Biography

James Thomas Behringer  is an American session guitarist/singer and songwriter. He has worked with notable artists such as Prince, Bonnie Raitt, Bobby Caldwell, Laura Branigan, The Jets, Willie Murphy, 94 East, Gypsy, Kitaro and The Jeff Lorber band.

 

He is a co-writer on Bobby Caldwells August Moon album and was included as a session guitarist on Prince's Top 10 single "The Most Beautiful Girl In The World"

James was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota to Joan Patricia Sullivan and Cecil Richard Behringer. James began playing guitar at the age of 10 and performed in his older brothers band and local neighborhood bands. Behringer's father was a renowned metallurgist who worked for aerospace and engineering firms. The two worked together to create Behringer Bicycles after James convinced Cecil to use his background as a Champion six day bike racer during the great depression, of which he built his own race bikes, and create modern race bicycles using cutting edge manufacturing methods Cecil was developing in the mid 1970's. James decided after several years working with his father to pursue his passion of music.

 

He began his professional career working with the local band Good Vibrations. After leaving Good Vibrations he joined Gypsy and became the lead guitarist and cowriter for the group going on to record two albums including the Muscle Shoals record. Behringer moved to Florida after Gypsy disbanded and was introduced to Bobby Caldwell by a radio DJ who had heard Behringer's demo tapes. Caldwell invited Behringer to join in writing his new album and they spent two years recording August Moon which was critically received well in Japan and went on to receive Gold certification.

 

Behringer was hired to work with the platinum selling artist Laura Branigan as a guitarist and background singer on her Self Control album tour. At the same time he was working as a session musician in his hometown of Minneapolis regularly working with top producers and artists.

 

Jeff Lorber attended a concert Behringer performed with Laura Branigan and offered to hire him as a lead guitarist and background singer for Lorbers' upcoming Facts Of Love tour. Once the Jeff Lorber tour was completed Behringer spent some time writing his own songs and built his first home recording studio.

 

In 1988, Behringer was hired to perform on tour with the Japanese new age artist Kitaro. The tour was to promote The Light Of The Spirit album and was the first time an American band was used to back a Japanese artist. Behringer found himself surrounded by an array of talented musicians ranging from Mahavishnu Orchestra members to veteran session musicians in the industry.

 

Between tours, he was working as a session musician in his hometown of Minneapolis, regularly working with top producers and artists. In 1994, Behringer was brought in as a session musician on the top 10 Prince single "The Most Beautiful Girl In The World".