Regina-born blues rock singer Colin James is returning to the Queen City to promote his new memoir. Titled “Playing the Changes,” the book details James’ childhood and rise to fame. Through touring different areas and encountering many people throughout the years, James said he’s accumulated a lot of stories and experiences. He said this often prompted people to ask if he’d ever consider writing a book. “I thought I’d just do it … I also did it for myself in a way because so much happened between 13 years old and 24 that I really lost track of living in the middle of Canada in Saskatchewan in the 1960s and 1970s,” he told Your Morning Saskatchewan Monday. “It’s kind of something for my own family to kind of get a little more of the family history as well.” The double platinum-selling artist is set to participate in a book reading and signing event at the Exchange on Sept. 29. James says the event won’t feature musical performances. The book chronicles how James developed his love of the guitar. “By 13, mom and dad—I think they realized I was going to be playing full time pretty soon,” James said. The blues singer recalled how his parents phoned Peter Samek, a member of the local music scene and future member of James’ group Hoodoo Men. James says Samek showed him the process of building a guitar over several months — a guitar that James still has. “I lost it once, I pawned it before I went to the states when I was younger and I had to go buy It back off somebody when I returned,” James said with a laugh. The Hoodoo Men were formed in Winnipeg, where James moved to when he was 16. “We started out as a duo, we would play Winnipeg, we’d play Saskatoon then we’d play Regina and it was just this continuum of three places for the longest time,” James said. “And eventually, I was at The Exchange, which wasn’t called The Exchange at the time. But those early Hoodo Men days — they were great man, we opened up for John Lee Hooker and George Thorogood. It was the earliest of days for me and I loved it.”
