- His son, Tim James, was an attorney working with the attorney general of Texas and was one of those responsible for enticing TV personality Marvin Zindler to investigate the famous Chicken Ranch brothel in La Grange, Texas - eventually leading to its closure. The story became the basis of the Broadway and movie musical, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982).
- He and Betty Grable had two daughters: Victoria Elizabeth James (born 3 March 1944), and Jessica James (born 20 May 1947).
- When traveling with his circus parents he was billed as "The Youngest Contortionist in the World.".
- Bought a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for recording at 6683 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.
- Entombed in Eden Vale Mausoleum, Las Vegas, Nevada.
- Inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame in 1983.
- He had five children (two by Tobin, two by Grable, one by Boyd) and (as of his death) 16 grandchildren.
- Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives". Volume One, 1981-1985, pages 421-422. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1998.
- His low range had a warmth associated with the cornet and even the flugelhorn, but this sound was underrecorded in favor of James' brilliant high register.
- He was especially known among musicians for his technical proficiency as well as his tone, and was influential on new trumpet players from the late 1930s into the 1940s.
- In 1983 he was diagnosed with lymphatic cancer, but continued to work. He played his last professional job, with the Harry James Orchestra, on June 26, 1983, in Los Angeles, dying just nine days later in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 5, 1983, at age 67.
- He started performing with the circus at an early age, first as a contortionist at age of four, then playing the snare drum in the band from about the age of six. It was at this age that James was almost trampled by the circus trick horses after he wandered onto the circus track as they were performing their stunts, but he was protected by his mother's pet horse, who stood over him until the other horses rushed by.
- A common joke was that if a fly landed on his written music, Harry James would play it.
- James started taking trumpet lessons from his father at age eight, and by age twelve he was leading the second band in the Christy Brothers Circus, for which his family was then working.
- In 1935 he joined Pollack's band, but left at the start of 1937 to join Benny Goodman's orchestra, where he stayed through 1938.
- While still a student at Dick Dowling Junior High School, he participated as a regular member of Beaumont High School's Royal Purple Band, and in May 1931 he took first place as trumpet soloist at the Texas Band Teacher's Association's Annual Eastern Division contest held in Temple, Texas.
- James was a heavy smoker, drinker, and gambler.
- It was here in the early 1930s that James began playing in local dance bands when he was 15 years of age. James played regularly with Herman Waldman's band, and at one performance was noticed by nationally popular Ben Pollack.
- He broke up his band for a short period in 1947 but shortly after he reorganized and was active again with his band from then until his death in 1983.
- He was nicknamed "The Hawk" early in his career for his ability to sight-read.
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