Eric James

Pianist, composer, and arranger Eric James spent two decades as the musical collaborator of silver screen legend Charlie Chaplin, scoring the master's final sound films and later authoring new soundtracks for his classic Little Tramp-era silent shorts. Born Eric James Barker in London on August 11, 1913, he began piano lessons as a child and upon quitting school at age 15 he served as a dance class accompanist before working as a cinema organist at Uxbridge's Savoy Theatre. By accompanying the myriad silent films screened at the Savoy, James essentially taught himself the art ...