JoAnna James is an American soul, folk and blues musician from Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States.
Known for her sultry whispers or gale-force wails, James has been said to be born with "a voice guaranteed to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up" (Pulse of the Twin Cities).
In 2005 and 2006, James played nearly 250 shows, in addition to receiving two consecutive Minnesota Music Awards for "Female Vocalist of the Year.
"[3] James has also shared the stage with national and international touring musicians such as Jamie Cullum, Missy Higgins, Jessy Greene, Rami Jaffee (Foo Fighters, The Wallflowers), Ken Stringfellow (of R.E.M., The Posies and Big Star), Joseph Arthur, A Girl Called Eddy, The Honeydogs, Mason Jennings, Steve Poltz, The New Standards, Slim Dunlap (the Replacements), Cloud Cult, Mary Lou Lord, and Dan Wilson among others.
James has been a studio musician on many local releases, as well as Grammy Award winner Dan Wilson's, Free Life (American, 2007).