Little Big Voice When Jimmy James comes to town, he brings along Eartha Kitt, Bette Davis, Judy Garland, Diana Ross, and Cher by Eric A.T. Dieckman

"I’m not a drag queen, I’m a voice impressionist," explains Jimmy James, the little fella with the sweet, soft, feminine voice that can emulate practically every famous female in the business. James is coming to Houston April 12 & 13 to do a benefit for S.N.A.P. on Friday and a benefit for the Dianas on Saturday.

Billie Holiday, Eartha Kitt, Tina Turner, Barbra Streisand, these are just a few of the many, many voices James impersonates with amazing accuracy.

Most people hear about his act and get the wrong idea. They hear he’s "an impressionist" doing the divine danceable divas, and assume he’s a female impersonator. "I've only done drag [as] Marilyn Monroe," he says, with perhaps a twinge of defensiveness. "I would start the show as Marilyn and do her for 15 minutes, then just do the voices, without drag, for 45 minutes. At the end of the voices I always got a standing ovation. I never got a standing ovation for Marilyn."

Okay, sure. One thing though. Visit his website at www.jimmyjames.com and you’ll find a gallery with a variety of drag photos, many from his music video, "Who Wants to Be Your Lover?" There’s the photo he did for L.A. Eyeworks as Marilyn, the pictures of him as Patsy Cline, as the "Disco Diva," some alluring photos of his own bottle-blonde creation, Beverly. Then; driving it home is the billboard that was in Times Square in ’95 with supermodel Linda Evangelista standing in front of three images of James as Judy Garland, Marilyn, and Bette Davis. The caption: "Buying clothes shouldn’t be a drag."

Sometimes, it’s hard to shake off one’s roots; it’s often easier to bleach them to a stunning platinum. Unfortunately, James says there’s a stigma to drag that can occasionally mean losing a gig. Confusion as to whether or not he performs "DRessed As a Girl" (James conjectures that "drag" may have originated in Shakespearean stage directions, as in "Enter Dressed as a Girl") caused some consternation between Liza Minnelli and her fiancée when James was scheduled to perform for her bridal shower.

"I’ve got problems," James says. Whether or not to play Liza Minnelli’s bridal shower? Oh, what a problem to have. That aside, James’ primary focus has always been about the voices. They stand on their own. On top of that, "To me, it's been corny to be a look-alike," he says. Anybody can put on a dress and lip-synch "I Will Survive," but how many can actually belt out the song, note-for-note, and sound as though Gloria Gaynor was actually channeling herself through the singer?

How does one get into such a line of work? How does one decide, "I know, I’ll mimic every famous songstress in history. I’ll sound exactly like every diva who ever recorded and make my living that way," and then execute the plan to huge success, with ad campaigns and billboards in Times Square?

"It came from an angry place," James says. Growing up in San Antonio in the ’70s with feminine features and a soft, feminine voice obviously had its share of Hell to accompany it. Name-calling was the order of the day, with a side of alienation, always served with a heavy, hard-hitting ladle of cold vicious gravy. James decided, "I'm gonna show everybody. If they're gonna call me a girl, I'll show them what kind of girl I can be–and I became Marilyn Monroe."

After building his following, James made the transition of standing on his own image and focusing on the music. With drag mostly tossed aside, makeup was still paramount. "You have to look interesting. I still work a look when I come onstage. I may not be in drag, but I'm certainly concerned about serving a look. I mean it is show business, and you have to show something."

James has served up his look for millions, sometimes with his impersonated idols at his side. Opening for Eartha Kitt once, "I did a funny thing. It was Baltimore. I said, ‘But you don’t need Eartha Kitt, because you have me.’ And I started doing one of her songs. And she busts in in the middle of the song and the whole audience goes berserk. She stops me and says, ‘Give me the microphone.’ I give her the microphone and she completes the song. I mean, that’s the ultimate!"

There are new voices on the horizon as well. James has added the raspy, sexy, yet muppetlike voice of Macy Gray to his repertoire. "I might be throwing in Britney Spears." He stops and giggles. "I admit that won't be much of a challenge," he says.

What’s the key to good mimicry? "I have to hear the singer in a live setting. And I study that, the true, raw sound of the voice," without studio effects. Phrasing is key. Same as a good actor looking to imitate a dialect, James studies how the singer opens her mouth and articulates sound. "If somebody sings a little wrong, but it’s their sound, I have to put myself in that position and sing kind of wrong. Cher does not open her mouth very much. On the opposite end, Streisand opens her mouth a lot. Her whole face and her mouth is like a megaphone." Too bad James hung his gowns back on the rack. Streisand with a megaphone-mouth? That’s an image better painted in drag.

Jimmy James performs Friday & Saturday, April 12 & 13, 7-10 p.m., La Fontaine Ballroom, Warwick Hotel, 5701 Main. The Friday night performance is called "Cool Cats & Cabaret" and costars Linda Lorelle of KPRC, Lisa Foronda of KHOU, and Sharon Montgomery; it will benefit S.N.A.P. (Spay-Neuter Assistance Program). Tickets are $75 and can be purchased by calling 713/862-3863. The Saturday night performance will benefit the Dianas, and it is sold out.