James Slater

James Thomas Slater, a piano-playing, bilingual singer-songwriter of Bolivian-American heritage, was born in Durham, North Carolina, where his father (a psychiatrist and mandolin player) worked at Duke University. Raised in the tropics of the Panama Canal Zone from ages 8 to 18, he developed a rich cultural perspective that informs his songwriting. He studied jazz at the University of Miami School of Music, graduating in 1981, performed in Coconut Grove, and later spent six years in Zurich, Switzerland, touring, recording, and writing—including early hits like “Don’t Break My Heart” for Vaya Con Dios and “Poco a Poco.” He briefly lived in Los Angeles before moving to Nashville in 2002, where he signed publishing deals and immersed himself in the country music scene.  In Nashville, Slater has penned numerous hits that showcase his gift for emotional storytelling and melodic craftsmanship. Standouts include Martina McBride’s Grammy-nominated “In My Daughter’s Eyes” (a contemporary standard that earned him BMI Country and Pop awards), Jamey Johnson’s “The High Cost of Living” (another Grammy-nominated song), Rascal Flatts’ Olympic-themed “Unstoppable,” Keith Urban’s “God Whispered Your Name,” and tracks for Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney, Old Dominion, Carrie Underwood, Willie Nelson, and more. A regular performer at venues like the Bluebird Cafe and the Key West Songwriters Festival, Slater continues to write, record, and perform, blending his love of piano-driven music with influences from country, pop, and Latin roots