The Mynah Birds were a short-lived R&B band based in Toronto, Ontario in the 1960's. Although the band never released an album, it is famous as one of the earliest efforts of a number of musicians who went on to be hugely successful, including Neil Young and Rick James. The Mynah Birds grew out of a 1964 group called the Sailorboys, fronted by Rick James (born James Ambrose Johnson, February 1, 1948 in Buffalo, New York; died August 6, 2004) and also including guitarist Ian Goble, drummer Rick Cameron and bass player Nick St Nicholas (born Klaus Karl Kassbaum, September 28, 1943 in Hamburg, Germany). Over its short lifespan, the group featured a surprisingly large number of artists in its many different configurations. Its most memorable lineup included future funk star James, Rickman Mason, John Taylor and future folk-rock music stars Neil Young and Bruce Palmer, both of whom went on to form Buffalo Springfield. Earlier members included Goldie McJohn, who like Nick St Nicholas, was later in rock band Steppenwolf. As well, a late-running 1968 version of The Mynah Birds featured noted folk-rocker Bruce Cockburn. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.