Perseverance and integrity behind the scenes of the music industry

Tim James is the writer of, among other standards, the song “My List,” recorded by Toby Keith. It has been on albums that sold more than 11 million copies. As James himself says, “Not bad for a Robitussin-selling, basketball-playing, 40-year-old guy that nobody had faith in.”

Yes indeed, and remarkably, James had a No. 1 song in the country. He was once told he had a better chance of getting struck by lightning than having a No. 1 hit. One might call that crazy.

In fact, that’s what James calls it in the new memoir of his life, entitled "Going Crazy (Left Foot, Right Foot, Breathe)".

Each of us, you could argue, has our own degree of crazy, and James’ life and adventures are no exception. Sometimes, just sitting back and reflecting on how and why your journey took the route it did, and depending on how much you are influenced by a spiritual connection, well, the only word to describe it all is “crazy.”

So James was going crazy trying to figure out his life, for a while in his small hometown in Tennessee and then in Los Angeles, and back and forth. James says of his first stint in LA, “countless beach days, lots of endless nights, acting, forming a band, nearly drowning in the ocean, having my brains bashed in with a steel pipe, more twisted ankles in basketball games than I can count, celebrity friends, Carmel, San Diego, Santa Barbara, great food and even better friends.”

James’s childhood is a time of search and discovery, pickup games here and there, scuffles that had ranging effects and learning moments, various relationships, family bonds, faith, and the ultimate decision to follow his dream, first being a singer but eventually a songwriter. But it isn’t that simple – James takes a job as a pharmaceutical...