Early Life
James was born in Lewiston, Maine to Lawrence and Katherine (McIlroy) Flynn. He is the fourth of five sons. He grew up in Monmouth, Maine and Lewiston Maine, where he was a member of a high school choral group.
In 1956, Flynn joined the United States Army. He was part of "Operation Gyroscope", and ultimately was deployed to Germany as part of the Cold War efforts of post-World War II. Flynn served as a radio operator. In 1957, he took part in a quartet known as "Tune Toppers" that enjoyed moderate success and was featured in the 10th Infantry Division Band and Chorus in Würzburg. The Band and Chorus was disbanded in early 1958 and Flynn was honorably discharged in June 1959, three years after his enlistment.
As a civilian, Flynn returned to Lewiston and worked his way through business college, at what was then called the "Auburn Maine School of Commerce." Flynn planned to become a business education teacher. While in college, Flynn worked as a DJ at WLAM, Lewiston-Auburn, Maine. After three years at the Auburn Maine School of Commerce, Flynn decided to transfer his credits to Husson College in Bangor, Maine. Flynn graduated from Husson in 1964 with a bachelor's degree in business education. With his degree, he became a high school teacher and sports coach. In 1965, a new revised GI Bill was passed, and Flynn decided to further his education. Flynn earned a master's degree in secondary school administration from the University of Southern Maine, Portland-Gorham campus, in 1974. He left school teaching when he was offered a job by Southwestern Publishing selling textbooks to public schools in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Massachusetts. Throughout his life, his working career was in education, either as a teacher or an educational salesman.
Read more about this topic: James R. Flynn (songwriter)
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