PJ (Paul James) is a Country music DJ, line dance instructor and singer. He didn’t have a musical upbringing, his brother learnt guitar at school but never pursued it and Paul took no interest in playing and at that time he had no idea he could sing. His parents liked a mixture of Country (artists like Johnny Cash, Kenny Rogers and Skeeter Davis) and 60s pop music and there was always music playing in the house. Paul and his parents, Peter and Joan, discovered the British country scene at the same time when he was 17. It wasn’t until he was introduced to line dancing after a chance social night out at a dance class with friends and family in October 1996 that he realised just how much he loved Country music – he has been hooked on the music and dancing ever since. He started attending classes five nights a week and in August 1997, went to the very first ‘Chance To Dance’ festival hosted by the Dean Brothers at Harrogate, and quickly realised he had a real passion for dancing.
Not only was he enjoying learning the dances and participating in the classes and festivals, he realised he had an aptitude for explaining the dances and teaching them to others. A small number of dancers wanted to learn more up to date dances which were popular at festivals so he started teaching one class a week. Gradually, more people heard of the class and started to come along – that was when he started teaching more seriously. He took exams with the Scottish Western Academy Of Dance (SWAD) in March 1998. The SWAD has since folded so he is now a member of the Best Western Dance Academy.
In 2012 he opened a Country Music & Line Dance club called Redneck CWC at Belmont near Durham city and hosted his first Phoenix Country Music Festival in 2014 (The club is now called Whiskey River CMC). Over the years, he has taught many classes in different locations but now only teaches once a week and runs regular live nights and workshops. As well as being a keen line dancer and instructor, he also choreographs his own dances. In May 1999, he entered ‘Limbo Rock’, a dance he choreographed, into Ann Napier’s (SWAD) choreography competition in Dalkeith near Edinburgh. The dance was one of over 60 entries and made it to the last eight. At the final, the choreographers demonstrated their dances and his dance was announced as the winner. It has now been renamed Eruption.
PJ only realised he could sing when he was 18 and started going to karaoke nights where people told him he had a good voice. After that, he always enjoyed singing but only ever sung at karaoke and other social events until he decided to try singing in public in 2017. Dave Inglis was booked at his club and he joined him singing in the middle set; this was the first time he had ever sung at a club. Their set was very well received and he set himself a challenge telling Dave “The next time I see you I will be playing guitar as well”. That is exactly what he did. Later that year, he did another local club on his own and his career has progressed quickly from then on.
Covid obviously put his new career on hold but he started live streaming from his home towards the end of lockdown and was nominated for ‘best newcomer’ in the 2021 CCN awards. He has always been solo, but has been invited to perform with a few other artistes including Texas Gun, The Dive, Mel Dixon, Ron Spence and Badlands and was also privileged to be invited to play with The Breeze at one of the Gary Perkins tribute shows. He makes a lot of his own backing tracks with other musicians and these include Russ Kitchen from Badlands and Andy Mottram from The Breeze who played lead guitar and bass on a Gary Perkins song.
At a festival some years ago PJ was approached to front a band and hasn’t ruled it out for the future and it remains a long term ambition although he really enjoys performing as a solo Country singer. He does however have definite plans to form a duo with a friend (no name until this is finalised). They will perform for the first time opening his Phoenix festival in September 2025. Initially they will only do occasional local gigs.
He has a wide repertoire of Country music spanning the last 50 years and lists his biggest influence as Garth Brooks but he also likes Tim McGraw, Merle Haggard, Gary Allan, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, The Eagles, George Strait, Hoyt Axton, Luke Combs, John Denver and Charles Esten to name just a few.
He lives in Co. Durham and still worked full time during the week until August 2023. This meant most of his gigs were in the North of England with occasional excursions into Scotland. He was limited with the distance he could travel mid-week because of work. He has now fulfilled his ambition is to leave work and go full time on the circuit – this was going to happen in 2020 until Covid scuppered his plans
As well as gigs and dancing PJ also started presenting programmes on internet radio station UK Country Radio in November 2019 at 12 noon on Saturdays and Sundays. He interviews the weekly Spotlight UK Artist as part of the programme.
He released his first CD album in 2021. A second album, To Hell And Back, was released in 2024 and is available at gigs and through his website.
In 2012 he opened a Country Music & Line Dance club called Redneck CWC at Belmont near Durham city and hosted his first Phoenix Country Music Festival in 2014 (The club is now called Whiskey River CMC). Over the years, he has taught many classes in different locations but now only teaches once a week and runs regular live nights and workshops. As well as being a keen line dancer and instructor, he also choreographs his own dances. In May 1999, he entered ‘Limbo Rock’, a dance he choreographed, into Ann Napier’s (SWAD) choreography competition in Dalkeith near Edinburgh. The dance was one of over 60 entries and made it to the last eight. At the final, the choreographers demonstrated their dances and his dance was announced as the winner. It has now been renamed Eruption.
PJ only realised he could sing when he was 18 and started going to karaoke nights where people told him he had a good voice. After that, he always enjoyed singing but only ever sung at karaoke and other social events until he decided to try singing in public in 2017. Dave Inglis was booked at his club and he joined him singing in the middle set; this was the first time he had ever sung at a club. Their set was very well received and he set himself a challenge telling Dave “The next time I see you I will be playing guitar as well”. That is exactly what he did. Later that year, he did another local club on his own and his career has progressed quickly from then on.
Covid obviously put his new career on hold but he started live streaming from his home towards the end of lockdown and was nominated for ‘best newcomer’ in the 2021 CCN awards. He has always been solo, but has been invited to perform with a few other artistes including Texas Gun, The Dive, Mel Dixon, Ron Spence and Badlands and was also privileged to be invited to play with The Breeze at one of the Gary Perkins tribute shows. He makes a lot of his own backing tracks with other musicians and these include Russ Kitchen from Badlands and Andy Mottram from The Breeze who played lead guitar and bass on a Gary Perkins song.
At a festival some years ago PJ was approached to front a band and hasn’t ruled it out for the future and it remains a long term ambition although he really enjoys performing as a solo Country singer. He does however have definite plans to form a duo with a friend (no name until this is finalised). They will perform for the first time opening his Phoenix festival in September 2025. Initially they will only do occasional local gigs.
He has a wide repertoire of Country music spanning the last 50 years and lists his biggest influence as Garth Brooks but he also likes Tim McGraw, Merle Haggard, Gary Allan, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, The Eagles, George Strait, Hoyt Axton, Luke Combs, John Denver and Charles Esten to name just a few.
He lives in Co. Durham and still worked full time during the week until August 2023. This meant most of his gigs were in the North of England with occasional excursions into Scotland. He was limited with the distance he could travel mid-week because of work. He has now fulfilled his ambition is to leave work and go full time on the circuit – this was going to happen in 2020 until Covid scuppered his plans
As well as gigs and dancing PJ also started presenting programmes on internet radio station UK Country Radio in November 2019 at 12 noon on Saturdays and Sundays. He interviews the weekly Spotlight UK Artist as part of the programme.
He released his first CD album in 2021. A second album, To Hell And Back, was released in 2024 and is available at gigs and through his website.
