Photo: Kirk James, DC Duncan and Hal Lott at Gateway Blues Festival. Courtesy Marie Archuleta.
Kirk “Bluzman” James passed away on Sunday, August 17, 2025, at the age of 61 in Durango, Colorado. Kirk was born on May 14, 1964, in Texas City, Texas, to parents William Hastings James (Bill) and Alethia Charlene Kinard James (Char). He graduated from Skyline High School of Dallas in 1982 and attended The Art Institute of Houston.
Kirk was the kind of guy who would walk into a room of strangers and people would pause and take notice. (When I walk into a room, the only people who notice me are the police.)
Kirk and I had been playing in separate Durango bands for many moons, but in 2000 we joined forces. We were both from Dallas and hit it off right from the git-go. In fact, Kirk had heard me on the radio with the Bee’s Knees featuring bluesman Anson Funderburgh. He would have been around 15 years old!
I’m now a young 74. (Well, half of that’s true.)
We became fast friends and enjoyed each other’s company. Back then, John June played bass, and the two of us were sidemen in the fabulous Kirk James Blues Band. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind who the star of this operation was. And backing up Kirk was fun — about as much fun you can have with your clothes on. And, man, could that boy play!
We gigged at Scoot-n-Blues for Tony Milan quite a bit and the Buffalo Inn and the Bear Creek Saloon in Pagosa, The Chimney Rock Tavern; clubs at Vallecito, Purgatory, etc. And outdoor gigs at the James Ranch and Wines of the San Juans near Blanco, New Mexico. Of course we did the mandatory roadwork. Some of the more fun (and profitable) venues were The Bird Cage on Whiskey Row in Prescott, Arizona, The Mogollon Brewery in Flagstaff, the Floradora Saloon in Telluride, Boomers in Grand Junction, Purple Haze in Aztec, NM; Farmington, Delores, Cortez, and a slew of other towns and joints that I’ve forgotten about. It was a good circuit. The crowds were lively and all the club owners were reasonably good-natured and paid us in full.
We played the Iron Horse Bike Rally in Ignacio several times opening up for Edgar Winters, another time for Bachman-Turner Overdrive, and others; the Wildflower Music Festival with Creedence Clearwater Revisited, and Arlo Guthrie; and the Gateway Blues Festival in Gateway, Colorado. We played biker parties, poker runs, the Durango Harley-Davidson dealership several times as well as the Farmington dealership at least once.
Everywhere we went we played “blues that’ll make you feel good!” One thing for sure . . . Kirk had a huge fan base. Partly due to winning the prestigious ‘Telluride Blues Challenge’ at the 1998 Telluride Blues & Brews Festival. As winner, he performed on the main stage that year!
One of the funniest things I’ve ever seen was the night at Scoot-n-Blues that Kirk was playing slide and then used a beer bottle for a slide, and then someone brought up a pitcher, and then someone else hobbled up with a cane that Kirk used on his guitar without dropping a beat. And then Steve the soundman started bringing all sorts of crazy stuff up from the kitchen that Kirk used musically. Finally, he brought up a big electric meat slicer and then, as the finale, he ran up to the stage with an eight-foot aluminum step ladder! Everyone was in stitches. We finally ended the insanity to a standing ovation. Whew!
On my second round with Kirk, I got to play with Hal Lott on bass from Houston. Now we had three Texas boys who knew how to play da blues. The carnival kept movin’ on; and we were jammin’ hard.
A lot of the time I stayed with Kirk at his house in the Bay Area (Bayfield). I slept in the “pest room.” I knew and loved his dogs Broonzy, Rumour and JJ. (Kirk fed the dogs and me at 5 o’clock sharp.)
We spent a lot of quality time together. He picked me up off the ground, figuratively, more than once. I called him ‘little brother’ . . . but I really should have called him ‘big brother.’ He got me through some trying times and did his best to keep me on an even keel. I don’t owe anyone money, but I do owe Kirk James a debt of gratitude. The man was a saint! (Except when he wasn’t.) It may be a cliché, but to know Kirk was to love him. (When people get to know me, their worst suspicions are usually proven correct.)
We were brothers for sure, but when Kirk least expected it, he slipped and fell in love with Mary Jo Royce. It was probably the best thing that ever happened to him, and the timing was just right. My wife, Jayebird, and I were invited to their lovely wedding and reception at the Strater Hotel. From then on, Kirk kept on playing music but his main gig was “Papa.” Suddenly he had a full-fledged family complete with rascally grandkids. What a wonderful thang!
My arthritis finally got the best of me and I retired. I played drums for the last time with the Tim Sullivan Band on New Year’s Eve, 2019 at the Glacier Club near Purgatory. We loaded out in the wee hours of January 1, 2020. I drove back to Pagosa in the snow, and sadly packed my drums away in storage where they remained in their cases until recently.
The following is my last conversation with Kirk James, one day before his unfortunate demise. He just read on Facebook that I had sold all my drum equipment. This is the actual FB transcription . . .
Kirk: It was fun while it lasted. Cool that we got to play together for a number of years. And glad I got to hear you play with the Bee’s Knees in the ’70s with Anson Funderburgh.
DC: It was a pleasure playing with you, my brother!
A memorial service and celebration of life for Kirk is to be held on Sunday, September 21, 2:00pm at the event center of Sky Ute Casino Resort, Hwy 172 North, Ignacio, CO
DC has been a frustrated musician for over fifty years, and now has decided to become a frustrated writer. Learn more at DCDuncan.com. He’ll keep you posted.