James Alexander Biography: Age, Songs, Parents, Net Worth, Wife, Children, Nationality
James Alexander is an American musician and bassist best known as a founding and longtime member of the influential funk, soul, and R&B group the Bar-Kays. He is the sole surviving original member still performing with the band.
He survived the 1967 plane crash that killed Otis Redding and most of the original Bar-Kays by traveling on a separate flight, later helping to rebuild the group and contributing to classics such as the bassline on Isaac Hayes’ “Theme from Shaft.”
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| Name: | James Alexander |
| Born: | 17 December 1948 (age 77 years old) |
| Place of Birth: | Memphis, Tennessee, United States |
| Nationality: | American |
| Parents: | Mr. and Mrs. Alexander |
| Children: | Phalon "Jazze Pha" Alexander |
| Occupation: | Musician, bassist |
| Net Worth: | $1 million–3 million |
Early Life and Education
James Alexander was born on 17 December 1948 at McLemore Clinic in Memphis, Tennessee, United States, to Mr. and Mrs. Alexander. He grew up in the Soulsville neighborhood of Memphis, near Stax.
He attended Booker T. Washington High School. Alexander initially played tuba in the school marching band before switching to bass guitar after his father bought him one.
Details regarding siblings have not been publicly disclosed. He is of American origin, and his religion is Christianity.
Career
James Alexander co-founded the Bar-Kays in the mid-1960s while still in high school in Memphis, along with bandmates including Jimmie King, Ronnie Caldwell, Ben Cauley, Phalon Jones, and Carl Cunningham.
The group began as a local instrumental soul act and soon became associated with Stax Records. They scored an early hit with “Soul Finger” and served as Otis Redding’s backing band.
On 10 December 1967, a plane crash near Madison, Wisconsin, killed Otis Redding and four members of the Bar-Kays. Alexander was not on the flight, as the plane lacked enough seats.
He and survivor Ben Cauley reformed the group, with Alexander taking a leadership role. The reconstituted Bar-Kays continued recording for Stax and later became known for their funk sound.
Alexander played bass on Isaac Hayes’ landmark 1971 recording “Theme from Shaft,” which won Academy and Grammy Awards. The Bar-Kays achieved further success in the 1970s and 1980s with hits such as “Shake Your Rump to the Funk” and albums on Mercury Records.
Alexander has remained the band’s constant member through multiple lineup changes and continues to perform and record with the Bar-Kays to this day, preserving the group’s legacy as an enduring act from the Stax era.
Personal Life
James Alexander has children, including his son Phalon “Jazze Pha” Alexander, a prominent hip-hop and R&B producer whom he named after his late Bar-Kays bandmate Phalon Jones.
Jazze Pha’s mother is singer Denise Williams. Public details about his marital history are limited, and he is not widely reported as currently married.
He has remained closely tied to Memphis throughout his life and career, continuing to lead the Bar-Kays while reflecting on the group’s history and the Stax legacy.
Filmography
- Wattstax (1973) – performer with the Bar-Kays
Net Worth
James Alexander has an estimated net worth of approximately $1–3 million, accumulated over more than six decades as a founding member and bassist of the Bar-Kays, session work including contributions to major recordings such as “Theme from Shaft,” live performances, and related music industry activities.
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