James Fairs interview

How do you become a legend? In the case of James Fairs you achieve the centerpiece of your dreams by the age of nineteen and then you simply walk away. Fairs was the principle songwriter, producer and guitarist for 1960’s regional wonders The Cryan’ Shames, Midwestern legends who ruled the charts on Chicago radio station WLS between 1966 and 1969. While The Cryan’ Shames never quite duplicated that level of popularity on a national level, they did land no less than seven singles on the Billboard charts in their four year run and have become a cult favorite amongst fans of 1960’s garage rock bands.