Fireline
By Dorothy Timpy

For those who may be familiar with the stage name Jimmy James, he is alive and well in the local threepiece group Fireline. They currently play at Spaghetti Western in Hillsboro each Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Better known now as Jim Walsh of Cornelius Auto and drummer for Fireline, this musician of varied and lengthy musical experience tells of the "almost there" episodes in his life. He turns out to be mighty successful in the music world.

Taking on lead guitar work for the trio is Ben Dacaucus, while Charles Bergman fills out on keyboards, harmonica and also is an accomplished bassist and guitarist. They've spanned musical categories including rock and roll, jazz and rhythm and blues, but settled into the country theme for numerous reasons; one is the popularity. All three musicians toss their vocal talents into the entertainment ring.

Walsh, alias Jimmy James, thought he had left his musical identity behind until a local musician thought he recognized him and approached Walsh with the question "Aren't you.....?" The anonymity was over and "Jimmy James" began to be approached by Charles Bergman in efforts to pull him back into the world of musical entertainment. Walsh ended a nearly 15year retirement from music to take on bandleader and percussionist duties for Fireline.

Walsh spent years with a group called Whiskey River Band, voted a number one musical group in the Bay Area of California. This sevenpiece group rose to the recording stage with RCA and traveled on extensive tours. They composed such tunes as Oklahoma Rain and Second Best which RCA indicated were of such quality as to be headed for a number one spot on the hit parade. RCA set them up with a scheduled concert tour, recording time, all expenses paid, etc., when personal reasons caused the band to separate.

Walsh spent some time in the Tanya Tucker group, went to work for Tanya's sister, LaCosta Tucker, in the California area where their dad was a rancher. Walsh also worked with The Everly Brothers in the California area where their father, too was a rancher.

Walsh worked at that time with a good friend, John Perry, and was known as "Mr. Clean" due to the clean drum licks he added to the groups. During the time he worked with LaCosta Tucker, he recalls one of her hits was Makin' Love On A Hot Tin Roof. Walsh proceeded with his music and did an album called It's About Time, a television show in San Francisco on what was known then as Channel 20.

After securing a No. 1 hit, Cat Mother & The All Night Newsboys in the band New Country Review, they broke up and Walsh decided the music world was too uncertain. He went to work selling cars for three months, then back into the music again sometime in the 1979 era. Jim Walsh currently and for some time, runs Cornelius Auto.

At one time all his equipment left at a club, was burned in a fire. He put it all back together and when Charles asked him to join them, he went back as drummer and leader of Fireline.

Bergman also has played in numerous bands through the years and has worked the Northwest circuit. He has filled the lead guitarist spot for rock groups; Walsh indicates Bergman is a very relaxed musician.

Ben Dascoso came from Colorado and has worked the Las Vegas circuit doing a lot of rock and roll. Though he has played rock and roll and country, his preference often leans toward jazz.

Since Fireline's members are all avid music lovers of every kind of music, they fit together well and make an entertaining team.

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