Zachary James

Zachary "Zach" James (born December 7, 1981) is an American actor and operatic bass. He is the founding director of the Metropolis Opera Project, a New York City based opera company.

Biography

Early life

James was born in Providence, Rhode Island and grew up in Spring Hill, Florida. The son of a professional jazz guitarist, James played percussion and served as drum major in his high school marching band. Although his first goal was to become a band director, he had a longing for musical theater. James, inspired by actor Nathan Lane, majored in musical theatre at Ithaca College and later moved to New York City.

Career

Zachary James created the role of Lurch in the Broadway musical production of The Addams Family. James appeared in the Original Broadway Cast of Coram Boy and also in the original cast of the Tony Award-winning Broadway revival of South Pacific. New York credits include the role of Oberon in the world premiere of Kristin Hevner's Il Sogno. As an operatic singer, he created the role of Abraham Lincoln in Philip Glass' opera The Perfect American at the Teatro Real in Madrid, and has also sung with Ash Lawn Opera (Madama Butterfly), Knoxville Opera (Little Women), Central City Opera, American Lyric Theater, English National Opera in London and Australia's Opera Queensland.

Zachary James (musician)

Zachary James is an American singer, song-writer, producer, and guitarist from Ventura, California. Zachary James and the All Seeing Eyes is the name of his current solo project in collaboration with other artists.

Influences

Zachary James' music references classic 1970s rock and roll, glam rock, and power pop. Dubbed "infectious...good time rock 'n' roll," inspired by the guitar work of Robert Johnson, on stage theatrics along the lines of Alice Cooper,David Bowie and The Rolling Stones. James has publicly stated his love of punk rock, glam rock and 50s music, combining them to create a "modernized sound."

Vocally, James has been compared to Joey Ramone, while his guitar work has been compared to a mix of Keith Richards and Johnny Thunders, and is inspired by Ronnie Wood and Elvis Costello.

Musical history

The Thunderboys

The Thunderboys was formed in 2005 in Ventura, California when Zachary James was just 16 years old and still in high school. The band inked a deal with Gearhead Records, an independent record label known for releasing records by garage rock and rock acts such as The Hives from Sweden (a band that took off in 2002 and was later signed to Interscope). Their sound was described as pulling from The New York Dolls, Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers, and The Joneses. The band toured on the national Gearhead Records Road Show Package Tour alongside I Walk The Line and the White Barons, ending in Austin, Texas' South by Southwest festival.