Jimmy Wayne Jamison (August 23, 1951 – September 1, 2014) was an American singer. Best known as Jimi Jamison, he earned recognition as the frontman for the rock bands

Target Target may refer to: Physical items * Shooting target, used in marksmanship training and various shooting sports ** Bullseye (target), the goal one for which one aims in many of these sports ** Aiming point, in field artillery, fi ...

, Cobra, and Survivor from 1984 to 1989, performing the songs " Burning Heart" from the film ''

Rocky IV ''Rocky IV'' is a 1985 American sports drama film written, directed by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the sequel to ''Rocky III'' (1982) and is the fourth installment in the ''Rocky'' franchise. It also stars Talia Shire, Burt Young, Ca ...

'', " The Moment of Truth" from ''

The Karate Kid ''The Karate Kid'' is a 1984 American martial arts drama film written by Robert Mark Kamen and directed by John G. Avildsen. It is the first installment in the ''Karate Kid'' franchise, and stars Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, Elisabeth Shue an ...

'', along with other top-20 Survivor hits "

I Can't Hold Back "I Can't Hold Back" is a song recorded by the rock band Survivor. It was the first hit single from their 1984 album ''Vital Signs'' (their first album with vocalist Jimi Jamison). The song peaked at #13 in December 1984 on the ''Billboard'' H ...

", " High On You", " The Search Is Over" and " Is This Love". He officially rejoined Survivor in 2000, remaining in the group until 2006, only to rejoin again in 2011. Acclaimed for his vocal abilities, Jamison is also known for having co-written and performed the theme song "

I'm Always Here "I'm Always Here" (also known as "I'll Be Ready") is a song by Jimi Jamison and it is most recognized as the theme of the popular 1990s TV series ''Baywatch'', used for seasons 2 through 10. Jamison is credited as the lyricist on this song along ...

" for the 1990s TV series ''

Baywatch ''Baywatch'' is an American action drama television series about lifeguards who patrol the beaches of Los Angeles County, California, and Hawaii, starring David Hasselhoff. It was created by Michael Berk, Douglas Schwartz, and Gregory J. Bo ...

''.

Early life

Jimmy Wayne Jamison was born in rural Durant, Mississippi, but self-identified as a

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mo ...

native, as he and his mother Dorothy moved there when he was one day old. In his teens, growing up in Blues-Rock and Soul music, he taught himself how to play the guitar and piano. The first song Jimi ever performed in front of a crowd was "Daytripper" by

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

, while he was in middle school (

Sherwood Sherwood may refer to: Places Australia *Sherwood, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane * Sherwood, South Australia, a locality *Shire of Sherwood, a former local government area of Queensland * Electoral district of Sherwood, an electoral district fr ...

) in the mid-1960s.

Career

Early career

Jimi began playing in an R&B band called The Debuts. It was to be Jamison's first taste of success, and he was only 12 years old at the time. While students at

Messick High School Messick High School was a public high school in Memphis, Tennessee, established in 1908 and operated from 1909 to 1981.Vance Lauderdale. The Messick school mascot is the Golden WildcatElizabeth Messick and Messick High School ''Memphis Flyer'', Octo ...

, the band had a hit with their first single, the

Wayne Carson Wayne Carson (born Wayne Carson Head; May 31, 1943 – July 20, 2015), sometimes credited as Wayne Carson Thompson, was an American country musician, songwriter, and record producer. He played percussion, piano, guitar, and bass. His most fam ...

-penned "If I Cry" in 1968. It was a song originally intended for fellow Memphis band

The Box Tops The Box Tops is an American rock band formed in Memphis in 1967. They are best known for the hits " The Letter", " Cry Like a Baby", "Choo Choo Train," and " Soul Deep" and are considered a major blue-eyed soul group of the period. They perfo ...

, but the group discarded the tune before recording it; Box Tops frontman

Alex Chilton William Alexander Chilton (December 28, 1950 – March 17, 2010) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer best known as the lead singer of the Box Tops and Big Star. Chilton's early commercial success in the 1960s ...

gave it to The Debuts instead. The band were picked up and signed by

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most im ...

. Soon the teenagers hit the road with the likes of

Roy Orbison Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician known for his impassioned singing style, complex song structures, and dark, emotional ballads. His music was described by critics as ...

and

Mitch Ryder Mitch Ryder (born William Sherille Levise, Jr.; February 26, 1945) is an American musician who has recorded more than 25 albums over more than four decades. Career Ryder formed his first band, Tempest, when he was at Warren High School, and th ...

& the Detroit Wheels, also touring with

The Buckinghams The Buckinghams are an American sunshine pop band from Chicago. They formed in 1966 and went on to become one of the top-selling acts of 1967, charting their only five top 40 hits in the U.S. that year. The band dissolved in 1970, but re-formed ...

. The band broke up in 1969, but Jimi and Rowell continued playing together years later before going their separate ways.

Target (1974–1980)

After the second sessions recording with David Beaver, both Jamison and Cathey teamed up with guitarist Buddy Davis and formed the Memphis

southern rock Southern rock is a subgenre of rock music and a genre of Americana. It developed in the Southern United States from rock and roll, country music, and blues and is focused generally on electric guitars and vocals. Author Scott B. Bomar specula ...

band

in the mid 1970s. The band started and became a local arena band playing live constantly building up their reputation. Having success, the band released the albums ''Target'' (1976) and ''Captured'' (1977) on

A&M Records A&M Records was an American record label founded as an independent company by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss in 1962. Due to the success of the discography A&M released, the label garnered interest and was acquired by PolyGram in 1989 and began distr ...

with the singles "Are you Ready", "Let Me Live" and "It is Only Love", opening concerts for

Black Sabbath Black Sabbath were an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy metal music. The band helped def ...

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, and

KISS A kiss is the touch or pressing of one's lips against another person or an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sexual attraction, ...

Cobra (1981–1983)

In 1982, Jamison joined guitarist

Mandy Meyer Armand "Mandy" Meyer (born August 29 1960) is a Swiss-Canadian guitarist best known for being a member of the hard rock band Gotthard, the progressive rock band Asia, and the heavy metal band Krokus. Meyer has also worked with Cobra, Stealin' H ...

(ex- Krokus), guitarist/keyboardist Jack Holder (ex-

Black Oak Arkansas Black Oak Arkansas is an American Southern rock band named after the band's hometown of Black Oak, Arkansas. The band reached the height of its fame in the 1970charting ten albums according to Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Their style is punctuated ...

), bassist Tommy Keiser, and drummer Jeff Klaven in the band Cobra, managed by Butch Stone (who also managed Target as well as Krokus and Black Oak Arkansas), replacing original vocalist Tommy Andris. The band became a hit in the Memphis scene and signed with

Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was founded predominantly as a jazz and classical m ...

. The group released one album, the

Tom Allom Thomas James Allom is an English record producer and sound engineer. His best-known work was in the 1970s and 1980s, working with artists such as Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, Krokus, Loverboy, Def Leppard Def Leppard are an English rock ...

-produced '' First Strike'', in 1983. The British music magazine

Kerrang! ''Kerrang!'' is a British weekly magazine devoted to rock, punk and heavy metal music, currently published by Wasted Talent (the same company that owns electronic music publication '' Mixmag''). It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a on ...

listed the album at number one in its import charts with the song "Blood On Your Money" getting

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

airplay, being Jamison's first music video. "Looking at You" and "Travelin' Man" were promoted at the Memphis TV Club. Cobra started touring in the United States opening for

Quiet Riot Quiet Riot is an American heavy metal band founded in Los Angeles in 1973 by guitarist Randy Rhoads and bassist Kelly Garni. The original lineup featured Rhoads and Garni with lead vocalist Kevin DuBrow and drummer Drew Forsyth, though th ...

, Nazareth, and Krokus. Their live performance on November 27, 1983, was broadcast on the

King Biscuit Flower Hour The ''King Biscuit Flower Hour'' was an American syndicated radio show presented by the D.I.R. Radio Network that featured concert performances by various rock music recording artists. History The program was broadcast on Sunday nights from 197 ...

(KBFH) and later partly released on the ''Live Attack!'' and ''Only You Can Rock Me'' bootlegs. The live set included a half dozen unreleased songs, including their original "I'm a Fighter", written by Jimi and Mandy, which was covered by the group Van Zant in the mid-1980s. Meanwhile, ''First Strike'' was only a moderate commercial success, and the band split at the end of the year, primarily due to each member wanting to do different things.

Survivor (1984–1989)

After Cobra's demise in 1984, Jamison was invited to join Survivor, whose success had been waning since their number-one hit "

Eye of the Tiger "Eye of the Tiger" is a song by American rock band Survivor. It was released as a single from their third album of the same name and was also the theme song for the 1982 film ''Rocky III'', which was released a day before the single. The son ...

" in 1982. The band had recently parted ways with original singer

Dave Bickler David Bickler (born March 31, 1953) is an American singer, best known as the lead singer for the rock band Survivor from 1978 until 1983, most notably on the #1 U.S. hit "Eye of the Tiger". In addition to his wide vocal range, his trademark l ...

, due to his vocal cord injuries that required a lengthy convalescence. After a successful audition with the band, Jamison joined them despite some misgivings about Survivor's

pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, ear ...

sound. He provided an instant spark to the band, having great success, putting the band back on top. His first recording with the band was " The Moment of Truth" (''

'' theme song), which reached number 63 on the Billboard Hot 100 in July 1984. Jamison's first full album with Survivor, and the band's fifth overall, was ''

Vital Signs Vital signs (also known as vitals) are a group of the four to six most crucial medical signs that indicate the status of the body's vital (life-sustaining) functions. These measurements are taken to help assess the general physical health of a ...

'', released later in 1984. That album reached number 16 on the

Billboard Album Chart The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists ...

and was certified platinum by the

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...

. The album included the hit singles " High on You" (which reached number 8 on the

Billboard Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online stream ...

singles chart), "

" (number 13 on the singles chart and number 1 on Top Rock Tracks chart), with Jamison proving to be a worthy frontman and a photogenic face of the band, which helped the video for this song get significant airplay on MTV, and " The Search Is Over" (number 4 on the singles chart and number 1 on the

adult contemporary chart The Adult Contemporary chart is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary radio stations in the United States. The chart is compiled based on airplay data submitted to ''Billboard'' by stat ...

). "

First Night First Night is a North American artistic and cultural celebration on New Year's Eve, taking place from afternoon until midnight. Some cities have all their events during the celebration outside, but some cities have events that are hosted indoors ...

" also reached number 53 on the singles chart. The band began touring in Chicago and Indianapolis in 1984, in 1985 the band went on tour with headliner Bryan Adams, performing at his sold-out concerts at Nashville's War Memorial Auditorium, the

Dallas Convention Center The Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center (KBHCCD) (formerly Dallas Convention Center) is a convention center in the Convention Center District of downtown Dallas, Texas. The "Dallas Memorial Auditorium" was a standalone multipurpose arena, de ...

, the San Antonio Convention Center and the

Lakefront Arena The Senator Nat G. Kiefer University of New Orleans Lakefront Arena (commonly Lakefront Arena or UNO Lakefront Arena) is an 8,933-seat multi-purpose arena located in New Orleans, Louisiana. The arena is home to the University of New Orleans Priva ...

in New Orleans. They also toured with REO Speedwagon around that time with appearances at San Diego sports arena and other venues, plus touring in

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.46 ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...

in which they released a DVD of the concert and appearing and performing in different Japanese Television Shows. That same year Survivor was requested by Stallone once again to do the theme song for the next Rocky film, achieving another hit with " Burning Heart" from the film ''

''. In early 1986, the single peaked at number 2 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Jamison's second album with Survivor, ''

When Seconds Count ''When Seconds Count'' is the sixth studio album by the American rock band Survivor, released in October 1986. It is the second album featuring vocalist Jimi Jamison. The album included the hit single, " Is This Love", which peaked at #9 in the ...

'', was released on October 9, 1986, and included the hit single " Is This Love" (number 9 on the singles chart). The album peaked at a disappointing number 49 on the

but still managed to sell over 500,000 copies and was certified Gold. This album also featured Jamison making songwriting contributions to the band's repertoire, including the single "

Man Against the World "Man Against the World" is a song by American rock band Survivor. It was the fourth track and the third single released from their 1986 album ''When Seconds Count''. The song was originally to be included on the soundtrack to the 1985 film ''Rock ...

" (number 86). This song was originally slated for inclusion on the ''Rocky IV'' soundtrack and was in fact later included in that album's 2006 reissue. Another single, "How Much Love" peaked at number 51 on the singles chart, while "In Good Faith" was promoted in Europe, with the band performing in German TV Shows. Survivor released their final 80's album ''

Too Hot to Sleep ''Too Hot to Sleep'' is the seventh studio album from rock band Survivor, released in 1988. It was a relative commercial disappointment, reaching only #187 on the Billboard album charts,

Solo career (1989–1999)

In 1989, Jamison contributed his own version of "

Ever Since the World Began "Ever Since the World Began" is a power ballad by American rock band Survivor, released in 1982 from the group's third album ''Eye of the Tiger'', featuring Dave Bickler as lead singer. Composed by the band's guitarist Frankie Sullivan and keyboa ...

", a song Survivor had initially recorded prior to his tenure in the band, to the Sylvester Stallone's film, '' Lock Up,'' after being requested by Stallone. That same year, he was invited to join

Deep Purple Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock music, but their musical style has changed over the course of its existence. Originally formed as ...

, who had just fired longtime singer

Ian Gillan Ian Gillan (born 19 August 1945) is a British singer who is best known as the lead singer and lyricist for the rock band Deep Purple. He is known for his powerful and wide-ranging singing voice. Initially influenced by Elvis Presley, Gillan ...

. After a two-week session with the band, he reluctantly parted ways with them; according to Deep Purple organist

Jon Lord John Douglas Lord (9 June 194116 July 2012) was an English orchestral and rock composer, pianist, and Hammond organ player known for his pioneering work in fusing rock with classical or baroque forms, especially with the British rock band Deep ...

, "He amisonwas an enormous Deep Purple fan and he would happily have taken over the job. But at the time he was afraid of his managers. They didn't want him to leave urvivorand he didn't dare to get into a fight with them." In fact, Jamison's managers wanted him to concentrate on his upcoming solo album instead of joining Deep Purple. Also in 1989, Jamison briefly united with his Target bandmates for a "10-Year Reunion" concert in Memphis and was part of the New Year's Eve celebration in the Crown Plaza. It was also around this time that Jamison performed the entrance song "Hard Time" for the wrestler

Big Boss Man Ray Washington Traylor Jr. (May 2, 1963 – September 22, 2004) was an American professional wrestler best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) under the ring name Big Boss Man, as well as for his appearances wit ...

when he was in the WWF. Jamison's first solo album '' When Love Comes Down'' was released in July 1991. While neither the album nor any of its singles made much impact on the charts, the songs "Rock Hard" and "Taste of Love" were used in episodes of ''

'', and the latter was also used in the 1992 film '' Jersey Girl''. Jamison's association with ''Baywatch'' began that same year, when CBS enlisted him to create a song for the then-just acquired TV Series; Jimi would co-write (with

Cory Lerios Cory Charles Lerios (born February 12, 1951) is an American pianist and vocalist. He is a founding member of the platinum-record-selling soft rock band Pablo Cruise, and since the mid-1980s he has scored music for film and television. History L ...

and

John D'Andrea John D'Andrea is an American television composer, arranger and music writer. Biography D'Andrea, as a boy, was interested in being a musician, due to his father's career playing the saxophone in local New Jersey bands, because of this, his fath ...

) and perform "

," the series theme song. The song achieved success and pop culture recognition, with various versions of the song appearing as the show's opening theme until 2001. Jamison began touring under the name Survivor or Jimi Jamison's Survivor with a new solo band consisting of Hal Butler (keyboards, vocals), Jeff Adams (bass, vocals), Bill Marshall (drums), and initially official Survivor member Frankie Sullivan on guitar, though he was soon replaced by Jeff Miller. Sullivan and Jim Peterik from the "official" Survivor then filed a lawsuit against their one-time bandmate for continuing to bill his group as "Survivor", but were unsuccessful in preventing Jamison from touring under the band's name until 1999. During this period, the

Scotti Brothers Scotti Brothers Records (typically spelled Scotti Bros. Records) was a California-based record label founded by Tony and Ben Scotti in 1974. Their first success was releasing singles and albums from teen pop star Leif Garrett. They later help ...

label released two Survivor compilation albums featuring songs from Jamison's tenure. The solo album '' Empires'', featuring a re-recorded version of "I'm Always Here" and a cover of "Love is Alive" by

Gary Wright Gary Malcolm Wright (born April 26, 1943) is an American musician and composer best known for his 1976 hit songs "Dream Weaver" and " Love Is Alive", and for his role in helping establish the synthesizer as a leading instrument in rock and pop ...

, was released under the name Jimi Jamison's Survivor in October 1999.

Second tenure with Survivor (2000–2006)

Jamison reunited with Survivor in March 2000, replacing original singer

once again. In 2002, the band released "Christmas is Here", which reached No. 6 on the Mediabase Christmas charts. In 2005, Jamison and the band were part of a Starbucks commercial, making an Eye of the Tiger parody, which gave them an Emmy Nomination. Jamison and the band released the album ''

Reach Reach or REACH may refer to: Companies and organizations * Reach plc, formerly Trinity Mirror, large British newspaper, magazine, and digital publisher * Reach Canada, an NGO in Canada * Reach Limited, an Asia Pacific cable network company ...

'' in April 2006. The album was Survivor's first new album in 18 years. Jamison quit the band shortly after the release of ''Reach'', on July 14.

Return to solo work (2007–2014)

Jamison released the solo album '' Crossroads Moment'' in Europe in July 2008 and in America the following year. The album was produced by his former Survivor bandmate

Jim Peterik James Michael Peterik ( ; born November 11, 1950) is an American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the founder of the rock band Survivor, as vocalist and songwriter of "Vehicle" by the Ides of March, and as co-writer of the anthem ...

. He continued touring in Rio, Brazil, Chile and in Barcelona, Spain. A companion album of outtakes called '' Extra Moments'' was released in 2010, the additional tracks had been compiled by Jamison and Peterik as a benefit for the music website melodicrock.com. In 2011, Jamison teamed up with Toto singer

Bobby Kimball Robert Troy Kimball (born March 29, 1947) is an American singer and songwriter best known as the original and longtime frontman of the rock band Toto from 1977 to 1984 and again from 1998 to 2008. Kimball has also performed as a solo artist and ...

for the album '' Kimball Jamison''. The two singers shared lead vocals on songs written by

Richard Page Richard Lewis Page (born 22 February 1941) is a former Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) in the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 and from December 1979 to 2005. Early life Born the son of Victor Charles Page, he went to the independent Hu ...

( Mr Mister), Randy Goodrum (Toto,

Steve Perry Stephen Ray Perry (born January 22, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He was the lead singer of the rock band Journey during their most commercially successful periods from 1977 to 1987, and again from 1995 to 1998. He also wrote/co ...

), John Waite, and other notable rock songwriters. During this period Jamison also formed the band One Man's Trash with Fred Zahl. That group released the album ''History'' in December 2011 for Starhouse Records. The band earned an endorsement from the guitar company Hofner.

Final tenure with Survivor (2011–2014)

Jamison again reunited with Survivor in 2011. In November of that year he performed Survivor's "

" (on which he did not sing originally) for boxer

Manny Pacquiao Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao Sr. (; born December17, 1978) is a Filipino politician and former professional boxer. Nicknamed "PacMan", he is regarded as one of the greatest professional boxers of all time. He served as a Senator of the Phil ...

's entrance into the ring for his bout against

Shane Mosley Shane Mosley (born September 7, 1971), often known by his nickname "Sugar" Shane Mosley, is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1993 to 2016. He held multiple world championships in three weight classes, including the IBF l ...

MGM Grand Las Vegas The MGM Grand Las Vegas is a hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The MGM Grand is the largest single hotel in the world with 6,852 rooms. It is also the List of largest hotels, third-largest hotel complex in the w ...

. Fueled by popular demand, Jamison would repeat the performance the following year for the boxer's next title defense. In 2013, it was announced on the band's official media sources that Sullivan had reunited the current Survivor line-up with Bickler. They were also working on new material and looking forward to getting back into the studio together. Jamison participated in further tours with Survivor and would remain with the band until his death in 2014. Jamison's last show was on August 30, 2014, in Morgan Hill, California, at the CANcert benefit event during the ARTTEC Summer Concert Series (arttecusa.com). The benefit raised funds and awareness for two non-profits supporting cancer patients as well as career training opportunities for high school students. Survivor's 58-minute set consisted of "Feels Like Love", "Broken Promises", "Take You on a Saturday", "High on You", "Rockin' into the Night", "The Search Is Over", "Rebel Girl", "I Can't Hold Back", "Burning Heart", "Poor Man's Son", "It's the Singer Not the Song" and ended with "Eye of the Tiger".

Collaborations

Throughout his career, Jamison provided background vocals for several bands and artists such as

Degarmo & Key DeGarmo & Key was a Christian rock band/duo formed in 1977 by Eddie DeGarmo and Dana Key. The group is notable for having the first Christian rock album nominated for a Grammy award and the first American Christian group to have a video entered ...

(''This Ain't Hollywood,'' 1980, ''Heat it Up'', 1993 and ''To Extremes'', 1994); Gary Chapman (''Sincerely Yours'', 1981); Mylon LeFevre & Broken Heart (''Brand New Start'', 1982 and ''Sheep In Wolves Clothing'', 1985); Krokus (''

Headhunter Headhunter or head hunter may refer to: * Headhunting, hunting a human and collecting the severed head after killing them * Executive search, informally called headhunting, a specialized recruitment service Arts and entertainment Film and telev ...

'', 1983 and ''The Blitz'', 1984);

Molly Hatchet Molly Hatchet is an American rock band formed in 1971 by guitarist Dave Hlubek in Jacksonville, Florida. They were a popular band during the late 1970s and early-to-mid 1980s among the southern rock and hard rock communities. The band released ...

(''The Deed is Done'', 1984); and

The Blackwood Brothers The Blackwood Brothers are an American southern gospel quartet. Pioneers of the Christian music industry, they are 8-time Grammy Award winners in addition to winning 7 Gospel Music Association Dove Awards. They are also members of the Memphi ...

(''All Their Best'', 1984). He provided backing vocals throughout

ZZ Top ZZ Top is an American rock band formed in 1969 in Houston, Texas. For 51 years, they comprised vocalist-guitarist Billy Gibbons, drummer Frank Beard and vocalist-bassist Dusty Hill, until Hill's death in 2021. ZZ Top developed a signature sou ...

's 1983 album '' Eliminator'' and also for that band's contribution to the '' Back to the Future III'' soundtrack in 1990. Frontman

Billy Gibbons William Frederick Gibbons (born December 16, 1949) is an American musician who is the guitarist and lead singer of the rock band ZZ Top. He began his career in the band the Moving Sidewalks, which recorded a full-length album entitled, ''Flash ...

referred to Jamison as the "fourth member" of the group after working, touring and hanging out with them in multiple occasions. Jamison contributed vocals for

Joe Walsh Joseph Fidler Walsh (born November 20, 1947) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. In a career spanning over five decades, he has been a member of three successful rock bands: the James Gang, Eagles, and Ringo Starr & His All-Starr ...

on the albums '' Got any Gum?'' (1987), '' Ordinary Average Guy (''1991), and ''

Songs for a Dying Planet ''Songs for a Dying Planet'' is the tenth solo studio album by the American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Joe Walsh. It was released in mid 1992, on the label Epic. Keen to re-establish himself after his ill-received 1991 album, '' ...

'' (1992). He was co-lead vocals with Walsh on the 1991 single "All of a Sudden", which reached number 13 on the

Mainstream Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock is a music chart in '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations in the United States, a category that combines the formats of active rock and heritage rock. The chart was launched in ...

chart. He also worked with

the Fabulous Thunderbirds The Fabulous Thunderbirds are an American blues band formed in 1974. Career After performing for several years in the Austin, Texas blues scene, the band won a recording contract with Takoma/Chrysalis Records and later signed with Epic Recor ...

('' Powerful Stuff'', 1989),

Ten Years After Ten Years After are a British rock group, most popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Between 1968 and 1973, the band had eight consecutive Top 40 albums on the UK Albums Chart. In addition, they had twelve albums enter the US ''Billboar ...

(''About Time'', 1989),

Omar & the Howlers Omar And The Howlers is a Texas based electric blues and blues rock band, The original Howlers was formed in Hattiesburg, Mississippi in 1973. Three years later they moved to Austin, Texas. The band has regularly toured European countries.< ...

(''Wall of Pride'', 1988),

Eric Gales Eric Gales (born October 29, 1974), also known as Raw Dawg, is an American blues rock guitarist, originally hailed as a child prodigy. , Gales has recorded nineteen albums for major record labels and has done session and tribute work. He has a ...

Band (''The Eric Gales Band'', 1991 and ''Picture of a Thousand Faces'', 1993), and Chris Bailey. (''Demons'', 1991), Jamison provided backing vocals for long-time

Heart The heart is a muscular Organ (biology), organ in most animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels of the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the body, while carrying metabolic waste such as ca ...

guitarist

Howard Leese Howard M. Leese (born June 13, 1951, in Hollywood, California, United States) is an American guitarist, record producer, and musical director who played with Heart as guitarist and keyboardist for 23 years (1975 through 1998). He continues to rec ...

's solo album ''Secret Weapon'' (2009). He released the single "House That Love Built" in early 2010 as a benefit for the

Ronald McDonald House Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) is an independent American nonprofit organization whose stated mission is to create, find, and support programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children. RMHC has a global network of ...

of Memphis. He also recorded the charity single "One Family" in 2011 with the all-star ensemble United Rockers 4 U, which also included

Don Dokken Donald Maynard Dokken (born June 29, 1953) is an American singer and musician. He's best known for being the lead singer, occasional guitarist, and founder of the glam metal band Dokken. He is known for his vibrato-laden, melodic vocal style wh ...

Eddie Money Edward Joseph Mahoney (March 21, 1949 – September 13, 2019), known professionally as Eddie Money, was an American singer and songwriter who, in the 1970s and 1980s, had eleven Top 40 songs, including "Baby Hold On", " Two Tickets to Par ...

, Jeff Paris,

Paul Shortino Paul Shortino (born May 14, 1953) is an American rock singer and musician who has sung for Rough Cutt/The Cutt, Quiet Riot, Bad Boyz, and Shortino. He briefly recorded with J.K. Northrup as the duo, Shortino/Northrup. He has also recorded as a ...

, Phil Lewis, Richie Kotzen, and

Robin McAuley Robin McAuley (born 20 January 1953) is an Irish singer. He is best known as the vocalist for the rock band McAuley Schenker Group from 1986 to 1993, which saw the band release three studio albums: '' Perfect Timing'', '' Save Yourself'', '' M. ...

. Jamison contributed backing vocals to the album ''Naked but Dressed'' by Dominoe in 2012. He contributed to an all-star tribute to

Steve Miller Band The Steve Miller Band is an American rock band formed in 1966 in San Francisco, California. The band is led by Steve Miller on guitar and lead vocals. The group had a string of mid- to late-1970s hit singles that are staples of classic rock, as ...

in 2013. One of his last vocal performances was the song "Summer Rains" on guitarist Tommy Denander's 2015 release ''F4ur'' by the band Radioactive.

Style and legacy

Jamison earned acclaim for his vocal abilities. "We didn't even consider it itch editingon him," sound engineer Terry Manning says. "We didn't even have it back then. He never needed it. He could hold pitch. He could sing vibrato when needed. He could sing straight when needed. He could do whatever you needed. Casey Kasem, the big DJ guy, called him 'The Voice.' That's what he named him. He just was the voice." Jamison is an Honorary Member of the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' magazine called Jamison "a true Rock and Roll Legend."

Personal life and death

In 1972, Jamison married Brenda Fay Mason, who is the mother of his first daughter Amy Jamison. They divorced in 1983 and Jamison later married Deborah Teal in 1985. With Teal, he had two more children, James and Lacy. Jamison and Teal separated in 1999. When not traveling or performing, Jamison enjoyed

gardening Gardening is the practice of growing and cultivating plants as part of horticulture. In gardens, ornamental plants are often grown for their flowers, foliage, or overall appearance; useful plants, such as root vegetables, leaf vegetables, frui ...

, throwing horseshoes, various sports such as

tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball cov ...

and

golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping wi ...

, and spending time with his family. Jamison died on September 1, 2014, at his home in

Raleigh Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the Southeas ...

, Memphis, Tennessee, aged 63. His autopsy said he had

cardiovascular disease Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels. CVD includes coronary artery diseases (CAD) such as angina and myocardial infarction (commonly known as a heart attack). Other CVDs include stroke, hea ...

and narrowing of the arteries and that he died of a hemorrhagic brain stroke.

Discography

With Survivor Solo Other bands Other groups/collaborations Issued/remastered Unofficial/unreleased Compilation albums

Singles/promos/EPs

Music videos

Soundtracks

* 1984

: (performer: "The Moment of Truth") * 1985

: (performer: "Burning Heart") * 1985 Rocky IV Soundtrack: (performer: "Man Against the World") * 1989 Lock Up: (performer: "Ever Since The World Began") * 1991–2001

(TV Series) (lyrics – performer: "I'm Always Here") * Baywatch (TV Series) (lyrics – 2 episodes, 1991) (performer – 2 episodes, 1991) – Nightmare Bay: Part 2 (1991) (lyrics: "I'm Always Here") / (performer: "Rock Hard", "I'm Always Here") – Nightmare Bay: Part 1 (1991) (lyrics: "I'm Always Here") / (performer: "I'm Always Here", "Rock Hard") * Baywatch (TV Series) (performer – 1 episode, 1992) – "Lifeguards Can't Jump" (1992) (performer: "Taste of Love") * 1992 Jersey Girl: (performer: "Taste of Love") * 1998 Wrongfully Accused: (performer: "I'm Always Here") * 2001

Spy Game ''Spy Game'' is a 2001 American action thriller film directed by Tony Scott and starring Robert Redford and Brad Pitt. The film grossed $62 million in the United States and $143 million worldwide on a $115 million budget, and received mostly ...

: (performer: "I'm Always Here") * 2001 Mrs. Death 3: (performer: "The Search Is Over") *

Johnny Bravo ''Johnny Bravo'' is an American animated comedy television series created by Van Partible for Cartoon Network and distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution. It is the second of the network's Cartoon Cartoons, which aired fr ...

(TV Series) (performer – 1 episode) – Get Shovelized/T Is for Trouble (2004) (performer: "You Gotta Be") * 2005

The 40 Year Old Virgin ''The 40-Year-Old Virgin'' is a 2005 American romantic comedy film directed by Judd Apatow, who produced the film with Clayton Townsend and Shauna Robertson. It features Steve Carell as the titular 40-year-old virgin Andy, an employee at an ...

: (performer: "The Search is Over") * 2005 Kicking & Screaming: (performer: "Eye of the Tiger") * 2007

Psych ''Psych'' is an American detective comedy-drama television series created by Steve Franks for USA Network. The series stars James Roday as Shawn Spencer, a young crime consultant for the Santa Barbara Police Department whose "heightened obser ...

(TV Series): (performer: "Burning Heart" – 1 episode) * Video on Trial (TV Series) (performer – 1 episode) – Totally Beachin' Video on Trial (2008) ... (performer: "I'm Always Here") * The Xtra Factor (TV Series) (lyrics – 1 episode, 2008) (performer – 1 episode, 2008) – Episode #5.9 (2008) (lyrics: "I'm Always Here") / (performer: "I'm Always Here") * 2009 Paul Blart: Mall Cop (performer: "I Can't Hold Back") * 2011

Formula 1 Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...

BBC Sport BBC Sport is the sports division of the BBC, providing national sports coverage for BBC television, radio and online. The BBC holds the television and radio UK broadcasting rights to several sports, broadcasting the sport live or alongside f ...

(TV Series) (performer – 1 episode) – The Malaysia Grand Prix: Qualifying (2011) (performer: "Burning Heart") *

Britain's Got Talent ''Britain's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated to ''BGT'') is a televised British talent show competition, and part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. Presented by Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly (colloqui ...

(TV Series) (lyrics – 1 episode, 2011) (performer – 1 episode, 2011) – 2011: Auditions 1 (2011) (lyrics: "I'm Always Here") / (performer: "I'm Always Here") * 2012

Piranha 3DD ''Piranha 3DD'' is a 2012 American 3D horror comedy film directed by John Gulager. A sequel to the 2010 film ''Piranha 3D'', it is part of the ''Piranha'' film series and was directed by John Gulager from a screenplay by Marcus Dunstan and Pa ...

: (performer: "I'm Always Here") * 2012 Hansi Hinterseer – Traumhaftes Seenland im Salzkammergut (TV Movie) (performer: "I'm Always Here") * 2013

Grand Theft Auto V ''Grand Theft Auto V'' is a 2013 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the seventh main entry in the ''Grand Theft Auto'' series, following 2008's ''Grand Theft Auto IV'', and the fifteenth in ...

(Video Game) (performer: "Burning Heart") * 2014 The Goldbergs (TV Series) (performer – 1 episode) – You Opened the Door (2014) (performer: "The Search Is Over") *

Mike and Mike in the Morning ''Mike & Mike'' (formerly ''Mike and Mike in the Morning'') was an American sports-talk radio show that was hosted by Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic on ESPN networks from 2000–2017. The show aired on ESPN Radio, and was simulcast on televisi ...

(TV Series) (lyrics – 1 episode, 2014) (performer – 1 episode, 2014) – Episode September 2, 2014 (lyrics: "I'm Always Here") / (performer: "I'm Always Here") * Tosh.0 (TV Series) (performer – 1 episode, 2016) (writer – 1 episode, 2016) – Climate Change Comedian (2016) (performer: "I'll Be Ready") / (writer: "I'll Be Ready") * 2017 Pasapalabra (TV Series) (performer – 1 episode) – Episode #2.4 (2017) (performer: "Burning Heart") * 2017

(Movie) (performer: "I'm Always Here") / (writer: "I'm Always Here" – as Jimmy Jamison) * The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (TV Series) (lyrics – 1 episode) –

Dwayne Johnson Dwayne Douglas Johnson (born May 2, 1972), also known by his ring name The Rock, is an American actor and former professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he was integral to the develop ...

Ellie Kemper Elizabeth Claire Kemper (born May 2, 1980) is an American actress and comedian. She has been nominated for a Critics' Choice Movie Award, two Critics' Choice Television Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, three Satellite Awards, and seven Screen ...

Charlie Puth Charles Otto Puth Jr. (; born December 2, 1991) is an American singer and songwriter. His initial exposure came through the viral success of his song videos uploaded to YouTube. Puth initially signed with the record label eleveneleven after p ...

(2017) (lyrics: "I'm Always Here") * 2018 And They're Off... for Sport Relief (TV Series) (performer – 1 episode) – Episodio #1.1 (2018) (performer: "Burning Heart") * Die Magie des Eises: Linzer Eiszauber 2018 (TV Movie) (performer: "I'll Be Ready") * Coast Lives (TV Series documentary) (lyrics – 1 episode, 2018) (performer – 1 episode, 2018) – Episode #1.1 (2018) (lyrics: "I'm Always Here") / (performer: "I'm Always Here") *

Piers Morgan's Life Stories ''Kate Garraway's Life Stories'' (formerly known as ''Piers Morgan's Life Stories'' until 2021) is a British television chat show on ITV1, presented by Kate Garraway and was formerly presented by Piers Morgan. Recorded in front of a studio aud ...

(TV Series) (lyrics – 1 episode, 2018) (performer – 1 episode, 2018) –

Pamela Anderson Pamela Denise Anderson (born July 1, 1967) is a Canadian-American actress and model. She is best known for her glamour modeling work in ''Playboy'' magazine and for her appearances on the television series ''Baywatch'' (1992–1997). Ander ...

(2018) (lyrics: "I'm Always Here") / (performer: "I'm Always Here") * Good Morning Britain (TV Series) (performer – 4 episodes, 2017–2018) (lyrics – 3 episodes, 2017–2018) (writer – 1 episode, 2017) – Episode April 17, 2018 (lyrics: "I'm Always Here") / (performer: "I'm Always Here") – Episode May 19, 2017 (lyrics: "I'm Always Here") / (performer: "I'm Always Here") – Episode May 16, 2017 (performer: "I'm Always Here") / (writer: "I'm Always Here") – Episode May 15, 2017 (lyrics: "I'm Always Here") / (performer: "I'm Always Here") *

Britain's Got More Talent ''Britain's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated to ''BGT'') is a televised British talent show competition, and part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. Presented by Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly (colloquially ...

(TV Series) (lyrics – 1 episode, 2018) (performer – 1 episode, 2018) – Episode #12.12 (2018) (lyrics: "I'm Always Here") / (performer: "I'm Always Here") * Wedding Day Winners (TV Series) (performer – 1 episode) – Episode #1.5 (2018) (performer: "I'm Always Here")

References

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...

– Jimi Jamison biography *

External links

*
Jim Peterik Interview, honoring Jimi Jamison. From August 2015 with Pods & Sods
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jamison, Jimi 1951 births 2014 deaths American rock singers American male singer-songwriters American rock songwriters Survivor (band) members Singer-songwriters from Mississippi Musicians from Memphis, Tennessee Singer-songwriters from Tennessee People from Durant, Mississippi Drug-related deaths in Tennessee Frontiers Records artists Atco Records artists A&M Records artists Epic Records artists Scotti Brothers Records artists