BORN October 2, 1962 into a working-class family in Colchester, Essex, James Hunter was already in his early thirties when a fan spotted Van Morrisson at a London news-stand in the early nineties and mentioned this great unknown rhythm and blues singer he'd heard.
Van went to hear James at a gig in Wales and subsequently hired him as a backup singer for several years of touring and recording. James appeared on Morrison's live album, A Night in San Francisco (1994), and on the studio set, Days Like This (1995). It took another decade before James Hunter was in luck after recording and releasing his first album in the USA.
'An overnight success that's taken 20 years...' is how James Hunter himself described the outpouring of praise and acceptance for his 2006 Grammy-nominated album, People Gonna Talk, which was the singer/songwriter/guitarist's first Stateside release after two decades of performing and recording in his native Britain.
By the year's end, People Gonna Talk was among MOJO's Top Ten 'Best Albums of 2006' and James himself was nominated as Best New/Emerging Artist in the annual Americana Music Awards.
Unsurprisingly James Hunter's second US album, The Hard Way, which came out this summer, was among this year's most eagerly anticipated new pop-soul releases.
With The Hard Way, James Hunter takes a giant step toward staking his place in the genre's pantheon alongside Sam Cooke and Jackie Wilson, Charlie Rich and of course, Van Morrison.
See him at Exeter Phoenix on Sunday September 28.
Tickets £12 (£10)
Box office: 01392 667 080.