‘Back in Madison:’ Singer, songwriter Bobby James back to his roots

Berea singer and songwriter Bobby James does it all. 

Because he has no manager, James finds venues, schedules shows, and handles various administrative tasks by himself, such as booking flights and accommodations. On top of that, he carves out time to write and record his own songs. 

But to James, his career as a musician is not just about music, performances or the limelight – it’s about building relationships. 

“When I get done with a set, I’m usually talking to people, I’m not taking a break,” James said. 

James was raised in Berea by parents Bobby and Brenda Fugate. He grew up playing music at Pilot Knob Baptist Church and in high school with his friends. 

One day, a friend in Nashville dropped off a book at his house about publishing and songwriting. 

Small trips to Nashville eventually led to a move to Nashville, which led to a full-time career as a musician. And though it might seem like an unpredictable profession, James said it came naturally to him, though it takes a lot of work. 

“In a gig type of economy there’s always somewhere to go. On my downtime, I’ve got to be networking. You gotta constantly be connecting with people,” James said. “If I’m up at night I got my calendar out, I got my goals for the year – I’m just wired that way so it’s not really a stressful thing.” 

He often visited his sister in Richmond but during the COVID-19 pandemic, he thought about moving back to Berea. Over time the pieces fell into place. He still travels a lot, but Berea is home. 

James’ biggest supporters are also located here – his family and his dad.

“He knows everything that happens in my life because I call him about everyday like dad, this is what happened,” he said. “So he remembers things that I don’t remember because I’ve called him up. He’s like my personal diary.” 

Furthermore, when he played his first gig at Chenault Vineyards after returning to Madison County, James said that people showed up in his merch and asked him to play his songs. 

“Like man, they’ve been connecting with me the whole time – people I didn’t realize – and that’s a good feeling, really,” James said. 

James’ fanbase also includes Madison County Judge-Executive Reagan Taylor, who invited him to play his song “Madison” at the Madison County Courthouse dedication ceremony on May 23. 

To attend the event, James cancelled his trip to Florida – but it was worth it. When asked what the most memorable performance in his career was, he did not hesitate to give an answer. 

“You know what, this is going to sound crazy but playing at the Madison County event, personally, just because of that song,” James said. 

Laced with flashes of “hometown nostalgia,” childhood familiarity and change, James’ lyrics captures his experience of moving back to Berea after 17 years in Nashville.

A verse from “Madison”: 

“I love Richmond, I love Madison County, but my life was spent in Berea. So I live here now,” James said. “I love Berea. I’ve got a memory on every road in this town, I’m telling you like, so it feels really good to be back in Berea.” 

You can find Bobby James through his social media handle @musicbobbyjames or his website https://bobbyjamesmusic.net/home.