Jim Cox

Jim Cox is an American keyboard player, composer, arranger, music director, and producer. He has played with several world-class pop/jazz/rock musicians including Mark Knopfler, Elton John, Ringo Starr, Aerosmith, Queen Latifah, Barry Manilow, Ozzy Osbourne, Faith Hill, Neil Diamond, Barbra Streisand, B.B. King, Robbie Williams, Ray Charles, George Strait, and Willie Nelson.

An in-demand studio musician in Los Angeles, he has worked on music for several Hollywood productions including Born on the Rez (2018), Switch (1991), Grace of My Heart (1996), and Hairspray (2007).

Life and career

Jim Cox was born James William Cox in California. A mostly self-taught musician, he began playing the piano when he was four.

In 1984, Cox played keyboards on Kenny Rogers' sixteenth studio album What About Me? on RCA Victor. The album's title track, "What About Me?", was written by Richard Marx that Cox sang in a trio with R&B singer James Ingram and Kim Carnes. It reached number one on the AC charts and was also a pop and country hit. Other musicians on the album were Erich Bulling (keyboards); Tom Keane, Randy Kerber, Marcus Ryle, John Hobbs, and David Foster (keyboards); Dann Huff, Paul Jackson Jr., Michael Landau, Fred Tackett, Kin Vassy, and Billy Joe Walker Jr. (guitar); Dennis Belfield, Joe Chemay, Nathan East, and Neil Stubenhaus (bass); Ed Greene and John Robinson (drums); Sheila E., Steve Forman and Michael Temple (percussion); Gary Herbig (saxophone); Jeremy Lubbock (conductor); Kenny Cetera, Cindy Fee, Portia Griffin, Herb Pedersen, and Terry Williams (backing vocals).

In August 1984, Cox worked on Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton album collaboration album Once Upon a Christmas (RCA Victor). Co-produced by David Foster, the album received the Canadian Country Music Association Award for Top Selling Album in 1985.

In 1985, Cox was on Kenny Rogers' seventeenth studio album The Heart of the Matter (RCA Victor). It was produced by George Martin. The same year, his bass was heard on Judy Roberts' You Are There (Pausa Records) with David Derge (drums), Akio Sasajima (electric guitar), Art Davis (flugelhorn), Geraldo De Oliveira (percussion), and Ron DeWar (saxophone).

In April–September 1986, Cox played pedal steel guitar on Weird Al Yankovic's fourth studio album Polka Party! produced by former The McCoys guitarist Rick Derringer. Other musicians besides the core members of Yankovic's band—Jim West, Steve Jay, and Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz—were Gary Herbig (baritone saxophone), Joel Peskin (clarinet), Sonny Burke (piano), Warren Luening (trumpet), Tommy Johnson (tuba), and Dennis Fetchet (violin). The following year, he arranged "Midnight Special" on British guitarist Albert Lee's rock album Gagged But Not Bound (MCA Records). That year, he also played synthesizer on Richard Carpenter's album Time with bassist Joe Osborn, drummer Paul Leim, and guitarist Tim May. One of the songs, "In Love Alone", features lead vocals by Dionne Warwick.

In January-June 1992, Cox worked with Leonard Cohen on his ninth studio album The Future (Columbia Records). He played keyboards alongside Bob Metzger, Paul Jackson Jr., Dean Parks, and Dennis Herring (guitar); Freddie Washington, Bob Glaub, and Leland Sklar (bass); Steve Lindsey, Greg Phillinganes, Jeff Fisher, Randy Kerber, John Barnes, Mike Finnigan, and Stephen Croes (keyboards); Steve Meador, James Gadson, Vinnie Colaiuta, and Ed Greene (drums); Lenny Castro (percussion); David Campbell (conductor); Brandon Fields and Lon Price (tenor saxophone); Greg Smith (baritone saxophone); Lee Thornburg (trumpet, trombone); and Bob Furgo (violin). On the backing vocals were Anjani Thomas, Jacquelyn Gouche-Farris, Valerie Pinkston-Mayo, Julie Christensen, Perla Batalla, Jennifer Warnes, Edna Wright, Jean Johnson, and Peggi Blu (backing vocals).

In 1995, Cox played piano and accordion on Aaron Neville's funk/soul album The Tattooed Heart accompanied by bassist Freddie Washington; drummer Ed Greene; guitarists Dean Parks and Steve Cropper; percussionist Luis Conte; and vibraphonist Alan Estes.

In March 1997 – February 1998, Cox played piano and organ on Ringo Starr's eleventh studio album Vertical Man. Starr used the help of many of his musician friends in making the album, including Scott Weiland, Brian Wilson, Alanis Morissette, Ozzy Osbourne, Tom Petty, Joe Walsh, Timothy B. Schmit, Steven Tyler, and his former Beatles bandmates Paul McCartney and George Harrison. The album was mixed by Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick, and Starr and Mark Hudson served as producers.

With Mark Knopfler

In the mid-1990s, Cox began working with British singer-songwriter and guitarist Mark Knopfler. In April—August 1996, he toured Europe with Knopfler on his "Golden Heart Tour" as a followup to Knopfler's debut solo studio album Golden Heart. On the tour, Cox was accompanied by Knopfler, Guy Fletcher (keyboards), Richard Bennett (guitar), Glenn Worf (bass), and Chad Cromwell (drums).

In 2000, Cox was on Knopfler's second solo album Sailing to Philadelphia. The album contains featured vocal performances by James Taylor, Van Morrison, and Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook of the English new wave band Squeeze. Cox played piano and Hammond organ with Guy Fletcher (backing vocals); Glenn Worf (bass); Chad Cromwell (drums); Richard Bennett (guitar); Jim Hoke (harmonica); Mike Henderson (mandolin); Frank Ricotti (marimba); Chuck Ainlay (mixer); Paul Franklin (pedal steel guitar); Danny Cummings (percussion); Jim Horn (saxophone); Wayne Jackson (trumpet); and Aubrey Haynie (violin).

Cox then played on several of Knopfler's studio albums—The Ragpicker's Dream (2002), Shangri-La (2004), Privateering (2012), Down the Road Wherever (2018), and One Deep River (2024).

In 2001, Cox's piano and organ could be heard on the track "Misery" of Pink's second studio album M!ssundaztood (Arista Records). Steven Tyler of Aerosmith provided the backing vocals on this song written by Richard Supa.

In 2006, Cox played keyboards on Knopfler And Emmylou Harris's collaboration album All The Roadrunning (Mercury Records). The same year, he recorded "Everything And Nothing" with singer Katrina Elam for Vince Gill. The track was included in Gill's eleventh studio album These Days (MCA Nashville).

In 2010, Cox worked with Cher on "Welcome To Burlesque" for the soundtrack of Steven Antin's musical Burlesque.

Over the years, Cox has played, recorded, and toured with many leading musicians including Willie Nelson, Aerosmith, George Strait, Ringo Starr, Chad Wackerman, Barbra Streisand, Elton John, Boz Scaggs, Albert Lee, Ray Charles, Chris Botti, B.B. King, Barry Manilow, Faith Hill, Aaron Neville, Robbie Williams, Queen Latifah, Linda Ronstadt, Ozzy Osbourne, Neil Diamond, Burt Bacharach, Adam Sandler, and Rodney Crowell.

Movies

In the 1980s, Cox began working as a studio musician at various Hollywood studios.