James Walbourne is a British singer, guitarist, and multi-instrumentalist. He is the current lead guitarist in The Pretenders as well as one-half of The Rails.
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James Walbourne | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | James Walbourne |
Born | (1980-02-02) 2 February 1980 (age 42) Muswell Hill, London, England |
Genres | Alternative rock, British folk rock, hard rock, funk rock, heavy metal |
Occupation(s) | Musician, singer-songwriter |
Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar, mandolin, accordion, harmonium, keyboards |
Years active | 1980–present |
Labels | Capitol, PolyGram, Shout! Factory |
Website | jameswalbourne |
When he was young he wanted to play in clubs around America and to fulfill his dream he left school to go on a tour in the US with Peter Bruntnell and there he became a member of the bands Pernice Brothers and Son Volt.[1] He became a member of The Kinks’ front-man Ray Davies’s solo band and of The Pogues. In 2008, he was recruited to The Pretenders by Martin Chambers just before the Breakup the Concrete tour.[2]
In 2005 he formed a band, Royal Gun, with his brother Rob Walbourne but that disbanded after a short tour of England and the US. In 2010, he started working on his first solo album The Hill, and it was released in 2011 by Heavenly Records.[3][4]
In 2007, when Linda Thompson was working on her album Versatile Heart, the author Nick Hornby, introduced Walbourne to Thompson where he met Kami Thompson for the first time, but their intimacy did not grow and nothing came of it at the time. In 2011, they accidentally met in Los Angeles at the 50th-anniversary show for McCabe's Guitar Shop and this time their relationship grew and the pair eventually married in 2012.[5][6]
They founded The Rails and released their first album Fair Warning on Island Records.[7]
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Title | Album details |
The Hill | · Released: 27 January 2011
· Label: Heavenly |
Title | Album details |
Fair Warning | · Released: 2014
· Label: Island Records & Mighty Village |
Other People | · Released: 2017
· Label: Psychonaut Sounds |
The Pretenders | |
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Studio albums | |
Live albums | |
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Compilation albums | |
Songs |
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Chrissie Hynde solo albums | |
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