James Lee Stanley


The Documentary on James Lee Stanley, The Opening Act, has received 26 awards in the past twelve months, including Best Documentary (Nashville Film Festival), and Best Original Soundtrack (Atlanta and Santa Cruz Film Festival).

James Lee Stanley has released 26 solo CD’s, the most recent being The Opening Act Soundtrack (2023), (2020), Without Susie (2019) Alive At Last – In Philadelphia (2016) and The Apocaloptimist (2015); as well as three duet CD’s with Peter Tork; A Beachwood Christmas with Tom Paxton, Peter Tork and Pamala Stanley; Two Man Band Two-a duet CD with Michael Smith; All Wood and Stones-a duet CD with John Batdorf; All Wood and Doors-a duet CD with Cliff Eberhardt and All Wood and Stones II with John Batdorf, and All Wood and Led with Dan Navarro,as well as the original cast recording of Straight From the Heart - The Musical, which he produced, performed in and wrote the book, lyrics and music.

March of 2024 will mark the release of his 37th CD, The Day Today.

He wrote the Top Five hit Coming Out of Hiding, as well as the hits I Don’t Want To Talk About It; Plenty of Reason; All I Ever Wanted; and Make It Tonight.; scored the Emmy Award Winning CATHY Specials for Prime Time CBS-TV, the Cable Ace Award Winning Tom Parks HBO Special, and the Award Winning Tom Parks Diabetes Documentary; has produced the artists Mike Pinder/Moody Blues, Nicolette Larson, and Peter Tork, amongst many others.

James Lee has shared the stage with everyone from Bonnie Raitt to Robin Williams, Dionne Warwick to Steven Wright, Art Garfunkel to Robin Trower; sometimes spending as much as 300 days a year on the road.

He also spent five and a half years on the TV Show, StarTrek Deep Space Nine, as various aliens including the singing Klingon.

James spent two terms on the board of the Folk Alliance International (2009-2015) and was a board member of NARAS-LA (1992-1996).

Presently James is serving on the Far West Folk Alliance Board of Directors.

And he’s still such a nice guy…