‘The Young and the Restless’ Star Bryton James’ Father Worked With Kenny Rogers
Bryton James has starred in The Young and the Restless for nearly two decades. But some fans might not know the soap star was a well-known child actor. He played little Richie on Family Matters. James also had ties to big-name music artists like Kenny Rogers and Michael Jackson. In an interview, the soap star revealed his dad wrote music for Rogers. Here’s the story of Bryton James’ career and music industry connections.
Bryton James grew up hearing his father’s stories about Kenny Rogers
James talked about his life and career on his fellow soap star’s podcast, State of Mind With Maurice Benard. In terms of his upbringing, James shared how his father inspired his love of music from an early age.
He told Benard that his father, Eric McClure, was a musician. James revealed that when his dad was only 7, he locked himself in his room and taught himself how to play guitar, citing Jimmy Page as one of his favorite guitarists.
In addition, James’ father was a staff writer for Country Music Hall of Famer Kenny Rogers during the ’80s. McClure worked with Rogers for about three and a half years and later shared these stories with James as a child. The Young and the Restless star also revealed his dad had a run-in with Michael Jackson while working at Rogers’ studio.
James shared that his dad was in the studio recording, and some people outside the room wouldn’t stop causing a ruckus. So McClure stuck his head out and yelled, “Hey, would you shut the f*** up!?” Out of nowhere, Jackson popped his head around the corner and said, “I’m so sorry.”
But that wouldn’t be McClure’s last run-in with Michael Jackson.
Bryton James tried his hand at music
As a child actor, Bryton James appeared in numerous commercials and magazine ads, including one with Michael Jackson. In addition, James and fellow child star Raven-Symoné presented the music icon with his award at the 1993 NAACP Image Awards. After the ceremony, Jackson invited James and his father back to Neverland Ranch and maintained a friendly relationship with the two for many years. So, along with his father, James cites the King of Pop as one of the biggest influences on his decision to pursue music at a young age.
When James was 12, he met a German music manager, signed with Universal, and toured Europe singing pop for about a year and a half. Although James found some success in the music industry, he decided to concentrate more on acting.
On State of Mind With Maurice Benard, James also revealed that 9/11 stalled his music career. He had been performing in New York City a few days before the 2001 terrorist attacks happened. After the tragedy, James’ parents didn’t want him flying to Europe or anywhere, so he shelved his music career.
The long journey from child actor to soap star
Although a music career didn’t pan out for Bryton James, he still succeeded in showbiz.
He began performing professionally when he was only 2. In 1990, at age 4, he got the opportunity of a lifetime to portray Richie Crawford on the hit ABC sitcom Family Matters. James continued to play this role until 1997, according to IMDb.
Following his success as a child actor, James looked for acting gigs that would separate him from his childhood persona. In 2004, at age 17, he landed the role of Devon Hamilton on the CBS soap The Young and the Restless. James has continued to portray Devon for nearly two decades. June 1, 2024, will mark James’ 20th anniversary on the show.
From child star to soap star and everything in between, Bryton James has had many unique life experiences over the past 36 years.
