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James Martin Gurley (December 22, 1939 – December 20, 2009) was an Americans musician. He is best known as the principal of Big Brother and the Holding Company, a psychedelic rock/acid rock band from San Francisco which was fronted by singer Janis Joplin from 1966 to 1968.
With Joplin's departure, Big Brother and the Holding Company briefly disbanded in 1968, but a new lineup including Gurley and the other three original members (Sam Andrew, Peter Albin, and Dave Getz) reunited from 1969 to 1972.
In 1969, Nancy Gurley died of a heroin overdose. Gurley was charged with murder for injecting the drugs, and spent two years fighting the charges before being sentenced to probation.Alice Echols. Scars of Sweet Paradise: The Life and Times of Janis Joplin. NY: Henry Holt, 1999. . Page 259 He remarried and had another child in 1972.
Big Brother and the Holding Company again reunited in 1987 with original members Gurley, Sam Andrew, Peter Albin, and Dave Getz.
In May 1997, Gurley switched to a solo career. His first CD entitled Saint James – Pipe Dreams included two members of the Worms, Mitch McKendry and Hongo Gurley. St James – Pipe Dreams was released in January 2000.
After finding a long-forgotten live 4-track recording of Janis Joplin playing acoustic guitar and singing in a Bay Area venue, Gurley laboriously added drums, bass and whatever other instrumentation he deemed the songs needed and released it as a CD This is Janis Joplin. Shortly afterwards, he was contacted by someone speaking for Joplin's estate and told to desist.
Gurley, with fellow members of Big Brother, played at the induction ceremony for Joplin at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. He reunited with the band in the Bay Area at a concert for Chet Helms.
Gurley recorded and appeared with new age drummer and percussionist Muruga Booker for many years. They recorded the album Big Huge in October 2009, two months prior to Gurley's death.
Gurley died on December 20, 2009, from a heart attack at his home in Palm Desert, California, two days before his 70th birthday. His wife, Margaret, survived him, as did his two sons, Django and Hongo.
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