Through the years Jim Boyd's soulful voice and reflections of Native life won him an international following. Many compare his style of music to an early Bob Dylan while others compare his rock-n-roll style to that of Lynyrd Skynyrd and Marshall Tucker.
A member of the Arrow Lakes Band of Colville Confederated Tribes from Inchelium on the Colville Indian Reservation in Washington State he was a Native American singer-songwriter, actor, producer, sound engineer and founder of the Jim Boyd Band. Prior to founding his own band, Boyd performed in several well-known groups including XIT, Greywolf, and Winterhawk. One of his numerous collaborations was with Sherman Alexie on the soundtrack for the 1998 Indian Country film 'Smoke Signals' starring Adam Beach and Irene Bedard. Today, "Smoke Signals" is considered an iconic, classic Native film. Jim performed four songs on the soundtrack which won "Best Compilation Recording" at the 2nd Annual Native American Music Awards.
Throughout his career Boyd received numerous nominations as a singer/songwriter and/or producer by the Native American Music Awards. On November 14, 2014, Jim Boyd was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contributions in the field of Native American music at the 15th Annual commemoration held at the Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel in Salamanca, New York. As an actor Boyd appears in Alexie's film The Business of Fancydancing with music score by Brent Michael Davids.
He performed on stages around the world with artists such as Bonnie Raitt, The Indigo Girls, Sarah McLaclan, Joe Cocker, Joan Baez among others, performed at The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Seattle’s Bumbershoot, Hard Rock Hotels, The Sundance Film Festival, Casinos, Blues Festivals, various music and award shows.; including an appearance on the CBS Show 60 Minutes.
In 2010, Jim teamed with award-winning producer Doc Holiday for the recording of his album "Harley High" featuring twelve songs portraying his love for riding Harley Davidson motorcycles. Holiday assembled some of the best musicians and engineers for the project including Grammy and Academy award winner Craig Krampf (Steve Perry, Kim Carnes, Flashdance), Dale Herr (Bruce Springsteen, The Simpsons, That 70's Show, Married with Children), top Nashville session player Sandy Pippen and Pat Severs (Eddie Rabbit, Waylon, Pirates of the Mississippi) among others.
"Harley High" was recorded at the famed Quad Studios, Nashville, TN with Grammy winning engineer Bobby Bradley with mixing by Holiday at his Power Plant Studios, Hampton, VA. Jim released the album through his Thunderwolf Records label on January 28th, 2011. It is the first and only recording to date (2018) in music history specifically written for a targeted genre of people, Harley Riders.
During his music career Boyd worked on projects for Miramax, Warner Brothers, Mega International Records, Dixie Frog Records, Sound of America Records, as well as produced audio-visual projects for businesses and colleges.
Born on Edwards Air Force Base, traveling back and forth to the Colville Indian Reservation and different Army bases where his father was stationed Boyd learned at an early age how to find balance while living in two worlds. It served him well throughout his lifetime as an entertainer, singer/songwriter and service to his people through the many roles he held within the Colville Confederated Tribes of Washington State where he served as the Culture Committee Chairman, Vice-Chairman of the Business Council, and Chairman of the Law & Justice Committee. He had college degrees in both Business and Music with certifications in Audio Engineering and Chemical Dependency.
On the morning of June 22, 2016, the music world lost another piece of its soul. Jim Boyd died unexpectedly in his office while serving his second term as Chairman on the Colville Business Council while running for reelection. He was one of the most respected leaders, and tribal members of the Colville Confederated Tribes.
Thank you for your advice, guidance and teachings, and above all the honor of you calling me a friend. You are missed but your teachings and memories will last forever. Fly High Jim.
Native American Music Awards
"Smoke Signals" - Best Compilation Recording
"AlterNatives" - Record of the Year
"Live at the Met' - Best Pop/Rock Recording
"Going to the Stick Games" - Record of the Year
"Them Old Guitars" - Songwriter of the Year
"Inchelium" - Best Short Form Music Video
"Artist of the Year" - Blues to Bluegrass
"Lifetime Achievement Award"
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