Gaines, James Washington

Born: January 23, 1881, Hiram, Kaufman County, Texas. Died: June 3, 1937, Oakville, Tennessee. Buried: Edmondson Cemetery, Southaven, Mississippi.

In 1900, Gaines was living in Kauffman, Texas. He worked with the Trio and/or Quartet Music Companies in Waco, Texas, and married Laurel Life around 1904. Their daughter Mia was born in Texas around 1906, and their son Charles Life Gaines in Missouri around 1907. The family moved to Tennessee by World War I, when Gaines was drafted for military service. After the war, he ran a music publishing company in Memphis, Tennessee. His works include:

The Gospel Messenger (Memphis, Tennessee: J. W. Gaines Music Company, 1931) Revival Tidings (Memphis, Tennessee: Gaines Music Company, 1932)