James Govan

Soulful Memphis Singer and Songwriter

Memphis soul singer Born: September 2, 1949 Died: July 18, 2014 For much of his career he was known as “Little Otis” because of his vocal similarity to Stax legend Otis Redding, but James Govan was a singular artist in his own right. His first big break came in 1967 when his talent caught the attention of songwriter/producer George Jackson. Jackson introduced him to FAME Records owner Rick Hall who also heard potential and soon after their meeting James starting recording sides for FAME. Govan performed at Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee, from 1989 to 2014, performing vocals and percussion. Starting in 1994, he performed regularly with the Boogies Blues Band at the Rum Boogie Café, Beale Street. In that time, they were named the Best House Band on Beale Street three times by the Beale Street Merchants Association, and they headlined the BSMA awards for the 2002–2004 Awards Ceremonies. The Mississippi-born, Memphis-bred soul singer and Beale Street fixture also performed numerous times at the Porretta Soul Festival, becoming a hugely popular figure among European audiences.