James Webster Payne was born in Dallas on 17 March 1906; his parents were Silas and Maggie Payne.  At the time of the 1920 census the family was still in Dallas but Maggie was now a widow.  They had moved to the Bay Area by 1923 since James appears in the Oakland City Directory of 1923 and 1924 as a cook.  On 2 April of 1924 he married Edna Mae Nedley.  The marriage did not last for unknown reasons and on 28 September of 1927 James who was living at 590 63rd Ave. Oakland married Maxine Frances Maxwell.  In the Oakland City Directory for 1928  the couple appear twice - Jas W Payne, Musician, with wife Maxine was resident at 2915 King B and Jas Payne, Labourer, with wife Maxine lived at 590 63rd.  In the 1930 Census the couple were living at 2915 King B in Berkeley and James was described as “Musician, Orchestra.”  In the 1932 Voter Registration he was still at 2915 and was described as an Insurance Agent.  The Oakland City Directory of 1935 finds him at the same address but with yet another wife, Grace.  In the  Voter Registrations of 1936 and 1938 they had moved to 3017 Dohr Street - James is an Insurance Underwriter and Grace is a Musician.  By the time of the 1940 Census he was married to Gertie Mae Osibin and was an agent for a life insurance company.  This is confirmed by his draft registration in October 1940 which lists his employer as Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Co.  The Voter Registration s of 1940, 1942 and 1944 have them at 3017 but after that the trail grows cold.  In the 1950 Census Gertie is described as divorced.  A Texas-born James Payne, aged 45, and working in Philadelphia as an Insurance Agent is recorded in the 1950 Census - he may well be our man but I have found nothing further.

His career as bandleader seems to have been fairly brief.  The earliest reference I have found is to a dance in October 1933 with “Music by Jimmy Payne’s Blues Rhythm Band” (San Francisco Spokesman 5 October 1933 p. 2).  In an ad in November they are described as “Payne’s Blue Rhythm Boys Oakland’s New Hot Syncopators” (San Francisco Spokesman 23 November 1933 p. 2). Various engagements follow, the last I have found being a birthday party in July 1934 (California Eagle  20 July 1934).  A report in the Spokesman of 28 December 1933 indicates their popularity:  ‘The band garnering most of the local work . . is Payne’s Blue Rhythm Boys.  The writer presented the orchestra with full personnel for their initial big-time dance appearance at the Lakeside Roof early this month.  Since then they have been hired for several formals and debut parties, acquitted themselves oke (sic) at the College City Elks all nite affair in Vallejo Saturday and “Made” the Xmas Dawn Dance at the Heidelberg.  Over 200 rubbed elbows and chins as they eased around the tiny dancing space, too hot and crowded to be comfortable but when the Blue Rhythm Boys got organised, everything was hotsy-totsy.  They really went over with the mob, featured the “Last Roundup” and “Sophisticated Lady.”

It is not known what, if any, instrument Payne played nor who the members of his band were, except for one McEverly who represented the band at a conference with the white Musicians Union (Spokesman 5 April 1935 p. 1).