James Valentine is the lead guitarist for the band Maroon 5 . As a songwriter, he has contributed to many songs such as She Will Be Loved , If I Never See Your Face Again , Wake Up Call , and Give A Little More . He also worked with artists such as John Mayer, Jenny Lewis, PJ Morton and The Yellow River Boys . He also has his own line of official James Valentine Signature guitars released by Ernie Ball Music Man . James also has a huge following with over 500,000 followers on Instagram and over 300,000 followers on Twitter.

Born name

James Burgon Valentine

nickname

James

Sun sign

Scale

Place of birth

Lincoln, Nebraska, United States

Residence

Los Angeles, California, United States

nationality

training

James Valentine attended Lincoln Southeast High School in Lincoln, Nebraska. He later joined the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and then attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts.

occupation

musician, songwriter

family

• Father – Robert Valentine (former literature lecturer at Brigham Young University)
• Mother – Shauna Valentine (Former Beauty Queen & School Teacher)
• Siblings – Lisa Clark (older sister), Amanda Valentine (younger sister) (Personal Stylist). He also has an older sister and an older brother.

Manager

James Valentine is managed by Career Artist Management, Los Angeles, California, USA.

Genre

Alternativer Rock, Pop Rock, Funk Rock, Jazz Rock

instruments

Vocals, guitar, piano, drums

labels

• J records
• A&M / Octone records
• Dangerbird Records
• 222 records
• Interscope Records

To build

Athletic

Height

189 cm (6 ft 2½ in)

weight

76 kg or 167.5 lbs

girlfriend/spouse

James Valentine has dated –

1. Katy Perry (2009) – In 2009, James was reported to be in a relationship with American singer-songwriter Katy Perry.
2. Alexis Novak – James is likely in a relationship with yoga instructor, Alexis Novak. Although the duo is still very tense about their speculated relationship, they both posted some of their pictures on their respective Instagram accounts.

race/ethnicity

White

hair colour

Blond

eye color

dark brown

sexual orientation

Just

distinguishing features

• Signature shoulder length hair
• Light beard
• high forehead

brand promotion

James Valentine has either promoted brands like – or endorsed them.

• Ernie Ball Music Man
• 102.7 CASE FM
• Sterling von Music Man
• Top
• Hy-Vee
• Pigtronix
• rehearsal guitars

Religion

Christianity

He is of Mormon denomination.

Known for

• Lead guitarist of the rock-pop band Maroon 5
• His contribution as a songwriter to the band with many notable songs including She Will Be Loved , If I Never See Your Face Again , Wake Up Call , Misery , and Give A Little More

First album

On June 25, 2002, as a member of the band Maroon 5 , he and his bandmates released their debut album entitled Songs About Jane with J Records and Octone Records. The album had 12 songs and became a sleeper hit.

First TV show

In 2005, he made his first TV show appearance on the talk show Late Night with Conan O’Brien .

James Valentine favorite things

• Guitar Pedals – JHS, EarthQuaker, Strymon, Full Tone OCD, Full Drive, Line 6 DL4

James Valentine Facts

1. As a teenager, James was exposed to the music of Joe Satriani, which encouraged him to play the guitar, particularly the song Surfing with the Alien .
2. In his youth he played in orchestra and jazz bands.
3. He was an Eagle Scout at school.
4. James held the position of Student Council President at Lincoln Southeast High School in Lincoln, Nebraska while a student.
5. He previously played with Lincoln-based bands including Montag, Kid Quarkstar, Mondello, and Lucky Dog.
6. During his first few days after moving to Los Angeles, James taught private guitar lessons from his home.
7. Before becoming a band member of Maroon 5 he had played for the band Reel Big Fish for a couple of times.
8. He has also brought his guitar skills to the compositions of other great artists such as John Mayer’s songs Stop That Train and In Repair , Jenny Lewis’ album Rabbit Fur Coat (2006), JJAMZ’s album Suicide Pact (2012), the song by PJ Morton Heavy , and The Boys from the Yellow River album Urinal St. Station (2013).
9. James loves horizontally striped t-shirts.
10. He has supported an organization called The Bryan Bros. Foundation in the past.
11. In 1996 he met John Mayer at Berklee College of Music , Boston, Massachusetts and they became close friends.
12. It is inspired by the guitar playing style of Nile Rodgers and Andy Summers.
13. Some of his embarrassing moments include falling onto the stage.
14. In June 2016, the first official James Valentine Signature Guitar was released by Ernie Ball Music Man .
15. He also has his signature line of tennis racquets.
16. Visit his band’s official website @ maroon5.com.
17. Follow James Valentine on Twitter and Instagram.