Jimmy Wayne "Jimi" Jamison (born August 23, 1951 in
MississippiMississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
) is a
rockRock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
vocalist and
songwriterA songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, best known as the lead singer for the band
SurvivorSurvivor is an American rock band formed in Chicago in 1978. The band achieved its greatest success in the 1980s with its AOR sound, which garnered many charting singles, especially in the United States. The band is best known for its double platinum-certified 1982 hit "Eye of the Tiger", the theme...
from 1984–1989 and 2000-2006.
Further biography
Born in rural Mississippi, Jamison moved with his mother to
MemphisMemphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
,
TennesseeTennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, at a very young age, and he considers himself a Memphis native. In addition to honing his vocal abilities, Jamison dabbled in guitar growing up. By
middle schoolMiddle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
, he was playing in a band.
He would later sing for the bands Target and Cobra and provided background vocals for other bands including
ZZ TopZZ Top is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "That Little Ol' Band from Texas". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based boogie rock, has come to incorporate elements of arena, southern, and boogie rock. The band, from Houston Texas, formed in 1969...
. After the demise of Cobra in 1983/84, he was invited to audition for Survivor. Although he was initially not adamant about fronting what he considered more of a "
pop rockPop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
" band, which would contrast significantly with the
heavy metalHeavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
stylings of Cobra to which he had become accustomed, Jamison ultimately got the job and became Survivor's new frontman, and is today the most recognizable and best known of the group.
Jamison's first album with Survivor was
Vital Signs, which included several major hits. The second album,
When Seconds Count, contained a Top 10 hit, "Is This Love?" Jamison co-wrote four of the songs on
When Seconds Count. One of the biggest adjustments he had to make performing with Survivor was giving up the right to perform hits by other artists. "Sometimes we'll start to do an encore and somebody will say, 'Let's do a Led Zeppelin song!'" he told
Nine-O-One Network MagazineNine-O-One Network Magazine was a bi-monthly music magazine published in Memphis, Tennessee, from 1986 to 1989.-Beginnings:The magazine originated during the heralded 1986 “Class of '55” recording session in Memphis with Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, and Carl Perkins. Producer Chips...
in 1987. "You wanna say 'Yeah. Yeah!' And then right at the very last minute you say, 'Nah, we better do this.'"
Among his best known performances are "Burning Heart", from the
Rocky IVRocky IV is a 1985 American film written by, directed by, and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the fourth and most financially successful entry in the Rocky franchise...
movie with
Sylvester StalloneMichael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone , commonly known as Sylvester Stallone, and nicknamed Sly Stallone, is an American actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, film director and occasional painter. Stallone is known for his machismo and Hollywood action roles. Two of the notable characters he has portrayed...
, which hit #2 on the
Billboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, "High On You" (#8 US), and "The Search Is Over" (#4 US). Jamison also co-wrote and sang "I'm Always Here," the theme from the hit TV show
BaywatchBaywatch is an American action drama series about the Los Angeles County Lifeguards who patrol the beaches of Los Angeles County, California, starring David Hasselhoff. The show ran in its original title and format from 1989 to 1999, sans the 1990-1991 season, of which it was not in production...
.
In 1989, Jamison was briefly considered as the lead vocal replacement for
Deep PurpleDeep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
, who had just fired
Ian GillanIan Gillan is an English rock music vocalist and songwriter, best known as the lead singer and lyricist for Deep Purple. During his career Gillan also fronted his own band, had a year-long stint as the vocalist for Black Sabbath, and sang the role of Jesus in the original recording of Andrew Lloyd...
. Said Purple organist
Jon LordJonathan Douglas "Jon" Lord is an English composer, pianist and Hammond organ player.Jon Lord, also known as 'Hammond Lord', is a classically trained piano player. He is recognised for his Hammond organ blues-rock sound and for his pioneering work in fusing rock and classical or baroque forms...
of Jamison in a 1993 interview, "He was 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 [Survivor] and he didn't dare to get into a fight with them." Deep Purple instead hired former
RainbowRainbow were an English rock band, controlled by guitarist Ritchie Blackmore from 1975 to 1984 and 1994 to 1997. It was originally established with American rock band Elf's members, though over the years Rainbow went through many line-up changes with no two studio albums featuring the same line-up...
vocalist
Joe Lynn TurnerJoe Lynn Turner , is an American rock singer, known for his works with Rainbow, Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force, Deep Purple. From the late 1990s, he continued to perform in a large number of solo albums and other studio projects...
. Ironically, Survivor would go on hiatus not long thereafter.
Jamison would later reunite wth Survivor in 2000, and he ended up remaining with the band up through the release of their new album in 2006. In 2005, Jamison was featured with the band in the Emmy-nominated
StarbucksStarbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
commercial which parodied Survivor's "
Eye of the Tiger"Eye of the Tiger" is a single by American rock band Survivor, from their third album Eye of the Tiger. It was released as a single on May 29, 1982, the same year as the album. It was written at the request of actor Sylvester Stallone, who was unable to get permission for Queen's "Another One Bites...
." Also in 2005, Jamison performed a duet on "It Takes Two" with teen singer
Whitney WolaninWhitney Wolanin , born June 29, 1990 , is a professional singer and songwriter, who also plays piano and drums. Her father, Vincent, started TopNotch® Entertainment Corp., which managed a number of the lead singers in legendary Rock Acts in the late 1980s...
.
In 2008 Jamison released a new CD in Europe
Crossroads Moment, which was also released in the United States in 2009.
Jamison is known for his contributions to charities, and has been a participant in the annual
Rockin Christmas Fund charity fundraiser event among others. He participates with the
Make-a-Wish FoundationThe Make-A-Wish Foundation is a 501 non-profit organization founded in the United States that grants wishes to children who have life-threatening medical conditions. The charity now operates in forty-seven countries around the world through thirty-six affiliate offices.The president & CEO of this...
and benefits for
St. Jude Children's Research HospitalSt. Jude Children's Research Hospital, founded in 1962, is a leading pediatric treatment and research facility focused on children's catastrophic diseases. It is located in Memphis, Tennessee. It is a nonprofit medical corporation chartered as a 501 tax-exempt organization under IRS regulations.In...
annually.
On May 7, 2011, Jamison performed "Eye on the Tiger" during boxer
Manny PacquiaoEmmanuel "Manny" Dapidran Pacquiao, PLH is a Filipino professional boxer and politician. He is the first eight-division world champion; having won six world titles, as well as the first to win the lineal championship in four different weight classes. He was named "Fighter of the Decade" for the...
's entrance into the ring for his bout against
Shane Mosley“Sugar” Shane Mosley is an American professional boxer from Pomona, California who has held world titles in three weight divisions.-Amateur career:Mosley was an amateur standout, capturing various amateur titles, including:...
at
MGM Grand Las VegasThe MGM Grand Las Vegas is a hotel casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The MGM Grand is the third largest hotel in the world and largest hotel resort complex in the United States in front of The Venetian. The MGM Grand was the largest hotel in the world when it opened in...
.
In October of 2011, Jamison released an album with
Bobby KimballRobert Troy "Bobby" Kimball is an American singer, best known as the longtime frontman of the rock band Toto.- Early life:...
(former lead singer of
Toto- People :* Saint Toto, the Roman name for Saint Theodore of Amasea* Toto of Nepi , Roman strongman* Totò, diminutive for Salvatore in Sicily, and Antonio in Campania* Totò , stage name of an Italian actor, writer, and songwriter...
) titled Kimball/Jamison.
On November 15, 2011, Jamison announced his return to Survivor.
With Survivor
- Vital Signs (1984)
- When Seconds Count
When Seconds Count is the sixth album from American rock band Survivor, and the second featuring vocalist Jimi Jamison. The album included the hit single, "Is This Love", which peaked at #9 in the US on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in early 1987. The album reached #49 on the Billboard 200 album...
(1986)
- Too Hot to Sleep
Too Hot to Sleep is the seventh album from rock band Survivor, released in 1988. It was a relative commercial disappointment, reaching only #187 on the Billboard album charts...
(1988)
- Reach (2006)
- Ultimate Survivor (2004)
- Survivor Extended Versions MTV Live in Japan Special (2005)
Solo and other
- "If I Cry" (solo single) (1967)
- Combinations - D Beaver (1971)
- Target (self-titled) (1976)
- Captured - Target (1977)
- First Strike - Cobra (1983)
- Headhunter
Headhunter is the seventh album by Krokus and was released in 1983. It achieved Gold status in the United States. The track "Screaming in the Night" was the band's biggest hit to date, and is still played on classic rock radio stations...
- KrokusKrokus is a hard rock/heavy metal band from Switzerland. They enjoyed moderate success in North America during the 1980s.Krokus was founded in Solothurn in 1974 by bassist Chris von Rohr and guitarist Tommy Kiefer...
(1983)(background vocals)
- When Love Comes Down - solo (1991)
- Empires - solo (1999)
- Crossroads Moment - (2008)
- Extra Moments - (2010) with Jim Peterik
- Kimball/Jamison - (2011) with Bobby Kimball