The artist Rick James has died. He was 56.

He was found at his home at 9.45 a.m., and apparently died from natural causes reports state.

During the Sixties, Rick had worked with the artist Neil Young in a band called the Mynah Birds.

It was during the Seventies when he, alongside Prince (with whom he had a great rivalry at the time), pioneered a new form of Funk Music.

Rick was, actually, the nephew of the Temptations singer, Melvin Franklin.

He led a very troubled life, including being arrested for draft evasion, assaulting two women in 1993 with a pipe and served two years in the Folsom State Prison in California.

Rick formed a group called the Main Line during the Seventies.

He later signed to the Motown imprint during the latter stages of the decade and introduced the World to 'Punk Funk', releasing the single 'You and I'.

Rick formed the group, the Stone City Band and put together the singing group the Mary Jane Girls.

He produced material on Teena Marie (with whom he had an alleged relationship. The Teena Marie song 'Portugesian Love' reputedly biographed an evening between the couple), Eddie Murphy, Val Young and Process and the Doo Rags.

The release of the album 'Street Songs' bought Rick a Grammy Award, and he collaborated with the Temptations on the 1982 release 'Standing On The Top'.

Rick became hospitalised several times over a five year period at the end of the Seventies and during the early Eighties.

By 1985, he had released the songs 'The Glow' and '17', to some success.

The following year he released the album 'The Flag', after which Rick left the Motown stable.

Relocating to the Reprise imprint, he released the single 'Loosey's Rap', collaborating with Roxanne Shante.

By 1990, Rick was reputed to have made an estimated $30 million to $40 million from M.C. Hammer's hit 'U Can't Touch This', a song that utilised a sample from 'Super Freak'.

Rick was jailed again in 1991, together with his girlfriend Manya Hijazi, for alleged various offences including dealing cocaine, assault and torture.

Shortly before his death, Rick was working on a double album release and discussed the war in Iraq with friends, apparently.

A very sad loss.

Source: http://www.soulwalking.co.uk