Timothy John Booth, born 4 February 1960 in Bradford, West Yorkshire, is an English singer‑songwriter, actor and dancer best known as the lead vocalist and co‑founder of the indie rock band James. He grew up in Boston Spa, attended Shrewsbury School, and met future bandmates at the University of Manchester, where his dancing caught the eye of guitarist Paul Gilbertson and he joined the group as a dancer before becoming frontman and lyricist. The band’s breakthrough came in the early 1990s when the single "Sit Down" peaked at number 2 on the UK Singles Chart. Booth’s songwriting credits include hits such as "Come Home" and "Laid". In 1995, he briefly stepped away to record Booth and the Bad Angel with composer Angelo Badalamenti, then returned to complete Whiplash before leaving the band in 2001 to pursue solo work and teaching the 5Rhythms dance practice. Booth’s solo debut Bone (2004) received positive reviews. Booth also pursued acting, portraying Victor Zsasz in the 2005 film Batman Begins and voicing the character in the video‑game adaptation. In 2007, he re‑joined James, contributing to the album Hey Ma (2008). He later released Love Life (2011) with producer Lee Muddy Baker, touring the UK and Europe.
