After his family moved from Matata to Australia, Mr James was enrolled in an entertainment academy before going on to gain exposure at RSA cabaret performances and through a trio he joined when he was 15.
"I became a freelance musician, performing the national anthem at NRL and State of Origin games and touring and performing at halftime with the Sydney Kings basketball team. But when I had my first child, I ... got into weddings, karaoke and lower-scale gigs."
Since returning to his hometown, where he lives with his parents, Mr James has been singing in small talent contests trying to rekindle his star power.
His big break came this month when he beat 26 finalists, whittled down from a field of 500, at the karaoke grand finals at SkyCity Hamilton to qualify for the world stage.
"At the time, I couldn't sleep for three days - but now that I've been practising and running, I'm starting to feel good about it all. I drink honey and lemon for my voice, I'm forever walking around the house doing scales, and then it's into the garage to do a set of 30 songs - one after another."
Mr James said it was only in the past few weeks that his workmates at Eastpak in Edgecumbe discovered his special talent.
"All of these guys here take the piss out of me and say 'don't give up your day job'. I cop it all the time. I was a bit of a dark horse and didn't tell them about my past and my singing, but now that they've heard me, they're figuring out what I'm all about and they're proud and putting me up there, which is good."
Some colleagues have even been pushed to pick up the microphone themselves in weekly American Idol-style pageants in the cafeteria.
Those who spoke to the Herald told how they had been wowed by Mr James' voice, with one admitting she mistook his stylings for a song on the radio.
In Ireland, he plans to deliver a medley of Lionel Ritchie's All Night Long, Cyndi Lauper's Time After Time, Stevie Wonder's Lately and his high-powered finisher, The Impossible Dream.
"I think that one's got a special meaning, and it's really something musicians would know about. It talks about striving and for me, it makes me keep going and believing nothing's impossible."
Mr James is set to star at a talent show for locals at the Matata Hotel before he goes overseas - with a rigorous rehearsal schedule interrupted only when he's operating his forklift.
"That can get a bit dangerous and I get sidetracked easily when I'm singing on the forklift. Workmates tell me, 'That sounds good, but do you know what you're doing? This isn't the stage, bro'."
