James Quentin "Big Jim" Wright (March 19, 1966 – September 29, 2018) was an American musician, composer, songwriter, film score and record producer. A member of the vocal and instrumental ensemble Sounds of Blackness, Wright became a frequent collaborator of production duo Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and an in-house producer for their company, Flyte Tyme Productions, in the 1990s.
James "Big Jim" Wright | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | James Quentin Wright |
| Also known as |
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| Born | March 19, 1966 Rockford, Illinois |
| Died | September 29, 2018 (aged 52) |
| Occupations |
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Biography
editWright was born in Rockford, Illinois.[1] The son of Jenniel Wright and Alan Jackson, he lived most of his life in Rockford, also living in Roscoe as well as Rancho Cucamonga, California, and Atlanta, Georgia.[1] In 1984, he graduated from Rockford West High School before relocating to Eden Prairie, Minnesota.[1]
In Minnesota, Wright joined the vocal and instrumental ensemble Sounds of Blackness, serving as the band's producer, arranger and composer.[1] Through band member Ann Nesby he became connected to songwriter-producer Terry Lewis who Lewis offered Wright an exclusive publishing contract with their company, Flyte Tyme Production, while he was still providing lead vocals and keyboards for Sounds of Blackness.[1]
In 1999, he wrote and produced Yolanda Adams's NAACP Image Award-winning song "Open My Heart." In 2004, Wright won the Black Reel Award for Best Original or Adapted Song for his contribution on "He Still Loves Me" for the soundtrack of the musical comedy film The Fighting Temptations (2003).[2] In 2006, he won the Grammy Award for Best Gospel Song for co-writing Adams' song "Be Blessed" from her album Day by Day (2006).[3]
Death
editOn September 29, 2018, Wright was found dead in his Rockford home.[3][4]
Discography
editSingles
edit- "Til I Found You" (Jam & Lewis & Sounds of Blackness featuring Ann Nesby, Big Jim Wright & Lauren Evans) (2019)[5]
Selected credits
edit| Title | Artist(s) | Originating album | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Free" | Mýa | Fear of Flying | 2000 | Co-producer |
| "How Do I Say" | Usher | 8701 | 2003 | Co-producer |
| "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" | Aretha Franklin | So Damn Happy | 2003 | Producer |
| "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" | Mary J. Blige | Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason | 2004 | Co-producer |
| "Secuction" | Usher | Confessions | 2004 | Writer, Co-producer |
| "That's What It's Made For" | Usher | Confessions | 2004 | Writer, Co-producer |
| "Alwaysness" | Yolanda Adams | Day by Day | 2006 | Writer, producer |
| "Be Blessed" | Yolanda Adams | Day by Day | 2006 | Writer, producer |
| "Lift Him Up" | Yolanda Adams | Day by Day | 2006 | Writer, producer |
| "Can't Get Enough" | Mary J. Blige | The Breakthrough | 2006 | Co-producer |
| "Circles" | Mariah Carey | The Emancipation of Mimi | 2006 | Co-Writer, Co-producer |
| "Fly Like a Bird" | Mariah Carey | The Emancipation of Mimi | 2006 | Co-Writer, Co-producer |
| "I Wish You Knew" | Mariah Carey | The Emancipation of Mimi | 2006 | Co-Writer, Co-producer |
| "Home" | Heather Headley | In My Mind | 2006 | Writer, Co-producer |
| "Home" | Carl Thomas | So Much Better | 2007 | Writer, Co-producer |
| "Angel" | Chaka Khan | Funk This | 2007 | Writer, producer |
| "Back in the Day" | Chaka Khan | Funk This | 2007 | Writer, producer |
| "Hail to the Wrong" | Chaka Khan | Funk This | 2007 | Writer, producer |
| "Ladies' Man" | Chaka Khan | Funk This | 2007 | Producer |
| "One for All Time" | Chaka Khan | Funk This | 2007 | Writer, producer |
| "All Hearts Aren't Shaped the Same" | Deborah Cox | The Promise | 2008 | Writer, producer |
| "All Over Me" | Deborah Cox | The Promise | 2008 | Writer, producer |
| "Beautiful U R" | Deborah Cox | The Promise | 2008 | Writer, producer |
| "Did You Ever Love Me" | Deborah Cox | The Promise | 2008 | Writer, producer |
| "Down 4 U" | Deborah Cox | The Promise | 2008 | Writer, producer |
| "Love Is Not Made in Words" | Deborah Cox | The Promise | 2008 | Writer, producer |
| "The Point of It All" | Anthony Hamilton | The Point of It All | 2008 | Writer, Co-producer |
| "Betcha Gon' Know" | Mariah Carey | Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel | 2009 | Co-Writer, Co-producer |
| "Higher Than This" | Ledisi | Turn Me Loose | 2009 | Writer, Co-producer |
| "My Love" | Johnny Gill | Still Winning | 2011 | Producer |
| "All I Want for Christmas Is You (SuperFestive!)" | Justin Bieber, Mariah Carey | Under the Mistletoe | 2011 | Co-Producer |
| "America the Beautiful" | Mariah Carey | Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse | 2014 | Co-Producer |
| "Camouflage" | Mariah Carey | Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse | 2014 | Co-Writer, producer |
| "Cry" | Mariah Carey | Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse | 2014 | Co-Writer, Co-producer |
| "It's a Wrap" | Mariah Carey | Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse | 2014 | Co-Producer |
References
edit- ^ a b c d e "Celebrating James "Big Jim" Wright". urbanbridgez.com. March 19, 2020. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
- ^ "Big Jim – Showing all 3 wins and 2 nominations". IMDb. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
- ^ a b Poulisse, Adam. "Grammy-winning Rockfordian James "Big Jim" Wright honored at Coronado". rrstar.com. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
- ^ "Celebration of life for James "Big Jim" Wright held at the Coronado". wifr.com. 14 October 2018. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
- ^ "Til I Found You (feat. Ann Nesby, "Big Jim" Wright & Lauren Evans) - Single". Apple Music (US). Retrieved April 6, 2022.