Wick is a well-known musician around New Bern, but did you know his real name is James Thomas Edward Wickline? As a kid he was JT, before he picked up the family nickname he now goes by.
Wick was born in Jacksonville, Fla. but the family traveled most of his early life with his biological dad in the Navy, then his stepdad in the Marines. They settled here when his Dad was stationed in Cherry Point. Wick was a high school freshman and said he was not moving anymore.
The family has stayed in New Bern and all live close to one another in the “compound,” which includes his parents and his younger sister. Wick lives with his wife, Stephanie, who he met working at Captain Ratty’s and married 14 years ago. They have a son Keagan, age 12 and a stepson Zander who is 19 years old and now lives with his biological Dad.
Wick said he came to love music when he was age 8 and watching MTV (he wasn’t supposed to be watching that), where he saw musicians who rode motorcycles, hung out with girls, and partied…that was what he wanted to do. Growing up, music was also a part of his life; his grandmother played the piano and guitar in a gospel group, and his parents listened to a variety of music from classical to oldies to Willie Nelson and Chaka Khan.
Wick now listens to all kinds of music and especially likes heavy metal and hip-hop. At age 14 he got his first guitar and learned on his own with the help of friends. He didn’t mind getting grounded for bad grades because it gave him time to listen to the radio and play the guitar.
Wick feels fortunate in that he “always found a way to do what I want and make money doing it.” He worked at various jobs in New Bern, from Applebee’s to landscaping, to be able to afford his music. He started out in a band called Joker and when the bass player quit, he took up the bass. Wick liked the bass and figured everyone needs a bass player. He has always been comfortable on stage and calls himself “kind of an extravert.”
He always had trouble reading music and has since found out he has dyslexia.
Wick went on to plan in a band called Far From Nowhere for five years, doing a lot of traveling. When asked about his most memorable music moments, Wick talks about that band playing three tours in Korea MWR (morale, welfare, recreation). In 2003 he played in Korea to about 4,000 people as their first heavy metal band, which was a great experience, he said.
Wick next played in a successful beach; wedding-style band called Johnny Dollar. He was making good money and traveling to Charlotte on the weekends to play but was bored during the week and applied for a job at Fullers Music in New Bern. He started in sales and Dave, the current owner, saw he was interested in fixing instruments. He trained Wick to be a luthier (a person who fixes stringed instruments) and he has been there now for 13 years. They train at the University of New Hampshire for a week in the summer. Wick has been there seven times and said he always learns something new.
Seven years ago he and his current band members, Josh Overby and Mike Lancaster, were drunk on the back porch and decided to name their band the Bi-Polar Express. They mostly cover Van Halen-like songs from the ’80s.
Wick met Josh at Mulligans and Mike while working at Fuller’s. Mike had come back to town after working as a recording engineer in Nashville. They obviously love what they do and have become great friends. The band has expanded into sponsorship and Wick says, “it’s all about selling beer”.
Talking to Wick made it clear he is a genuine, kind, and talented person.
He has influenced many musicians in this town and is a great resource to have an instrument repaired professionally right here in New Bern.
Wick is living his passion for music and working at something he cares about.
By Joanne Friedman, owner of the New Bern Music Calendar