James McDonnell – more famously knowns as Slim Jim Phantom – is the drummer for American rockabilly band Stray Cats. A pioneer of the neo-rockabilly movement at the start of the ‘80s alongside band members Lee Rocker and Brian Setzer, he currently plays in the group Kat Men.

Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, Phantom began playing the drums when he was ten years old after listening to his parent’s jazz collection. He began to play in bands with bassist Lee Rocker – his childhood friend, and the talented pair then teamed up with guitar player Brian Setzer to form rockabilly band Stray Cats. The band quickly grew a large following in the New York music scene, then enjoyed a string of smash hits in US, the UK and Australia, including ‘Stray Cat Strut’, ‘Rock This Town’, ‘I Won’t Stand in Your Way’, ‘Look at That Cadillac’ and ‘Bring it Back Again’. Phantom’s style of standing rather than sitting to play his unusually simple drum kit quickly gained attention amongst music lovers, becoming his trademark.

Apart from Stray Cats, he also played in the glam rock/rockabilly project Phantom, Rocker & Slick alongside Earl Slick and in rockabilly band The Swing Cats. He later joined forces with Guns N’ Roses axeman Gilby Clarke in 2001 releasing debut album Rock n Roll Music. In recent years he hosted the Rockabilly Raveup show and played in his own roots-rock combo Slim Jim’s Phantom Trio.