Super Freak

"She's a very kinky girl, the kind you don't take home to mother. She will never let your spirits down, once you get her off the street.

She's a super freak, super freak, she's super freaky,"

- Rick James

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James Ambrose Johnson, Jr., known by his stage name Rick James, was born in Buffalo, NY, on February 1,1948.

Music was in his veins from the start. He not only played the bass guitar, guitar, keyboards, drums, and percussion, but also became a singer - songwriter and record producer.

As a teenager, Rick James played with various bands in Buffalo. To avoid being drafted into the Army and potentially sent to fight in Vietnam, he chose to join the Navy.

In 1964, he deserted and went to Toronto, where Motown Records eventually approached him and his band, the Mynah Birds, in 1966. However, his career was interrupted when the military caught up with him, resulting in a one-year prison sentence for desertion. Afterward, James relocated to California and formed several rock and funk groups during the late 1960s and early 1970s.

In 1977, James returned to Buffalo and formed the Stone City Band, a well-known local group. His breakthrough as a recording artist came the following year with Motown's Gordy Records and the album Come Get It!, which produced two hits, "You & I" and "Mary Jane".

His most acclaimed album,1981's Street Songs, featured "Give It to Me Baby" and "Super Freak", establishing his artistic identity. "Super Freak" became a major crossover hit, blending funk, disco, rock, and new wave.

James also collaborated with other artists as a songwriter and producer, including Teena Marie, the Mary Jane Girls, Temptations, Eddie Murphy, and Smokey Robinson.

By 1985, James reached the height of mainstream success with the album Glow and a guest spot on the television show The A - Team.

He earned his only Grammy in 1991 for writing the song "Super Freak," which was sampled by rapper MC Hammer in the hit "U Can't Touch This", earning MC a Best R&B Song.

Unfortunately, James fell into a life of cocaine and drug addiction, leading to legal troubles. In 1993, he was accused by two different women of kidnapping and torture while under the influence of crack cocaine. Although the torture charges were dropped, the sentence resulted in him serving two years of a three-year term at Folsom State Prison and paying two million dollars in a civil lawsuit.

James released his final album, Urban Rhapsody following his parole in 1996. His lifestyle, along with cocaine abuse, led to numerous health issues, including diabetes. During a comeback concert in 1997, he experienced a mild stroke, which pushed him into semi-retirement. When he appeared on Chappelle's Show in 2004, parodying himself in memorable skits about his wild 1980s lifestyle, there was renewed interest in his music and career.

Rick James's time came to an end on August 6, 2004, when he was discovered dead in his Los Angeles home. He had passed away from pulmonary and cardiac failure at the age of 56. Although the autopsy revealed a mixture of drugs in his system, the coroner concluded that the levels were not sufficient to cause his death.

Rick James is buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo, New York.

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Christine Shephard is a photographer, writer, and avid taphophile. She makes her home in Central New York.

Images captured by Christine Shephard Photographic Design and the written content cannot be utilized in any other format or publication without explicit permission.

Photograph of Rick James by Getty Images

Article information culled from Biography.com and Wikipedia.com