WHERE DID REX CARROLL COME UP WITH THE NAME FOR THE BAND:

"Rex's mom came up with the name "King James". It not only refers to the Bible translation, but it reflects the core of the band: Rex (which is Latin for King) and Jimi (James)" - HM Issue No. 49, page 19.



Rex Carroll has recorded numerous sound libraries, many of which have been picked up for use by ESPN for their NFL highlights, as well as Season One of the Anna Nicole Smith Show. His playing has been heard on commercials for the Milwaukee Bucks, and he was recently a soloist featured at the Harley-Davidson 100th anniversary celebration. In June 2004 he place third in the North American Rock Guitar Competition sponsored by Guitar Player magazine and WNED/New York. Rex holds a Bachelors degree in classical guitar performance from Northern Illinois University.

REX CARROLL'S first band, Chicago's FIERCE HEART was a melodic Rock project put together by Mirage Records' Jim Delehart and band manager John Doumanian.

(Note: Rex had also sent a demo to get an audition with Whitesnake at the time and they already had John Sykes, so he never got a shot at that!)

The band manager had discovered Elkins in Nashville and then heard tales of the guitar prowess possessed by Carroll. He played the duo's demos to Delehart who quickly envisioned introducing the musicians and recording an album with them.

Carroll had previously recorded with WINTER HAWK, whilst Elkins was an in demand session player in his native Nashville recording everything from Rock operas to TV and radio commercials. The album, simply titled 'Fierce Heart', utilized engineer Chris Lord-Alge in a percussive capacity due to the original drummer leaving the project prior to the recording of the band's album, release in 1984 for Mirage Records. To promote the record FIERCE HEART performed concerts but then dissolved, Elkins allowing Carroll to retain the name. That album was eventually sold to Polygram.

In 1986 Carroll assembled a revised FIERCE HEART with vocalist Rob Reynolds, bassist Sam Herron and drummer Nick Forchoine. With these members the band recorded a demo tape featuring the songs 'Lost In A Fantasy', 'Lost Inside Your Love', 'Power To Rock' and 'Bad Child'.

It's unlikely that FIERCE HEART ever played live, Rex Carroll quitting to form the Christian Rock outfit WHITECROSS. They recorded their 1st album on about one-tenth of the budget of Fierce Heart album. It was really more of a demo and it ended up selling big time. Whitecross followed their debut recording with Whitecross-The $6.98 EP-Love on the Line in 1988, Whitecross-Hammer & Nail in 1988 and Whitecross-Triumphant Return in 1989. Star Song bought the Pure Metal label and the duo of Scott Wenzel and Rex Carroll would create two more albums together. Whitecross-In the Kingdom in 1991 and Whitecross-High Gear in 1992. The Dove Award winning Whitecross who travel with notable groups such as Stryper, Steve Taylor and others would never be the same again.

Rex Carroll the guitar mastermind, songwriter and producer behind the band Whitecross would leave in 1992 to pursue a solo album and issue the 1995 R&B inspired album 'The Rex Carroll Sessions'.

Rex also went on to form the band KING JAMES.



King James is a hard rock supergroup formed in 1993 by guitarist Rex Carroll. He joined former Sacred Fire frontman, Jimi Bennett to form the band. Some time later, they recruited Tim Gaines and Robert Sweet, of Stryper, and released their first album in 1994. The band supported the album with a tour, but Gaines departed shortly after. Sweet toured with the band into 1996, but did not participate in their second release. Carroll and Bennett remained together and released a second album, The Fall, in 1997.

In 2004 Carroll would be working on the ROSEWATER band project of MASI, ANIMAL, BIRD OF PREY, the GEEZER BUTLER BAND, RAVAGE and DAVID SHANKLE GROUP credited vocalist Kyle Michaels.

There was talk of another King James release, but Whitecross regrouped. In 2005, Scott and Rex reunited to record Nineteen Eighty Seven, which featured re-recordings of nine of the ten songs from their self-titled debut (You're Mine being the exclusion), as well as a re-recording of the song Love on the Line (previously unavailable on CD) and a new guitar instrumental song by Rex Carroll.

In 2008, on April the 5th, they played at the Legends of Rock festival in Ennepetal, Germany:



And Jimi joined former Petra drummer Louie Weaver to form Viktor. Both groups have released new CDs as of 2006.

REX CARROLL got a slammin new page called myspace.com/rexcarrolltheheal. This page promotes the music of his new rock band THE HEAL. Check it out.