Sonny James was born James Loden on May 1, 1929 in Hackleburg,
Alabama. In 1950, Sonny James joined a country group in Memphis,
Tennessee but his desire for a full-time career in music was interrupted
by service in the Korean War. After nearly eighteen months overseas, he
was shipped home and discharged in the late fall of 1952. James later
headed for Nashville, Tennessee where, with the help of Chet Atkins,
whom James had roomed with, he signed with Capitol Records. Dubbed the "Southern
Gentleman" because of his polite demeanor, Sonny James recorded "Young
Love" and it rose to number 1 in 1957. In 1983, James retired to
his home and wife Doris in Nashville, Tennessee. In 2006, James was
inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, and also
appeared on TV for the first time in nearly 20 years, to accept his
induction on the Country Music Association Awards, on November 6, 2006. Sonny
James died of natural causes on February 22, 2016 in Nashville, Tennessee.
at the age of 87.
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