Darlings, whether you are already a Jimmy James fans or one of those rare brazen hussies who doesn’t know who Jimmy is, we are here to share the low down, uptown, and all-around inspiring dish on this remarkable, multi-talented (and also smart, kind and resilient) human being.

Jimmy is a singer/songwriter and recording artist. His near miraculous impersonation of Marilyn Monroe (1983-97) launched him into the national and international spotlight. Jimmy’s spot on live singing impressions of Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli, Billie Holiday, Elvis, Cher, Eartha Kitt, Lionel Richie, Diana Ross and more seem almost uncanny! And his Bette Davis is hilariously accurate and charming at the same time.

“Fashionista,” written and performed by Jimmy, was a hit all over the globe, with over 30 million views on YouTube and winning Billboard raves: “ ‘Fashionista.’ by veteran New York performance artist Jimmy James, is so damn clever, it is hard not to offer a howling squeal of approval before clicking replay — again and again.”

Anyhoo, Sher and Jimmy have chatted and shared many several times over the years but never got into the nitty gritty of how his vocal talents (and also his beauty) became clear. And the Brazen Hussies interview space seems like perfect place to find out. Believe it or not, Mae West played a role in Jimmy’s career…. Say what? Oh, keep reading.

Sher: “When did you first realize you had an ear for picking up and impersonating voices?”

Jimmy: “My dad loved WC Fields. I became obsessed as a little kid, 7 years old, watching old movies with him. I saw Mae West and began kind of imitating her. I started doing voices in high school. I had a reel-to-reel tape recorder. I’d make up plays and sing and record. I was always fascinated by the art of recording and by the human voice.”

“Every single voice on the planet is like a fingerprint – it’s different, even if you seem to do a perfect impression. In the early 2000s, I had terrible voice problems and the doctor took a canula in my throat to take pictures of my vocal cords - and there were little dollar signs on them. OK, I’m joking! But how does that magic happen when a voice impression sounds perfect but our vocal cords are all unique to us?”

Jimmy went through emotional turmoil during his teens and early adult years because he was different looking from other boys his age. (Marilyn Monroe would play a role in helping him through this time, although she was long gone to that great movie studio in the sky. Really.)

Jimmy: “I was so upset when I was 20, walking around people mistook me for being female. I wasn’t trans but I didn’t look like a boy. People would tell me I was cute but I though my curse was my face. I was a boy who looked like girl and I sounded like a girl and I was extremely upset I wasn’t ever going to be tall.”

“I’d see boys in GQ my age and 6’2 and I was 5’4. I wondered what the f*ck happened to me. I wanted to die. I did have thoughts of suicide. In the Catholic church it’s a mortal sin to kill yourself. You are supposed to use your life to the best of your ability. But I wanted to kill myself and a lot kids, sadly, want to.”

“Then I heard Joan Rivers on the Tonight Show say, ‘I always tell late bloomers to hold on– it’s going to work out for you.’ I held on to that. But I wanted to fit it. I did not want to be different. But what made me different turned out to be my gold mine. And I want kids that feel like I did to hold on and know it will be OK.”

Several things happened that changed young Jimmy’s perspective in the early l980s.

Jimmy: “Boy George and Michael Jackson came out as androgenous. It was a new word for me. I realized, that’s what I was! And I heard music by Neil Sedaka who had a beautiful, female sounding voice but he was a man. I could relate!”

And then something else happened – a series of coincidences involving the image and talent of the late Marilyn Monroe, who passed away when Jimmy James was only three years old.

STAY TUNED FOR PART II of the Brazen Hussies JIMMY JAMES INTERVIEW
Coming in September: Jimmy’s career from La Cage to stardom, celeb encounters, stories behind Jimmy’s concept album Jamestown -- and his decision to give hope and laughter, comfort and fun to fans (and his mom) during the COVID pandemic lock-down with free living room concerts…