Jimi Calhoun is a former world class bassist who performed with several popular acts in the 1970s such as, Creation, Dr. John, Rare Earth, Parliament-Funkedelic, Brian Auger Clifford Coulter, Mel Brown, and Buddy Miles and many others. Jimi is a rare combination of storyteller, sage, artist, and pastor. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area he demonstrated an aptitude for playing several musical instruments. He settled on the bass guitar and embarked on a career path that would take him around the world. His career spans genres and disciplines, first as a musician and later as a pastor and author.
During one of his trips to England he became interested in spirituality and began to explore a variety of paths searching for God and inner peace. Jimi's spiritual odyssey included a couple of brief stops to study Buddhism and Metaphysics. Jimi also studied martial arts which he continues to incorporate into his spiritual disciplines to this day.
As an African-American growing up in the 1950s and '60s, Calhoun knew firsthand about the effects of racism within the culture which later led him to author a book on racial harmony titled "A Story of Rhythm and Grace". He followed up that book with The Art of God: Reflections on Music, Diversity, and the Beauty in You which suggests that the master artist, God, programmed diversity into every aspect of the natural order. His latest book is Funknology: A Synthesis of Art, Science, and Being.
He is presently the lead pastor at Bridging Austin, a Reconciling Community in Austin, Texas. A gifted storyteller and popular speaker he has made numerous television appearances on NBC, CBS, ABC and others, in addition to hosting his own weekly radio program. He is co-chair of Community Dreams, an Austin-based nonprofit serving urban youth, and a member of the Austin Interfaith Inclusion Network, which serves people living with disabilities.
