INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Like a classic song by one of his favorite bands, the Allman Brothers, River James is a “Ramblin’ Man” with countless stories to tell about women, whiskey and music, not necessarily in that order.

Born in rural Northeast Texas, the music bug hit River when he was 5 and heard his grandpa playing an Elvis Presley record. 

“I was hooked,” he says. “At Christmas, I would get up and sing a couple of his songs.  

Other musical influences included Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis, as well as country legends like Waylon Jennings, Hank Williams and Patsy Cline. It wasn’t until age 18, however, that River learned to play the guitar from his “Uncle” Dave Horn. 

“He was my aunt’s boyfriend, but I called him Uncle Dave ,” River says. “He was in a little, local band way back when. 

One day he invited us to his house for a barbecue. He had all these guitars around his place. River says ‘He’s an awesome guitar player!’. He heard me singing and he asked if I played guitar. I said no sir ,and he said, ‘Come over here tomorrow and I’ll start teaching you!’ I went over there every day for six months and played five or six hours, till about 2:00 in the morning.” 

River was 11 when his parents divorced, and then he lived with his father until age 15, when his father died. After bouncing around from one relative to another, he moved in with his mother at age 16, and a journey began. Roaming around the country, River was in search of purpose like most of us right? At the age of 22, he got a job as a bouncer, seeking to fill his life with thrill!! River is also a man of God and doesn’t mind if you’re not, “don’t judge him and he won’t judge you” he says. “The gift of music was given to him by God”, River says, and he can’t wait to share that gift with the world.