James C. Burns

James didn’t just play for the Herentals HYC, he basically ran the whole show. Player and coach, all at once — kinda wild, honestly. And yeah, they took the Belgium National Championship in ‘83-84, so it clearly worked. The guy was everywhere. Then, in ‘86, dude pops up in a Wheaties commercial, hockey stick in hand, grinning like he’s just scored the overtime winner. Hockey was his thing, and apparently advertising, too. But just when you think he’d stick with the ice, James takes a sharp left turn and jumps straight into the chaos of the New York rock scene. He becomes the lead singer for this band called RUNNER from ‘86 to ‘89. It’s not one of those stories where the band blows up and everyone’s rich and famous. Nah, they weren’t exactly setting the world on fire. The gigs? Probably sticky floors, half-working amps, and a couple of die-hards in the crowd. Still, he’s up there, belting into a mic, chasing a whole different kind of adrenaline rush. So, you’ve got this guy who’s juggling skates and guitars, commercials and championship rings. Never really settling, always chasing the next thing, whether it’s on the ice or under those grimy stage lights. It’s not the usual sports-to-rockstar pipeline, but hey, James made it his own.