James Bonamy

James Michael Bonamy (born April 29, 1972) is an American pastor and former country music artist. He has released two studio albums (1996's What I Live to Do and 1997's Roots and Wings), both on the Epic Records Nashville label. These albums produced seven singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) charts, of which the highest-peaking was "I Don't Think I Will" at number 2.

Early life Bonamy was born in Winter Park, Florida in 1972. He graduated from Mainland High School in Daytona Beach, Florida in 1990. After graduating in the fall of 1990, he followed his brother to the University of Alabama. He spent most of his first year sitting in the off-campus apartment he and his brother shared, playing guitar and trying to write country songs. After performing on a local radio show in Alabama, he quit school to work at a gift shop in Orlando, Florida. Later, he performed in a program called "Country Music USA" at the Opryland USA theme park in Nashville, Tennessee.

1995–1996: What I Live to Do In 1995, he was signed to Epic Records, After this song was withdrawn, its original b-side, "She's Got a Mind of Her Own" was shipped as the second single. This song peaked at 26 on the country music charts, followed by the number 2 hit "I Don't Think I Will" and the number 27 "All I Do Is Love Her."

1997: Roots and Wings A second album, Roots and Wings, followed in 1997. Its lead-off single "The Swing" was his last top 40 hit at number 31; the other two singles were "Naked to the Pain" and "Little Blue Dot", reaching numbers 65 and 63 respectively. Thom Owens of Allmusic gave a three-star rating out of five, saying that he considered it an improvement over the debut.

Personal life Bonamy has not recorded an album since 1997. By 2002, he had moved to Cypress, Texas, where he worked at a communications company. He served full time as a Worship Pastor at Christ Fellowship in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida from 2010 to 2012. He is married to Amy Jane and has three sons, Daniel, Paul and Sal, and currently lives in Longview, Texas where he is a Pastor at his church home, Grace Creek Church.

Discography

Albums Title Album details Peak chart positions US Country US US Heat What I Live to Do Release date: February 20, 1996 Label: Epic Records 16 112 1 Roots and Wings Release date: June 24, 1997 Label: Epic Records 25 — 11 "—" denotes releases that did not chart

Singles Year Single Peak chartpositions Album US Country CAN Country 1995 "Dog on a Toolbox" 64 — What I Live to Do 1996 "She's Got a Mind of Her Own" 26 20 "I Don't Think I Will" 2 8 "All I Do Is Love Her" 27 22 1997 "The Swing" 31 16 Roots and Wings "Naked to the Pain" 65 70 "Little Blue Dot" 63 — "—" denotes releases that did not chart

Music videos Year Video Director 1995 "Dog on a Toolbox" John Lloyd Miller 1996 "I Don't Think I Will" Greg Crutcher "All I Do Is Love Her" Michael Salomon 1997 "The Swing" Chris Rogers "Naked to the Pain"

Awards and nominations