As a young boy, Jim, like many others was influenced by black negro musicians and their music. In spite of the racism that ruled heavily in the Southern States, he listened to all the Baptist Gospel singers around his area on Sundays and sang along with them. In those days nearly everybody in the South used to sing in Church. As a three year old his Uncle Dan took him to a recording booth at the nearby fairground and recorded him singing his first ever recorded song called "Roll Out The Barrels".

Jim met and worked with Tommy Sands and Elvis Presley, George Jones, Tennesee Ernie Ford, The Collins Kids and many others while growing up in Houston at places like The Hitching Post, The Egals Hall, TheSouth Maine Olde Spanish Trail for the leading D.J. at the time named Cliffie Stone & Biff Collie. Still he had to wait for fame as he had promised his parents that he would finish High School before pursuing fame and fortune. He had already been attending San Marcos Military Academy, in San Marcos, Texas since he was 9 years old and in the Summer for three months he studied at the Culver Naval Academy in South Bend, Indiana. He graduated in 1957 from Western Military in Alton, Illinoise. After this he made his way to Hollywood.