Jimmy Justice | |
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| Background information | |
| Born | James Anthony Bernard Little (1939-12-15)15 December 1939 Bermondsey, London, England |
| Died | 15 November 2022(2022-11-15) (aged 82) |
| Genres | Pop |
| Occupation | Singer |
| Years active | 1960–1972 |
| Labels | Pye,Decca,RCA Victor,B&C |
James Anthony Bernard Justice (néLittle; 15 December 1939 – 15 November 2022) was an English pop singer who scored threeTop 40 hit records in the United Kingdom in 1962.
James Anthony Bernard Little was born inBermondsey,South London, England on 15 December 1939. As a young man, Little befriended Dave and George Sweetnam, who were stepbrothers ofEmile Ford. Because of this, Little was occasionally invited to sing withthe Checkmates, and was encouraged by Ford to start his own group.[1] After competing in atalent show in 1959 he was noticed by executives fromEMI, but he eventually signed withPye Records instead at the urging of Ford.[2] His debutsingle, credited to Jimmy Justice and the Jury, was 1960's "I Understand Just How You Feel". While "the Jury" was the name used for Justice's subsequent backing band, on this firstrecording he is backed by the Checkmates.
Despite "I Understand"'s lack of success, Pye offered Jimmy a three-yearrecording contract. While visiting his girlfriend, who lived inSweden, he sang in clubs and on radio and television, resulting in his first major exposure; eventually, he would score a major hit in Sweden with the tune "Little Lonely One",[2] originally bythe Jarmels.[1] He remained in Sweden during the time that hisrecords began to break in the UK, with three of them hitting theUK Singles Chart in 1962; "When My Little Girl Is Smiling" (No. 9, March), "Ain't That Funny" (No. 8, June), and "Spanish Harlem" (No. 20, August).[2][3] Hisversion of "When My Little Girl Is Smiling" had competition from boththe Drifters original cut (UK No. 31) andCraig Douglas' cover (UK No. 9).[4]
Because of his general absence in the UK at the time his records hit therecord chart, he was unable to capitalise fully on his popularity in his home country.[2] Nevertheless, he undertook aLarry Parnes managed UK tour, headlined byJoe Brown andBilly Fury.[2] Meanwhile,Kapp Records picked up "When My Little Girl Is Smiling" for distribution in theU.S., where it peaked at No. 127.[5] His records were also popular throughout continentalEurope and inAustralia.
Justice released two albums in 1963 (I Wake Up Crying andJustice for All!) but soon faded in the wake of thebeat group explosion. The former included a cover ofClyde McPhatter's hit "Since You've Been Gone". According toAllmusic, he was a "white singer who possessed a mature, soulful voice, [and] was sometimes called 'Britain’sBen E. King". He recorded for theDecca,RCA Victor andB&C labels into the early 1970s, but with little success.[6] After retiring from his music career, he worked for a computer software company.[citation needed]
In 2001, fifty of his Pye recordings were released on two CDs byCastle Music.[5]
Justice lived in Purley with his wife Sally, who died in 2017. They had two children. He was a keenHash House Harrier. He died on 15 November 2022, at the age of 82.[7]
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