James Cockerham

James V. Cockerham embarked on a music career following a successful 35-year tenure in various managerial roles, including 12 years in corporate America. A multifaceted artist, he is a composer, playwright, musician, recording artist, screenwriter, and author, with an impressive portfolio that includes seven albums, five CDs, and five musical stage productions. A proud BMI Writer and Publisher, he has over 750 original songs and arrangements in his publishing catalog. Born and raised in Wilkesboro, NC—home to NASCAR and Lowe’s—Cockerham graduated from Lincoln Heights School. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Livingstone College in Salisbury, NC, and later, at age 65, achieved a Master’s Certificate in Orchestration for Film and TV from Berklee College of Music in Boston. A dedicated church musician, he also serves as an adjunct professor of Music Appreciation at Carver College. Cockerham’s composition, Fantasia on “Lift Every Voice and Sing”, was performed at Carnegie Hall in April 2022. His stage productions have drawn acclaimed talent, including Ruby Dee Davis in A Gift of Love at Atlanta’s Rialto Theater and John Patton (from The Color Purple) in Come Home, performed at venues such as the Gwinnett Civic Center and the Montgomery Civic Center. In his book LOOKING Past Present Future, Cockerham explores African American experiences through fiction, non-fiction, poetry, prose, and memoirs. These stories will soon find a new medium in his upcoming musical stage production, Yakobo. For inquiries:
Email: basiccoc@aol.com
Phone: 770-778-2407
Website: coprorecords.com Facebook/CoproMusic