014.
- ↑ "Castro Street Fair To Host Local LGBT Performers". Castro Courier, October 2014.
- ↑ "Brooklyn Venue The Living Room to Close at the End of December". Paste, December 17, 2015.
- ↑ "Aiden James: Paws-itivity". Philadelphia Gay News. October 2, 2014. Retrieved January 2, 2016.