By Kathy Waters
Special to the Beacon
The Plymouth Downtown Development Association, along with the Town of Plymouth and the
Washington County Travel and Tourism Authority, continues to offer free quality entertainment to
the public on First Fridays. This month’s event on August 7th begins with entertainment from 6-
8 p.m. at the Maritime Museum in downtown Plymouth.
Immensely popular musical guest, James Warren, a vocalist and guitarist featuring a variety of
genres, returns. When asked to share information relative to his musical career, he says: “I
started doing this publicly about ten years ago, and I still love it – it seems to be getting better.
In the beginning of my career, I got involved with ’open mic.’ Once I discovered open mics, I
was hooked on performing.
"I used to sit around and play the guitar at home for my own enjoyment. The first place I played
publicly was The Coffee Shack in Greenville, NC with Brian Burke. People seemed to like my
music, and the music community was very supportive.
"I guess my music started with rhythm and blues, but now it has more of a country theme.
Growing up we listened to a lot of country and rock and roll. There was a variety of music in my
life. My favorite show was Lawrence Welk. I prefer mostly rock-based songs in my style. I like
to put my spin on it. I am continuing to explore different genres and make a blend of all of that
to create my own sound. I may play a couple of my original songs at the First Friday event. Now I
have even more of my original songs out there on streaming services.
"A lot of times people want to know your genre. I like to do a mix of all of it. I am always
surprised at what people enjoy. I have found that music brings a community together. Music is
truly a universal language. People understand the emotion – that’s what I try to get across.
I have had no formal training. This is all self-taught. I was influenced by a friend of mine, Earl
Gorham, who plays guitar. I wanted to learn. We have been friends for many years. He’s like
a brother to me. I started with the guitar at maybe twenty-five. This is not what I planned to do
in my life. It just kind of evolved. It’s interesting to me that I can go out and make a living at
this.
"I’ve never enjoyed life as much as when I am performing. It’s wonderful! Doing what you enjoy
is the key to having a happy life. You never know what it will do for you or where it will lead you
– that’s the lesson I’ve learned. I have performed in Plymouth on multiple occasions including
First Fridays, on a paddle wheel boat on the Roanoke River, and at the ‘Bear Drop.’ I am looking
forward to coming back to Plymouth to play.”
This First Friday will offer lots to enjoy. In addition to the musical entertainment, there will be the
popular Classic Car Cruise-In and the cakewalk. Food will be available at the site from
Washington County Law Enforcement Explorers. Downtown restaurants will be open so please
come out and support them. The Washington County Arts Council is providing a free activity
for children. There will be free pontoon boat rides on the Roanoke directly behind the police
station.
In addition to our sponsors, the Plymouth DDA would like to thank all the volunteers who make
these events possible with no entry fee. Bring your lawn chairs for what promises to be a
wonderful evening of entertainment and food. In the case of inclement weather, arrangements
will be announced.