James Valentine (musician)

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James Burgon Valentine (born October 5, 1978 in Lincoln, Nebraska) is an American musician. He is best known as the guitarist for the pop rock group Maroon 5.

Valentine played in Lincoln bands Kid Quarkstar and Happy Dog. In 2000, Happy Dog changed its name to Square and moved to Los Angeles.

Eventually the members of Square and Kara's Flowers became friends and when Kara's Flowers began looking for another guitarist, Valentine was tapped. It was a tough decision for Valentine, but personal tensions in Square helped the decision and shortly afterward, Kara's Flowers became Maroon 5.

Valentine is a longtime friend of John Mayer, whom he met in 1996 at a weeklong guitar school at Berklee in Boston. Valentine once tried to get Mayer to move to Lincoln to play guitar for the Lincoln blues rock band Baby Jason and the Spankers, and later on an opening slot on one of Mayer's tours helped bring widespread exposure to Maroon 5. Valentine most recently contributed guitar work to Mayer's September 2006 release Continuum on the songs "Stop This Train" and "In Repair."

Valentine was raised as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) and has three sisters and one brother. His family now lives in Utah, and both parents work for Brigham Young University which is owned and operated by the church.

Most recently, James Valentine has played guitar on Jenny Lewis's solo album, Rabbit Fur Coat, and has appeared in her music video for "Rise Up with Fists!!"