Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
By James "Diamond Jim" Riley (1968)
James “Diamond Jim” Riley was a producer,songwriter,and label owner who founded the Detroit soul labels Riley's Recording Co.,Diamond Jim,and Big D.
On a Saturday night in May 1971,Donald Bryson emptied his gun into Mr.Riley at Cornelius Watt’s Club Mozambique,an important 60’s Jazz venue in Detroit.
"Diamond Jim used to come to the club every night; that was his hangout,” Mr. Watt recalled. “Because that’s where he’d get the crowd from to go to his after-hours club.”
Mr. Watt clearly remembered one particular Saturday night in May 1971: “There were two or three young girls sat in the corner and he bought them champagne all night.Then at the end of the night he asked them to go to his after-hours club.They kept turning him down,so he said,'You bitches… sip my champagne all night and then tell me you ain’t going to my club?!’”
“The guy that was with him said,‘Don’t call them bitches;one of them is a friend of mine.’ “
“Jim said,‘Motherfucker,if you feel that way about them…’and he turned around and knocked that guy over two tables,then kicked him while he was on the floor.”
“When he was getting up,he pulled a gun out.But Diamond Jim don’t have no gun - this guy was acting as his bodyguard.” Donald Bryson then emptied his gun into Mr. Riley, reloaded and then fired some more.
By James "Diamond Jim" Riley (1968)
James “Diamond Jim” Riley was a producer,songwriter,and label owner who founded the Detroit soul labels Riley's Recording Co.,Diamond Jim,and Big D.
On a Saturday night in May 1971,Donald Bryson emptied his gun into Mr.Riley at Cornelius Watt’s Club Mozambique,an important 60’s Jazz venue in Detroit.
"Diamond Jim used to come to the club every night; that was his hangout,” Mr. Watt recalled. “Because that’s where he’d get the crowd from to go to his after-hours club.”
Mr. Watt clearly remembered one particular Saturday night in May 1971: “There were two or three young girls sat in the corner and he bought them champagne all night.Then at the end of the night he asked them to go to his after-hours club.They kept turning him down,so he said,'You bitches… sip my champagne all night and then tell me you ain’t going to my club?!’”
“The guy that was with him said,‘Don’t call them bitches;one of them is a friend of mine.’ “
“Jim said,‘Motherfucker,if you feel that way about them…’and he turned around and knocked that guy over two tables,then kicked him while he was on the floor.”
“When he was getting up,he pulled a gun out.But Diamond Jim don’t have no gun - this guy was acting as his bodyguard.” Donald Bryson then emptied his gun into Mr. Riley, reloaded and then fired some more.
