MarvenJames.com - Biography

Biography

Timmins Ontario was the setting to where it all began for Marven James. His parents, a Francophone father from Quebec and an Italian mother from Timmins, provided the backdrop for Marven's love of music during his early years. Marven grew up surrounded by a variety of music genres which he later drew on for his inspiration. He mastered the art of drumming and played with many local rock bands where he would also have an opportunity to test his vocals.

ln the year 2000, Marven put his drum kit away and focused on developing his career as a professional singer. His musical style was greatly influenced by the sound of New Country music performed by Alan Jackson and Brooks and Dunn. He was also drawn to the more traditional country music and found inspiration by listening to Bobby Bare and Marty Robbins. Marven wanted to hone his vocal abilities and took singing lessons at the "Institut de Developpement Vocal Integral de Montreal (IDIVM) and took advantage of participating in many different singing contests in the Montreal area.

These contests provided him with an opportunity to perform in larger concert venues in the province of Quebec namely the Metropolis, the Capitol and the Palace Arvida in Jonquiere. ln 2005, he launched his first album consisting of songs which he personally selected because of their soulful and heartfelt messages.

It was in 2006 when his great adventure began. He teamed up with Dave Frolick, songwriter and co-president of Frozen North Music based in Oshawa Ontario. Both Dave and Marven collaborated on the production of a second album featuring only original material. During this endeavour, Marven knew that he had to find the right sound to further enhance the quality and authenticity of the songs. He chose to record his album in the heart of country music, "Nashville" Tennessee. Marven set out for Nashville in September 2007, where he had the opportunity to record his album at the infamous Bayou Recording Studio and subsequently worked with George Clinton, sound engineer and co-owner of Bayou Recording. The single When you left me in Georgia reached 32 on the European Country Chart and 5th in Austria.

In August 2009, Marven records his 3rd album “Tennessee Teardrops” and returns to Bayou Recording Studio in Nashville owned by George Clinton, producer and engineer (Alabama, Charley Pride, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, KISS, Martina McBride). This project is produced by Larry Wayne Clark (Gordon Lightfoot, Lisa Brokop) and contains 10 original songs from the Frozen North Music catalogue (Dave Frolick and Bill Osmond). Two singles, Mail myself to Mexico and Harder than it has to be, were co-written by Buddy Jewell (Nashville Star 2003) and have been previously released by Jewell.

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