Mafia Member Since:
2001

Record Label:
Raybaw/Warner Brothers

Official Site:
www.jamesotto.net

“The only person with a voice as strong as James Otto is Gretchen Wilson”, explains John Rich. “The man’s voice is powerful, he’ll blow you away” says Jon Nicholson.

James arrived in Nashville in 1998, attending every writer's night he could find. "Those writers shaped me," he says. "By watching them, I figured out how they mesmerize a crowd with their words and the way they deliver a song. That changed me from being a club singer that does covers and tries to write on the weekend to someone who really strives to create their own art."

James became a member of the Mafia in 2001 and his debut album helped him find his way on tour with Shania Twain, who asked him to open shows on the U.S. leg of her 2003-2004 Up! tour. His upcoming album, which he is co-producing with John Rich, is a full frontal assault of dynamic up-tempo songs and swaggering ballads all anchored by his soulful vocal style. Keep an eye out for it this Fall.

“The world is going to be knocked on their ass by James Otto this year” – John Rich