Serving the song from day one
"There was always music in the house growing up. My mum filled every room with Johnny Cash and Elvis, and my Dad's predilection as a percussionist meant that something was always getting hit...snare drum, bodhran, the spoons, me..."
Jimmy C Hughes has been steeped in music and the business of music for as long as he can remember. Setting up Lemmy from Motorhead's bass gear as a soon-to-be-less-than-naive 15 year old, being bought his first pint of Guinness by Rory Gallagher, sourcing Wild Turkey whisky for legendary Hey Joe songwriter, Tim Rose, being flour bombed by Gary Holton and The Heavy Metal Kids, teased mercilessly by a too hot to handle Dana Gillespie, waiting endless hours for Paul Kossoff to show up, listening to Phil Collins' bad jokes, playing pool with Chrissie Hynde and Sting, and with eyes and ears fully open and duly inspired onwards to his own career as a musician, songwriter and producer.
Jimmy began his professional journey at EMI with the New Wave one and a half hit wonders, The Banned, appearing on a host of television and radio shows including Top of The Pops and a session for the one and only John Peel whilst hitting the bottom reaches of the Top 30. From there to the wonderful Virgin Records and Richard Branson favourites, Cowboys International, working with Colin Thurston (Bowie, Duran Duran, Human League, Howard Jones) and Dennis McKay (Average White Band, Pat Travers)
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The critically acclaimed, Original Mirrors followed and the hit record, Dancing With The Rebels. From there to Department S and the Europe-wide #1, Is Vic There? Jimmy also played the first ever rock tour of The Middle East, and huge festivals alongside the likes of Thin Lizzy, The Beach Boys, Dr Feelgood, The Stranglers and The Jam and so many more!
Since those heady early days Jimmy has gone on to work with, play alongside or jam with some of the greats in music - Mick Jagger, Jeff Beck, Omar Hakim, Pete Townshend, Paul Weller, Terry Chimes of The Clash who he formed what was hailed by the Melody Maker as 'a distinctively modern rhythm section.' to Pete Kircher of Status Quo, Suggs from Madness, Greg Phillinganes, the guys from Atlanta funksters, Cameo, Latoyah Jackson, L.A Mix, Ralph Tresvant of New Edition, Sherrone, Alan Wilder of Depeche Mode, Billy Curry of The Cult and many, many more fab musicians. And producers including Mike Howlett (The Police, OMD) David Tickle (Blondie) Phil Harding (Stock Aitken & Waterman) to name but a few.
Praised by Annie Nightingale live on air after a performance on the iconic TV show The Old Grey Whistle Test, "particularly nice bass playing there, I thought." And name checked on radio by John Entwhistle of The Who...
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"Jimmy is one of my favourite bass players of the next generation,"
Jimmy C Hughes has forged a reputation as a bass player of power and soul with strong melodic creativity. He continues this work today in addition to his sessions, tours, teaching, and songwriting collaborations (he recently co-wrote the hit record, Love Me , featuring Chase & Status singer, Jacob Banks) by writing, producing and performing his own songs as Boardwalk Isabella, releasing four criticially acclaimed singles that have been played on radio stations worldwide.
REMEMBER LOVE IS THE ONLY THING IN THIS UNIVERSE THAT MOVES US IN THE SAME WAY AS MUSIC. IT HAS POWER AND DEPTH AND VIBE AND FEEL AND ENERGY - AND I CARRY IT NOT LIKE A TATTOO ON THE SKIN, BUT IN THE VERY CORE OF MY DNA - I STILL FEEL THE SAME AWE AND MAGIC AND WONDER ABOUT IT AS I DID WHEN I WAS THAT AWKWARD TEENAGER GETTING MY EARS BLOWN OUT BY MOTORHEAD ET AL. AND LONG MAY IT CONTINUE...
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