James Wesley
Wesley at CMA Music Festival, June 2010
Background information
Birth nameJames Wesley Prosser[1]
Also known asJames Prosser
Born (1970-03-09) March 9, 1970 (age 54)
Mound Valley, Kansas
GenresCountry
Occupation(s)Singer
Instrument(s)Guitar and Vocals
Years active1999–present
LabelsWarner Bros. Nashville
Broken Bow

James Wesley Prosser (born March 9, 1970) is an American country music singer. In 1999, Prosser released the album Life Goes On through Warner Bros. Records. Ten years later, he signed to Broken Bow Records under the name James Wesley. Wesley released five singles for this label, including the top 30 hits "Real" and "Didn't I". He recorded a second studio album, Real, for the label, but it went unreleased.

Early life and career

Wesley was born in Mound Valley, Kansas.

Life Goes On

James Wesley Prosser was born in Mound Valley, Kansas.[2] He played music at several venues in college before meeting songwriter Rodney Clawson, who has co-written singles by Jason Aldean and George Strait.[2] Prosser signed to a recording deal with Warner Bros. Records and recorded his debut album, Life Goes On, in 1999.[3][4] The album produced two singles which charted on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) chart. Allmusic gave the album three stars, saying that Prosser's "singing and writing … are truly unique."[5]

After the release of this album, Prosser worked various blue collar jobs. He returned to Nashville in 2006.[6]

Second album

Wesley signed to Broken Bow in 2009 and released his first single for the label, "Jackson Hole," on December 7, 2009. This song debuted at number 54 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts dated for January 16, 2010.[7] Later in 2010, Wesley charted again with the song "Real", written by Neal Coty and Jimmy Melton.[8] "Real" was made into a music video in September 2010, directed by Chris Hicky.[9] Wesley's third single for Broken Bow, "Didn't I," was released in April 2011. It was followed by "Walking Contradiction", co-written by Kip Moore, which did not make Top 40. His next single was "Thank a Farmer", written by Steve Bogard, Josh Thompson, and Dustin Lynch, and inspired by a 2013 Dodge Ram commercial incorporating Paul Harvey's "So God Made a Farmer" speech.[10] This song was released during Super Bowl XLVII. On March 22, 2015 Wesley released to iTunes a single called, "Hooked Up" which a portion of the proceeds go to the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament Charities and the ASA's Keep America Fishing Foundation. A music video has been completed and premiered on August 31, 2015 on CMT television.

Discography

Singles

As James Prosser

Year Single Peak chart
positions 		Album
US Country CAN Country
1999 "Life Goes On" 59 84 Life Goes On (unreleased)
"Angels Don't Fly" 66 —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

As James Wesley

Year Single Peak chart positions Album
US Country
[11] 		US Country Airplay US Bubbling
[12]
2010 "Jackson Hole" 41 — — Real (unreleased)
"Real" 22 — 19
2011 "Didn't I" 24 — —
2012 "Walking Contradiction" 54 — —
2013 "Thank a Farmer" — 50 —
2015 "Hooked Up" — — — —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Music videos

Year Video Director
1999 "Life Goes On" Jim Shea
2010 "Real" Chris Hicky[13]
2011 "Didn't I" Marcel
2015 "Hooked Up" Alexander Manning[14]

References

  1. ^ "Who's New: James Wesley". Country Weekly. 17 (23): 20. 7 June 2010.
  2. ^ a b "Broken Bow signs James Wesley". Country Standard Time. 20 November 2009. Retrieved 22 December 2010.
  3. ^ Price, Deborah Evans (27 March 1999). "Warner touts the Traditional "Life" of James Prosser". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 5, 2007. Retrieved 22 December 2010.
  4. ^ Monger, James Christopher. "James Wesley biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 22 December 2010.
  5. ^ "Life Goes On". Allmusic.
  6. ^ "'Real' turn of events for Wesley". Youngstown Vindicator. 21 April 2011. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  7. ^ Edward Morris (9 January 2010). "Taylor and Reba Top the Chart Again — As If You Couldn't Have Guessed". CMT. Retrieved 22 December 2010.
  8. ^ "Listing for "Real"". Broadcast Music Incorporated. Archived from the original on 13 July 2015. Retrieved 20 September 2010.
  9. ^ "Wesley gets real with video". Country Standard Time. 27 September 2010. Retrieved 5 October 2010.
  10. ^ Dauphin, Chuck (27 May 2013). "James Wesley Sets Up Debut Album With 'Thank a Farmer'". Billboard. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
  11. ^ "Chart history for James Wesley". Billboard. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  12. ^ "Bubbling Under Hot 100 Week of February 12, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved September 13, 2012.[permanent dead link]
  13. ^ ""Real" music video". CMT. Retrieved 24 September 2010.
  14. ^ ""Hooked Up" music video". CMT. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
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