Rick James
Emma Miller
Published Apr 07, 2026
Birth Name: James Ambrose Johnson, Jr.
Date of Birth: February 1, 1948
Place of Birth: Buffalo, New York, U.S.
Date of Death: August 6, 2004
Place of Death: Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Ethnicity: African-American
Rick James was an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He was also known as Ricky Matthews.
He was the son of Mabel Sims, a dancer and numbers runner, and James Ambrose Johnson, Sr. He had two children with singer and songwriter Syville Morgan; and a son with his former wife Tanya Hijazi.
Rick’s father stated that he had Native American ancestry. Rick was raised by his mother.
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