Ingram went from playing local bars with Revelation Funk to Los Angeles, where he landed the types of gigs that most aspiring musicians only dream about: singing background vocals and playing piano for Ray Charles’ recording studio sessions; recording studio sessions and playing keyboards behind the Coasters for Dick Clark; and recording background vocals for his mentor, Marvin Gaye.
Then fate brought Ingram together with Quincy Jones and to a pivotal breakthrough in his career. Up to this point, Ingram had not yet surfaced as a solo artist, but after a chance listen to Ingram’s demo of “Just Once” — which had been recorded for the sum of $50 — Jones immediately recognized the man, the voice and the music as the musical triumvirate that would both captivate listeners and command the music industry’s attention.
Jones quickly chose Ingram to perform both “Just Once” and “One Hundred Ways” on Jones’ upcoming album, The Dude. Released in 1980, The Dude was a multi-platinum international success and resulted in three Grammy nominations for Ingram: Best New Artist, Best Pop Male Vocal, and Best R&B Vocal for “One Hundred Ways,” for which he won his first Grammy. Ingram also made Grammy history when — in his first live performance ever as a singer — he performed “Just Once” as the telecast’s opening act and became the first artist to open a Grammy ceremony with a ballad and the only artist to win a Grammy without having his own album in release. The Dude remains the most Grammy-nominated album in history and marked the first of 15 nominations Ingram has received to date (see attached award list and discography for complete information).
After this stunning debut, Ingram’s much-anticipated 1983 solo album, It’s Your Night, surpassed industry expectations. The album was the debut for the Michael McDonald collaboration “Yah Mo Be There,” (Ingram’s 2nd Grammy) which was honored with the Grammy for Best R&B Performance for a Group or Duo, and “There’s No Easy Way” was considered one of the year’s stand-out ballads. It’s Your Night sold nearly one million copies; secured an unprecedented achievement by appearing simultaneously on both The Top 20 Pop and The Top 5 R&B Charts. Ultimately, “Yah Mo Be There” became the most-played song of the year.
Ingram’s talents as a songwriter and performer were tapped by some of the most celebrated artists of the era, most prominent was his “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)” for Michael Jackson’s Thriller (1982), which sold more than 50 million units,. He performed “Baby Come To Me,” with Patti Austin (1984) on her debut album, which went on to become a No. 1 Pop record. Other chart-topping, Top 10 collaborations include “The Secret Garden,” the No.1 hit with Barry White, Al B. Sure and El Debarge on Quincy Jones’ multi-platinum Back on the Block album, (1990). James, as a song writer is timeless he received Grammy recognition for his participation on the song entitled “Good Life”, in the “Best Rap Song” category, performed by Kanye West (featuring T-Pain) in 2007.
Hollywood soon called for Ingram’s wide-ranging songwriting and vocal abilities and several hit singles for blockbuster motion and animated pictures followed. “How Do You Keep The Music Playing” — a songwriting collaboration between Michel Legrand and Marilyn and Alan Bergman, performed by Ingram and Patti Austin — was featured in Best Friends (1982) and received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Duo/Group as well as an Academy Award nomination in the Original Song category.
Other important contributions to feature films include “Don’t Make Me No Never Mind,” co-written with Quincy Jones and Roy Gaines for Steven Spielberg’s The Color Purple (1985), and Ingram’s duet with Anita Baker, “When You Love Someone,” by Bryan Adams, for Forget Paris (1995). “Somewhere Out There,” performed by Ingram and Linda Ronstadt for Steven Spielberg’s animated American Tail (1986) also received a Grammy for Song of the Year. Then 1993 and 1994 brought Ingram back-to-back Academy Award nominations. His duets with Dolly Parton, “The Day I Fall in Love,” featured in Beethoven 2 (1993), and Anita Baker, “Look What Love Has Done,” the theme song from Junior (1994), were songwriting collaborations with Carole Bayer Sager and recognized in Oscar’s Original Song category.
The '90s were a fruitful decade for Ingram, who began it by co-producing “I Don’t Have the Heart” with Thom Bell — the first and only time Bell has co-produced on any project — and taking it to No. 1 in 1990. In 1999, Ingram released Forever More: The Best of James Ingram, which included some of his biggest hits as well as new material
Worldwide acclaim has led to concert tours in the U.S. and abroad, where he continues to play before sold-out stadiums in The Philippines, Japan, Singapore, Dubai, Brunei, Indonesia and Hong Kong. Fans at home have been able to see Ingram perform live everywhere from Compton to The White House.
The blessings of success also have allowed Ingram to pursue two of his personal passions: humanitarian work and composition for live theater. In 1987, Ingram was hand-picked by Quincy Jones to perform in “We are the World,” the universal gift and legendary singing and fund-raising effort from the recording industry, which raised more than $100 million in aid for those suffering from famine in Africa. Ingram also continues to work with long-time collaborator, choreographer/ producer Debbie Allen on a number of musical projects. Most recently, they partnered on Stand (In the Light) and several musical theater works including "Brothers of the Night, “The Legend” and “Alex in Wonderland."
Faith and family are Ingram’s main sources of inspiration, driving his industry achievements; legendary collaborations with revered mentors and peers; humanitarian work; and celebrated performances at some of the most-high-profile events of our time, including The Oscars, The Grammy Awards and The Super Bowl. The son of a Deacon, Ingram is one of six children and a self-taught musician, adept at piano, guitar, bass, drums and synthesizer. He made his home in Los Angeles with Debbie, his wife of 36 years, and their six children.
Everything Must Change
James Ingram Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nothing stays the same
Everyone will change
No one stays the same
The young become the old
And mysteries do unfold
'Cause that's the way of time
There are not many things in life
You can be sure of, except
Rain comes from the clouds
Sun lights up the sky
And hummingbirds do fly
Winter turns to spring
A wounded heart will heal, oh yeah, it will heal
But never much too soon
Yes, everything and everyone will change
There are not many things in life
You can be sure of, oh no, no, no
Rain comes from the clouds
Sun lights up the sky
Hummingbirds they do flap
Their wings and go by by, oh fly
Rain comes from the clouds
Sun lights up the sky
And hummingbirds they do fly
Rain comes from the clouds
Sun lights up the sky
Hummingbirds, hummingbirds they do fly
But everything must change
Nothing stays the same
No, no, no, no, no, no, no
Nothing stays the same
Oh, except rain
Rain comes from the clouds
The lyrics of James Ingram's Everything Must Change reflect on the inevitability of change. Ingram suggests that change is a constant part of life, and that no one can remain the same forever. He starts the song with the line, "Everything must change, nothing stays the same," which sets the tone for the rest of the song.
In the song, Ingram highlights that no one can remain the same, and everyone will change with time. He suggests that this is the way of time and that it cannot be avoided. The line, "The young become the old, and mysteries do unfold," reinforces this idea, suggesting that change brings about new experiences and perspectives.
There are some things in life that one can be sure of. Ingram suggests that "rain comes from the clouds, the sun lights up the sky, and hummingbirds do fly," will always remain the same. These lines serve as a contrast to the ever-changing world and give a sense of reassurance to the listener.
Overall, Everything Must Change is a poignant reminder that change is inevitable, but it is not always a bad thing. It brings about new experiences and perspectives and is a fundamental part of the human experience.
Line by Line Meaning
Everything must change
Change is an inevitable part of life
Nothing stays the same
Nothing remains constant and unchanging
Everyone will change
All individuals change and evolve
No one stays the same
No one remains stagnant
The young become the old
Aging is part of human life
And mysteries do unfold
As we age, we gain more experience and understanding
'Cause that's the way of time
Time is a universal force that causes change
Nothing and no one goes unchanged
All things and beings are subject to change
There are not many things in life
You can be sure of, except
There are few absolutes in life, however...
Rain comes from the clouds
Rain is a natural phenomenon that follows a specific pattern
Sun lights up the sky
The sun is a constant source of light and energy
And hummingbirds do fly
Hummingbirds are a natural element that brings beauty and wonder to life
Winter turns to spring
The seasons change as a result of natural cycles
A wounded heart will heal, oh yeah, it will heal
But never much too soon
Emotional pain takes time to heal, and can often be a slow process
Yes, everything and everyone will change
All things and beings will ultimately change and evolve
Rain comes from the clouds
Rain is a natural phenomenon that follows a specific pattern
Sun lights up the sky
The sun is a constant source of light and energy
Hummingbirds they do flap
Their wings and go by by, oh fly
Hummingbirds are beautiful, fleeting creatures that bring joy to life
Rain comes from the clouds
Sun lights up the sky
And hummingbirds they do fly
The natural world is full of amazing, ever-changing elements
But everything must change
Nothing stays the same
Change is inevitable and everything will eventually evolve
No, no, no, no, no, no, no
Nothing stays the same
Oh, except rain
The only constant in life is that things will change, except for the predictable pattern of rain
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Benard Ighner
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dan De Jianne
on No Need To Say Goodbye
Wrong song. These are not the lyrics to No need to say goodbye.