About Jim Boyd
Lived 1956 – 2016 (aged 59–60). Jim Boyd was an American singer, songwriter and singer-songwriter.
Jim Boyd (January 1, 1956 – June 22, 2016) was a Native American singer-songwriter, actor, and member of the Jim Boyd Band on the Colville Indian Reservation in Washington. Boyd performed in several groups, including XIT, Greywolf, and Winterhawk. Boyd performed four songs with lyrics by Sherman Alexie on the soundtrack for the 1998 movie Smoke Signals, and also appeared in Alexie's 2002 film The Business of Fancydancing.
Boyd was a seven-time award winner of the Native American Music Awards and a Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. At the 2nd Annual Native American Music Awards, he was awarded the award for Best Compilation Recording for the Smoke Signals soundtrack; at the 5th Annual Native American Music Awards, he won Record of the Year for his recording, AlterNatives. The next year he was awarded the Best Pop/Rock Recording for Live at the Met; at the 7th Annual Native American Music Awards he received Record of the Year for Going to the Stick Games; he received Songwriter of the Year at the 8th Annual Native American Music Awards for Them Old Guitars; he won Best Short Form Music Video for Inchelium at the 9th Annual Native American Music Awards; and he received the Artist of the Year Award at the 10th Annual Native American Music Awards.
On November 14, 2014, Boyd was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contributions in the field of Native American music at the 15th Annual commemoration held at the Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel in Salamanca, New York.
Boyd lived in Spokane, Washington. He died on June 22, 2016. At the time of his death, he was serving his second term on the Colville Business Council as chairman and was standing for re-election. He was previously the Culture Committee chairman, Vice-Chairman of the Business Council, and Chairman of the Law & Justice Committee.
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Important facts
People in Jim Boyd's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Jim Boyd's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Jim Boyd?
American musician
When was Jim Boyd born?
Jim Boyd was born in 1956 in Edwards Air Force Base.
When did Jim Boyd die?
Jim Boyd died on 21 June 2016.
What was Jim Boyd's occupation?
Jim Boyd was a singer, songwriter and singer-songwriter.
What nationality was Jim Boyd?
Jim Boyd was American.
Sources & further reading
· DBpedia: Jim Boyd (musician)
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Jim Boyd. https://biography.guide/jim-boyd-singer/
MLA: "Jim Boyd." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/jim-boyd-singer/.
Chicago: "Jim Boyd." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/jim-boyd-singer/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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