When it comes to exploring the topic of the music business, the spotlight is always focused on the artist and the art they produce. Not much thought is ever given to what goes on behind the scenes.

Managers play a crucial role for every artist, acting as their first mate who overlooks the operations. From booking tours or shows at venues to hooking up their artists with the proper personnel, managers are the connectors that bring the music to life.

Local music manager James O’Rourke, who also goes by the moniker “The Jammin’ Man,” was originally a native of Seaforth. He first came to London to attend Fanshawe’s Hotel and Restaurant Management course. While attending classes, he picked up a gig managing a bar before moving on to working as a concierge at the Delta Armouries in downtown London for 10 years.

It wasn’t until 2009, when he attended a local show for two artists, that he felt his first true make-it-or-break-it moment.

“I started my journey with London music in 2009 when I saw these two guys, Casper Marcus and Kyle ‘Kehmak’ McIntyre, at the Embassy and I was like, ‘Whoa,’ O’Rourke recalled.  “Six months passed and I got on Facebook and saw Kehmak and said, ‘Wait I know this guy.’ So we texted and they were the first crew I was with, and from then I branched out.”

After becoming involved with the local music scene, O’Rourke started to expand his reach online through social media and gather contacts.

“At that time, I thought it was more of a hobby, so I started networking through Facebook and social media, and I got to know some of the American independent artists in the first crew I worked with, at Dead Zone Entertainment,” said O’Rourke.

Through his American contacts, O’Rourke worked with many notable names in the business, like Grammy-award-winning music producer Hugo Diaz. Diaz then took O’Rourke under his wing and mentored him before allowing him to show off his skills in the trade.

O’Rourke worked with Diaz’s team in Miami doing public relations (PR) under the name Huge Music.

“From there, things started and I worked with numerous artists in the city. You could call it putting them on the map, but I would call it more artist development,” said O’Rourke.

With all this experience, O’Rourke then shifted his focus to creating his own artist PR initiative for Canadian artists so they could have representation of their own. He called it The Network, which now involves many local artists from the underground scene in London.

“Everything changed in November 2019 when I was at the Wave/Spoke at Western, and I saw this young artist named Asante perform at the Black Students’ Association Fashion Show called Through the Decades,” said O’Rourke.

O’Rourke began working alongside Asante and other talent booking shows at venues around town.

“I focused a lot on Asante and then we brought in a couple of other artists as well,” said O’Rourke.

O’Rourke credits him as being the first Canadian talent he got to manage at the start of the initiative.

“He still is like family, but it was time for him to spread his wings and fly in his direction. To work with him was an absolute blessing,” O’Rourke said.

O’Rourke grew the group, which now represents numerous artists, some of them even being Fanshawe students like The Finesser, Trizzy, and Aidan Hough. He also became close with rising Canadian-born Jamaican hip-hop artist and the grandson of Bob Marley, King Cruff.

The collective of artists is more than just his clients that he represents, as he considers them his extended family.

“If it wasn’t for the music…and if it wasn’t for my artists that I work with, I would have given up. They are my strength, they keep me going and they help me overcome obstacles,” said O’Rourke.