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| Above photo L to R: Steve Winwood, my cousin and guitar legend Jimmy Johnson, and Jim in 1993. |
| Jim Capaldi Born: 8-2-1944 Died: 1-28-2005 ....of stomach cancer. |
| Born Nicola James Capaldi on 2 August 1944 in Evesham, Worcestershire to musical Italian parents, Jim Capaldi's musical career lasted more than four decades. It went from classic rock to disco to modern rock and took him around the world. As a child Jim studied the piano and singing with his father, a music teacher, and by his teens he was playing drums with his friends. In 1961 Jim played drums for the Worcester band The Sapphires and in 1963 he formed The Hellions with Dave Mason on guitar and Gordon Jackson on rhythm guitar. In August 1964 Tanya Day took The Hellions to the Star Club in Hamburg, Germany as her backing group. The Spencer Davis Group were staying at the same hotel as The Hellions and it was there that Steve Winwood befriended Jim Capaldi and Dave Mason. Back in Worcester The Hellions continued to perfect their sound and later that year they became regulars at the Whiskey-A-Go-Go. In 1965 they had a recording contract that produced three unsuccessful singles, but with the addition of John Palmer on drums and Jim stepping up to lead vocals their future looked brighter. In the mid 1960's, Jim became a regular face at the legendary Birmingham nightclub "The Elbow Room." Following their shows, he would go and jam together with other Birmingham bands and it was here that the idea of Traffic was born. Apart from the group's eleven album multi-platinum career (1967-1974), fueled by Jim's writing partnership with Steve Winwood, Jim enjoyed a solo career of note with fifteen albums starting with his first solo release, while still a member of Traffic. His first release was for Island records in 1972. "Oh How We Danced" showed promise for Capaldi but he was still involved with Traffic. It would take two more years for him to break from Traffic and release his second solo album with 1974's "Whale Meat Again." Two more albums for Island and four years later, Jim moved over to RSO records where he scored a disco hit with "Shoeshine." The 12" single pulled from his 1979 "Electric Nights" album was remixed by legend Rick Gianatos and received major club exposure. The death of disco brought about the demise of RSO records and Jim moved to Carrere records in 1980. Two releases, "The Sweet Smell Of Success" and "Let The Thunder Cry" gained favorable reviews but produced no stateside hits. However that luck changed when Capaldi signed with Atlantic records in 1983. He scored two hits, "Living On The Edge" and "That's Love" from his "Fierce Heart" release. A second and final album for the label, "One Man Mission" in 1984 did not do as well. With no label affiliation for the next four years Jim joined Island records once again in 1988. Former Traffic mate Winwood had already found mainstream success on the label and Jim hoped for the same. His "Something So Strong" propelled his release "Some Come Running" up the charts and once again he enjoyed U.S. success. He formed his own band, The Contenders, during this period and toured to critical acclaim. Jim was working on his twelfth solo album when Steve called to ask for his input on a forthcoming Winwood album which, in fact, was to become Traffic's return to the scene. Subsequent to the reformation of Traffic in 1993 and the release in 1994 of the album "Far From Home," the band toured America for five months, headlining 75 shows to over 500,000 people. They appeared at Woodstock and played ten shows together with fellow rock legends The Grateful Dead. Jim had three more albums in the last decade beginning with 1995's "Prince Of Darkness" followed by 2001's "Living On The Outside" and 2004's "Poor Boy Blue." Jim was a gifted songwriter. A five time winner of BMI and ASCAP awards, for "most played compositions in America," he has been sought after for many projects. His most recent was for The Eagles reunion; having written their massive radio hit "Love Will Keep Us Alive." Jim and Traffic were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March 2004. The band's surviving members planned to follow the induction with a reunion tour, but scrapped the plans because Capaldi was ill with what was said at the time to be a severe gastric ulcer. Jim succumbed to stomach cancer in January 2005 and left behind a loving wife and two beautiful children. We honor him here for his disco contributions but he will always be best remembered for his powerful drumming and his unforgettable contributions to the rock world. |
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