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James Whild Lea, was born on June 14, 1949 at The Melbourne Arms pub in Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, England.

He played violin, piano, bass, and sang backing vocals in the English glam rock group, Slade.

Jim Lea was the nearest thing Slade had to a sensitive artist, and trained musician. Influenced by French jazz-violinist Stéphane Grappelli Lea's first musical love was the violin. He played in the Staffordshire Youth Orchestra, and gained first class honours in a London music-school practical exam, before moving on to piano, guitar and finally bass.

He first played guitar, and then bass, in the schoolboy group 'Nick and The Axemen', then went for auditions for a local band, 'The N'Betweens'. He turned up with his bass guitar in a plastic bag, but as he was a great bass player, very fast indeed, he joined The N'Betweens. Drummer Don Powell, guitarist Dave Hill and vocalist Johnny Howells were already members, and when Noddy Holder joined soon after, the foundations for Slade had been laid. Howells later left the band.

Jim Lea was Slade's principal songwriter, along with singer Noddy Holder. Lea wrote melodies, and Holder concentrated on the lyrics. Together, Holder and Lea were one of the most powerful songwriting partnerships of that era, being responsible for most of the band's hits, and today they jointly own Slade's music.

In the 1980s Lea also produced all of Slade's recording sessions, and became an increasingly dominant creative force within the band. It was not uncommon for him to handle Holder's guitar parts on record, and sometimes Hill's, too. Lea produced an album for singer / actor Gary Holton and he played all instruments (except drums, played by Geoff Seopardi) on Holton's epic version of 'Catch a falling star', which was released as a single.

Jim Lea left Slade after Holder's departure from the band in 1991, being of the opinion that Slade was all four of them or nothing. He studied psychotherapy and qualified as a psychotherapist, but hasn't taken it up as a full-time career.

Lea is still creating music, but has only ever released one record under his own name (Jimmy Lea: "Citizen Kane"/"Poland"). Other sporadic records have been released under odd pseudonyms such as 'China Dolls', 'JimJam', 'The Greenfields Of Tong' and 'Whild', all via the Trojan group of labels, which are owned by Slade's management. The most noticeable release was 'The Dummies' album "A Day in the Life of The Dummies", which gathered together all the demos, and single tracks, that he recorded with his brother, Frank Lea, and wife Louise.

Jim Lea has performed live only twice since Slade's demise; once for a local protest against a motorway development in his home area, and once again for a charity event at the Robin 2 venue in Bilston, near Slade's old local pub, The Trumpet.

In early 2004, it was reported and then confirmed that he was in the studio, working on a new solo record. However, the results are only now being as his 'Therapy' album in 2007. The working title 'Therapy' was in circulation back in 1994.

Jim Lea married Louise Ganner, his first girlfriend, on March 19, 1973, and they have been together ever since. They have two children, Kristian and Bonny, as well as two grandchildren, and live quietly out of the public eye in Brewood, in a secluded area of rural Staffordshire.

'Jim Lea Music' CD retail website * [1]

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

• 1991 The Dummies - A Day In The Life Of The Dummies
• 2007 James Whild Lea- Therapy

[edit] Singles

• 1979 The Dummies - When The Lights Are Out
• 1980 The Dummies - Didn't You Use To Use TO Be You
• 1981 The Dummies - Maybe Tonight
• 1982 China Dolls - Ain't Love Ain't Bad
• 1985 Jimmy Lea - Citizen Kane
• 1990 The Clout - We'll Bring The House Down
• 1994 Gangs Of Angels - Hello Goodbye
• 1995 Greenfiels Of Tong - Poland
• 1996 Jimbo feat Bull - Coz I Luv You
• 1999 Whild - I'll Be John, You Be Yoko