Anecdotes

Sued rapper M.C. Hammer in 1990 for unauthorized use of music samples of his song "Superfreak" in Hammer's hit song "U Can't Touch This". The case was settled out of court, and along with another songwriter who wrote "Superfreak", he received songwriting credits on "U Can't Touch This".

His cause of death was determined to be pulmonary and cardiac failure with his various health conditions of diabetes, stroke, and a pacemaker listed as attributing factors. He had small quantities of nine different drugs in his system, including cocaine.

On November 9, 1998, he suffered a stroke after completing a two-hour show in Denver's Mammoth Events Center.

In 1993 both he and Tanya Hijazi were convicted of assault on two women. He served two years. She served 15 months.

He and Tanya Hijazi lived together from 1986 until their marriage. They have a son, Tazman James, born in 1992.

His uncle, The Temptations, was a member of the legendary soul group The Temptations. James worked as a producer and writer on their 1982 "Reunion" album.

He was the lead vocalist for the Toronto-based R&B/Soul group The Mynah Birds in the mid-1960s. They were signed to Motown's V.I.P. label. "It's My Time," which was slated to be The Mynah Birds' first single in 1966, was co-written by James and the band's lead guitarist, a then-unknown Neil Young. Also a member of the band was Bruce Palmer. However, when Motown executives learned that James was AWOL from the US Naval Reserves, the single was shelved. Young and Palmer would go on to form Buffalo Springfield.

He has two illegitimate children born in the '70s.

Has two grandchildren.

Father of Ty James and Rick, Jr.

Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives". Volume 7, 2003-2005, pages 273-274. Farmington Hills, MI: Thomson Gale, 2007.

Brother of Camille Hudson,and Carmen Sims.

Richard Pryor bet James $100,000 that Eddie Murphy couldn't sing. James then worked with Murphy on his debut album, which included the single "Party All the Time". The song was a massive hit, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 & selling over a million copies, thereby proving Murphy could sing.