Reuben James - Influence

Influence

Three warships of the Navy have been named Reuben James in his honor:

• Reuben James (DD-245), a four-stack Clemson-class destroyer
• Reuben James (DE-153), a Buckley-class destroyer escort
• Reuben James (FFG-57), an Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate

There are two songs with the title Reuben James:

• The Sinking of the Reuben James is a folk song written by Woody Guthrie about the ship Reuben James (DD-245) and her sinking while on convoy duty shortly before the U.S. entered World War II. It became a hit by the Kingston Trio.
• The second song has no connection with the mariner; it is instead a reminiscence by a young man of an African-American sharecropper named Reuben James that the singer knew as a boy. It was a hit for Kenny Rogers and the First Edition in 1969, written by Barry Etris, and is devoted to his father (see the details at The Art & Music of Barry Etris). It was also recorded by Jerry Lee Lewis in 1970.

James Island of Washington state was named for James.