Musical Career.
James started playing music at the age of 9 on the piano, then played the drums of his brother Dave, and finally moved to the guitar. His first band was the amateur group "Obsession". The band consisted of the Veloz brothers, who played bass guitar and drums, and Jim Arnold on guitar. Ron McGovney and Dave Marrs sat in the attic of the Veloz garage and clicked on the lighting effects control panel. The group played well-known compositions of such bands as Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin. After the breakup of Obsession, Marrs, Hetfield, and McGovney continued to play together.
After moving to La Brea, James enrolled at Brea Olinda School and met drummer Jim Mulligan. Soon Hugh Tanner appeared, and with him they created Phantom Lord. With Hugh on lead guitar and Jim on drums, James sang and played rhythm guitar. The band changed several bassists before James graduated from school and returned to Downey.... 1 reply
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....In Downey, James moved into a house owned by Ron McGovney's parents, which was to be demolished due to the expansion of the highway. This house was the perfect place for James and Ron to gather together, listen and play music. James persuaded Ron to play bass guitar and even promised to teach him.
James' third band, Leather Charm, consisted of former members of Phantom Lord. In addition to James and Ron, it included Hugh Tanner and Jim Mulligan. The Leather Charm band was more successful. It played its own songs and covers, such as Quiet Riot's Slick Black Cadillac and Iron Maiden's Remember Tomorrow. The band managed to perform at several concerts and recorded a demo, but began to fall apart. Tanner was the first to leave the band, and he was replaced by Troy James. Then Mulligan left for another, more progressive band. Ultimately, the Leather Charm band fell apart.... 0 reply
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