From the early 60's folk scene in New York, through the Southern California surf/rock music, interrupted by a stint with the Marine Corps, James eventually landed in Austin, Texas where "outlaw" country became a new influence.

Playing as a solo act and in band situations, James Austin has been the opening act for the likes of Jackson Browne, Hoyt Axton, Ray Price, Pure Prairie League, Waylon and Willie, and even Muddy Waters.

Around 1990, music was put on the back burner to concentrate on "making a real living" and raising a family. But recently he has come back to release his solo album: Love, Hate And Other Nonsense, a collection of songs recorded in New York, Texas and Tennessee over the years.

Now settled down in a small Smokey Mountain community, he is at work on his next project to be released sometime in 2008.