# Jimi Jamison
**Jimi Jamison** (born Jimmy Wayne Jamison; 1951 – August 2014) was an American rock singer from [Memphis, Tennessee](https://www.edgepedia.org/memphis-tennessee), best known as the lead vocalist of Survivor from 1984, singing on hits including "I Can't Hold Back", "The Search Is Over", and "Burning Heart", and as the co-writer and voice of "I'm Always Here", the theme song to the television series *Baywatch*.[1](https://memphismusichalloffame.com/inductee/jimijamison/) • [2](https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/03/arts/music/jimi-jamison-singer-for-survivor-dies-at-63.html) • [3](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/jimi-jamison-singer-who-helped-revive-the-fortunes-of-survivor-and-went-on-to-write-and-record-the-baywatch-theme-tune-9751722.html)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | Jimmy Wayne Jamison, 1951, rural Durant, Mississippi; moved to Memphis with his mother Dorothy when he was one day old[1](https://memphismusichalloffame.com/inductee/jimijamison/) |
| Pre-Survivor bands | Target (two A&M albums, touring behind Black Sabbath, Boston, and Kiss) and Cobra (Epic Records)[4](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jimi-jamison-mn0000367627) |
| Survivor tenure | Lead singer 1984 to the late 1980s, again 2000–2006, and from 2011 until his death[5](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/sep/03/jimi-jamison) |
| Biggest hits with Survivor | "I Can't Hold Back" (No. 13), "High on You" (No. 8), "The Search Is Over" (No. 4), "Burning Heart" (No. 2)[1](https://memphismusichalloffame.com/inductee/jimijamison/) • [4](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jimi-jamison-mn0000367627) |
| Certifications | *Vital Signs* (1984) reached multi-platinum; his tenure produced gold and platinum albums and five Top Ten hits[6](https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-29028159) • [4](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jimi-jamison-mn0000367627) |
| Baywatch theme | Co-wrote and sang "I'm Always Here", which replaced Peter Cetera's "Save Me" as the *Baywatch* theme in 1991[3](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/jimi-jamison-singer-who-helped-revive-the-fortunes-of-survivor-and-went-on-to-write-and-record-the-baywatch-theme-tune-9751722.html) |
| Died | August 2014, at his home in Memphis, aged 63[2](https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/03/arts/music/jimi-jamison-singer-for-survivor-dies-at-63.html) |
## Early life and Memphis beginnings
Jamison was born in rural Durant, Mississippi, in 1951, and considered himself a Memphis native because his mother Dorothy moved there with him when he was one day old.[1](https://memphismusichalloffame.com/inductee/jimijamison/) While studying Radio/TV and [Journalism](https://www.edgepedia.org/journalism) at the [University of Memphis](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-memphis), he played with bassist Tommy Cathey in the band Omaha and then D-Beaver, which released the album *Combinations* in 1972 on [Steve Cropper](https://www.edgepedia.org/steve-cropper)'s TMI label.[1](https://memphismusichalloffame.com/inductee/jimijamison/)
## Target and Cobra
Through the 1970s Jamison fronted the Memphis band Target, which released two albums on [A&M Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/a-and-m-records) and opened for [Black Sabbath](https://www.edgepedia.org/black-sabbath), Boston, and Kiss.[1](https://memphismusichalloffame.com/inductee/jimijamison/) • [4](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jimi-jamison-mn0000367627) Between band commitments he sang commercial jingles and worked as a session vocalist, contributing backup vocals to [ZZ Top](https://www.edgepedia.org/zz-top)'s *Eliminator*; ZZ Top frontman Billy Gibbons called him the group's "fourth member" for those harmonies.[1](https://memphismusichalloffame.com/inductee/jimijamison/) • [7](https://iconoclassicrecords.com/meet-jimmy-wayne-jamison/) He also cut background vocals for Krokus, the Jeff Healey Band, and Molly Hatchet.[6](https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-29028159) • [7](https://iconoclassicrecords.com/meet-jimmy-wayne-jamison/)
His next frontman role was with Cobra, which recorded for [Epic Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/epic-records); it was with Cobra that he came to Survivor's attention.[1](https://memphismusichalloffame.com/inductee/jimijamison/) Iconoclassic Records, which later reissued his work, also records that he nearly joined [Deep Purple](https://www.edgepedia.org/deep-purple) and collaborated with [Joe Walsh](https://www.edgepedia.org/joe-walsh) and Toto's Bobby Kimball.[8](https://iconoclassicrecords.com/artist/jimi-jamison/)
## Survivor years (1984–late 1980s)
Survivor, formed in Chicago in 1978, had already reached No. 1 with "Eye of the Tiger", the theme to *Rocky III*, when Jamison replaced vocalist [Dave Bickler](https://www.edgepedia.org/dave-bickler) in 1984 after auditioning in Chicago; Bickler had left because of polyps on his vocal cords.[5](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/sep/03/jimi-jamison) • [9](https://apnews.com/music-6b59bd767d3f447c9c4d21f34eb8d3fa) • [4](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jimi-jamison-mn0000367627)
The first album of his tenure, *Vital Signs* (1984), went multi-platinum and produced a run of hits: "I Can't Hold Back" peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 in December 1984 and spent three weeks atop the Mainstream Rock chart; "High on You" reached No. 8 in April 1985; and "The Search Is Over" peaked at No. 4 in July 1985 and topped the Adult Contemporary chart for four weeks.[6](https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-29028159) • [1](https://memphismusichalloffame.com/inductee/jimijamison/) In 1985 "Burning Heart", the theme for *Rocky IV*, hit No. 2 on the pop chart.[4](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jimi-jamison-mn0000367627) Further hits and soundtrack songs followed, including "Is This Love", "How Much Love", "The Moment of Truth" from *The Karate Kid*, and "Man Against the World", one of the few Survivor songs Jamison co-wrote.[2](https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/03/arts/music/jimi-jamison-singer-for-survivor-dies-at-63.html) • [3](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/jimi-jamison-singer-who-helped-revive-the-fortunes-of-survivor-and-went-on-to-write-and-record-the-baywatch-theme-tune-9751722.html) • [10](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ph-jimi-jamison-dead-20140901-story.html) • [5](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/sep/03/jimi-jamison) The band released *Too Hot to Sleep* in 1988, after which it took a break.[6](https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-29028159)
## Departures, returns, and solo career
When manager Frank Sullivan put Survivor on hiatus in 1989, Jamison continued to use the band's name and became involved in a trademark dispute over it, which he lost in 1999.[3](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/jimi-jamison-singer-who-helped-revive-the-fortunes-of-survivor-and-went-on-to-write-and-record-the-baywatch-theme-tune-9751722.html) In 1991 he co-wrote and recorded "I'm Always Here", which replaced [Peter Cetera](https://www.edgepedia.org/peter-cetera)'s "Save Me" as the *Baywatch* theme that year.[3](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/jimi-jamison-singer-who-helped-revive-the-fortunes-of-survivor-and-went-on-to-write-and-record-the-baywatch-theme-tune-9751722.html) • [2](https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/03/arts/music/jimi-jamison-singer-for-survivor-dies-at-63.html)
He rejoined Survivor in 2000, left in 2006 to focus on his solo career, and rejoined again in 2011, remaining until his death.[1](https://memphismusichalloffame.com/inductee/jimijamison/) • [6](https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-29028159) The 2000 reunion produced a tour with Styx and [REO Speedwagon](https://www.edgepedia.org/reo-speedwagon) and a monthlong series of concerts in Germany.[4](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jimi-jamison-mn0000367627)
His solo and collaborative releases, as listed in the [MusicBrainz](https://www.edgepedia.org/musicbrainz) discography, were *When Love Comes Down* (1991), *Empires* (2000), *Crossroads Moment* (2008), *Extra Moments* with [Jim Peterik](https://www.edgepedia.org/jim-peterik) (2010), *Kimball Jamison* with Bobby Kimball (2011), *Never Too Late* (2012), *Rock Hard* (2022), and *Jimmy Wayne Jamison* (2024).[11](http://musicbrainz.org/artist/6e1df868-7304-47c5-b609-f3173f8670f7)
## By the numbers
The Jamison-era Survivor singles charted as follows on the Billboard Hot 100: "I Can't Hold Back" No. 13 (December 1984), "High on You" No. 8 (April 1985), "The Search Is Over" No. 4 (July 1985), and "Burning Heart" No. 2 (1985).[1](https://memphismusichalloffame.com/inductee/jimijamison/) • [4](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jimi-jamison-mn0000367627) "The Search Is Over" also spent four weeks at No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart.[1](https://memphismusichalloffame.com/inductee/jimijamison/) AllMusic summarizes the tenure as five Top Ten hits, appearances on numerous film soundtracks, and a handful of gold- and platinum-certified recordings, beginning with the multi-platinum *Vital Signs*.[4](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jimi-jamison-mn0000367627) • [6](https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-29028159) "Eye of the Tiger", sung by his predecessor Dave Bickler, remains the band's only No. 1 single.[2](https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/03/arts/music/jimi-jamison-singer-for-survivor-dies-at-63.html)
## Voice and standing among 1980s frontmen
Casey Kasem nicknamed Jamison "The Voice", and the engineer Terry Manning said his vocals never needed pitch editing: "We didn't even consider it on him... He never needed it."[1](https://memphismusichalloffame.com/inductee/jimijamison/) Survivor's guitarist and songwriter Jim Peterik said, "Very few bands can survive a lead singer transplant [but] Jimi had the most magical voice I'd ever heard."[5](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/sep/03/jimi-jamison) Iconoclassic Records writes that connoisseurs of AOR (album-oriented rock, a polished melodic rock radio genre) and melodic rock consistently rate him as one of the genre's Top 5 vocalists of all time.[8](https://iconoclassicrecords.com/artist/jimi-jamison/)
## Death and legacy
Jamison died in August 2014 at his home in Memphis, aged 63.[2](https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/03/arts/music/jimi-jamison-singer-for-survivor-dies-at-63.html) The Shelby County medical examiner determined that he died of a stroke, with cardiovascular disease and methamphetamine intoxication as contributing conditions; the Guardian's obituary reported the cause as a heart attack.[9](https://apnews.com/music-6b59bd767d3f447c9c4d21f34eb8d3fa) • [5](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/sep/03/jimi-jamison) Survivor described him as "our brother".[6](https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-29028159)
Posthumous releases have continued through Iconoclassic Records' Jimi Jamison Archive Series: *Rock Hard* (2022) and *Jimmy Wayne Jamison*, an album completed in 2007 but issued only in 2024 as the series' second volume.[7](https://iconoclassicrecords.com/meet-jimmy-wayne-jamison/) • [11](http://musicbrainz.org/artist/6e1df868-7304-47c5-b609-f3173f8670f7)
## References
1. [Jimi Jamison, Memphis Music Hall of Fame](https://memphismusichalloffame.com/inductee/jimijamison/)
2. [Jimi Jamison, Singer for Survivor, Dies at 63, The New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/03/arts/music/jimi-jamison-singer-for-survivor-dies-at-63.html)
3. [Jimi Jamison: Singer who helped revive the fortunes of Survivor, The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/jimi-jamison-singer-who-helped-revive-the-fortunes-of-survivor-and-went-on-to-write-and-record-the-baywatch-theme-tune-9751722.html)
4. [Jimi Jamison Biography, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jimi-jamison-mn0000367627)
5. [Jimi Jamison obituary, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/sep/03/jimi-jamison)
6. [Survivor singer Jimi Jamison dies aged 63, BBC News](https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-29028159)
7. [Meet Jimmy Wayne Jamison, Iconoclassic Records](https://iconoclassicrecords.com/meet-jimmy-wayne-jamison/)
8. [Jimi Jamison artist page, Iconoclassic Records](https://iconoclassicrecords.com/artist/jimi-jamison/)
9. [Ex-Survivor lead singer died of stroke, drugs, Associated Press](https://apnews.com/music-6b59bd767d3f447c9c4d21f34eb8d3fa)
10. [Jimi Jamison, former lead singer of Survivor, dead at 63, Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ph-jimi-jamison-dead-20140901-story.html)
11. [Jimi Jamison, MusicBrainz](http://musicbrainz.org/artist/6e1df868-7304-47c5-b609-f3173f8670f7)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musical practice and theory › Popular music genres › Rock performers, groups, and musicians*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license