James Westley Welch was Raquel Welch’s first husband and the father of her two children, Damon and Tahnee. He and Raquel met as teenagers at La Jolla High School in San Diego, and married in Las Vegas in 1959 when Raquel was 19. The marriage ended in divorce in 1964.
Much of what’s published about James Westley Welch online is repeated across biography sites without independent verification, including his exact birth details and reports of his death in 2019. This article lays out what’s actually documented, what comes from Raquel Welch’s own memoir, and where the record is genuinely uncertain.
Quick Facts Table
Here’s a fast overview of who James Westley Welch was and what he’s known for.
| Category | Details |
| Full Name | James Westley Welch |
| Also Known As | Jim Welch |
| Best Known For | First husband of actress Raquel Welch |
| Birth Date | Sources differ — some cite January 29, 1937, in Pike County, Missouri; others cite 1940 in San Diego, California |
| Nationality | American |
| High School | La Jolla High School, San Diego, California |
| Spouse | Raquel Welch (married 1959, divorced 1964) |
| Children | Damon Welch, Latanne “Tahnee” Welch |
| Early Career | Tuna fisherman |
| Later Career | Publicist and real estate developer |
| Marriage Location | Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Relationship Type | High school sweethearts |
Birth & Family Background
Public sources don’t agree on exactly when and where James Westley Welch was born, so it’s worth laying out both versions clearly instead of picking one at random.
Several biography sites list his birth date as January 29, 1937, in Pike County, Missouri, and name his parents as Hiriam Joseph Welch and Doris Latanne Hilburn. Other sources instead place his birth in 1940 in San Diego, California.
Neither version is backed by a primary source such as a birth certificate or an official record. Since he lived most of his adult life away from public attention, this detail was never independently confirmed or corrected across the sites that report it.
Early Life & Education
James attended La Jolla High School in San Diego, where he met Raquel Tejada, who later became known as Raquel Welch. Much of his early life remains poorly documented in publicly available sources.
What is consistently reported is that he came from a modest background, without ties to money, entertainment, or public life, a contrast to the Hollywood world he’d later become associated with through marriage.
How He Met Raquel Welch (La Jolla High School)
James met Raquel Tejada, who later became known as Raquel Welch, at La Jolla High School when they were both around 15 years old. They crossed paths in an American government class, and according to Raquel’s own account, the attraction was immediate.
In her memoir Beyond the Cleavage, Raquel described the moment she noticed him in a way that made clear how strong the pull was from the start. She wrote that Jim represented the handsome young prince she’d always imagined would come find her.
That single meeting turned into a fast, intense teenage relationship. They weren’t just casually dating. From early on, both of them treated it as something serious, and that intensity is what carried them toward marriage just a few years later.
Courtship & Elopement to Las Vegas (1959)
James and Raquel’s courtship moved quickly once it started. What began as a high school connection turned into a committed relationship built on strong emotional attachment rather than long term planning, and by their late teens, they were ready to make it permanent.
On May 8, 1959, the couple eloped to Las Vegas, Nevada. Raquel was just 19 years old at the time. There was no big Hollywood wedding, no press, and no glamour attached to it. It was a simple ceremony between two young people choosing each other before either of them had any idea what their future would look like.
The decision wasn’t without friction. Raquel’s father reportedly disapproved of the relationship, adding extra pressure to an already fast moving decision. Despite that, James and Raquel moved forward, believing they could build a stable life together even though neither of them had much money or a clear long term plan at that point.
Married Life & Career as Tuna Fisherman
Once married, James and Raquel settled into life together in Pacific Beach, San Diego, in a small apartment far from any Hollywood glamour. James worked as a tuna fisherman, a physically demanding job that kept him away from home for stretches at a time while he earned a living for his young family.
Raquel, meanwhile, took on the role of a young wife while also modeling and picking up small television gigs on the side. She kept the apartment running and managed the household even as she started testing the waters of a career outside the home. Money was tight, and the couple leaned on each other to get through the early years of marriage.
Life at this stage wasn’t easy, but it was stable in its own way. Both of them were learning how to be adults, parents, and partners at the same time, all while James’s work kept pulling him toward the ocean and Raquel’s ambitions kept pulling her toward the camera.
Children: Damon Welch & Tahnee Welch
James and Raquel had two children together during their marriage, and both of them went on to build their own careers in entertainment.
Their son, Damon Welch, was born on November 6, 1959, just months after the couple eloped. Damon later became an actor and producer, known for his work on Raquel: Total Beauty and Fitness and The Day the Earth Got Stoned. He also spent time working behind the scenes in production.
Their daughter, Latanne Rene Welch, known as Tahnee, was born on December 26, 1961, and was named after James’s mother. Tahnee grew up to become a model and actress, appearing in films like Cocoon, Sleeping Beauty, and I Shot Andy Warhol.
Here’s a quick breakdown of both children:
| Child | Born | Known For |
| Damon Welch | November 6, 1959 | Actor and producer |
| Tahnee Welch | December 26, 1961 | Model and actress |
Even though their parents’ marriage didn’t last, both Damon and Tahnee grew up connected to the entertainment world their mother would come to dominate.
Reasons for Separation & Divorce (1962/1964)
James and Raquel’s marriage came under strain as Raquel’s career ambitions grew and the couple faced the pressures of a young marriage and raising two children. Neither of them had much life experience to draw on when things got difficult, and Raquel later reflected that their youth played a major role in the struggles they faced.
By the early 1960s, the couple was effectively living separate lives, though they occasionally came back together, including during Tahnee’s birth in 1961.
The marriage officially ended in divorce in 1964, though some sources place their formal separation as early as 1962. Raquel later called it one of the hardest decisions of her life, admitting that despite everything, the relationship had meant a great deal to her.
Life After Divorce: Career Shift
After the divorce, James Westley Welch stepped away from public life almost entirely, but that didn’t mean his career stalled. He eventually moved on from tuna fishing and transitioned into work as a publicist and agent, using communication and people skills that translated well from his earlier years.
From there, he shifted again, this time into real estate development, building a career during California’s booming property market through the 1970s and 1980s. James Westley Welch’s exact net worth has not been reliably documented in authoritative public sources. Some online biographies publish estimates, but those figures cannot be independently verified.
Unlike Raquel, James never sought public recognition for this second act. He built it quietly, away from cameras, choosing to let his work speak for itself rather than leaning on his connection to a famous ex wife.
1977 Reunion with Raquel
In 1977, more than a decade after their divorce, James reached out to Raquel and arranged their first real meeting in fifteen years. By that point, both of them had built successful, independent lives, James in business and Raquel as one of Hollywood’s most recognizable stars.
Their conversation reportedly centered on their children and their futures rather than rehashing old conflicts from the marriage. It was less about reconciling romantically and more about reconnecting as two people who had once built a family together and still cared about how that family turned out.
The reunion says a lot about the kind of relationship they eventually settled into. Despite how their marriage ended, both James and Raquel appeared to reach a place of mutual respect, showing that their early love, even after it faded, left something lasting behind.
Death Reports: What’s Actually Confirmed
Many biography sites report that James Westley Welch died on November 23, 2019, at age 82, at a care facility in Bryan, Texas. This detail appears consistently across multiple sites, but consistency alone doesn’t confirm accuracy, especially in a niche where sites frequently repeat each other’s claims without independent sourcing.
At least one source ties that same obituary to a man named “James Wesley Welch,” a different spelling, and states this is not the same person as Raquel Welch’s ex-husband. No verified obituary or public record conclusively confirms his identity either way.
Editorial note: Because publicly available sources disagree on both his birth details and the identity behind the 2019 obituary, this article does not present either as an established fact.
Raquel Welch’s Later Reflections on Him
Even decades after their divorce, Raquel Welch spoke about James Westley Welch with a mix of nostalgia and honesty. In her memoir, she described their young romance as intense and genuine, admitting that the emotional connection they shared as teenagers was real, not just typical high school infatuation.
She was also candid about how young they both were when they got married and had children. Raquel often pointed to their age and inexperience as the main reasons the marriage struggled, rather than blaming James directly for how things ended. That kind of reflection suggests she held real respect for him, even after their paths diverged.
Interestingly, Raquel kept the Welch surname for the rest of her life and career, even through three more marriages. That choice alone says something about how much James and their relationship shaped her identity, both personally and professionally.
Legacy & Why He’s Still Remembered
James Westley Welch never sought fame, yet his name remains tied to one of Hollywood’s most iconic actresses. He’s remembered as Raquel Welch’s first love, her first husband, and the father of her two children, a role that keeps him relevant in conversations about her early life decades later.
Part of his legacy is quieter than that, though. He built a second career in real estate and publicity without leaning on his connection to Raquel, showing that he had his own path outside of being known as “Raquel Welch’s ex husband.” That combination, a meaningful place in someone else’s famous story plus a successful life of his own, is what keeps people curious about him today.
His story also holds up as a reminder that even the most public figures had ordinary beginnings. Long before red carpets and film sets, Raquel Welch’s life started with a high school romance and a simple wedding in Las Vegas, and James Westley Welch was at the center of that chapter.
Comparison Table: James Westley Welch vs Raquel’s Other Husbands
Raquel Welch was married four times. Here’s how James compares to the men who came after him.
| Husband | Married | Divorced/Ended | Notes |
| James Westley Welch | 1959 | 1964 | High school sweetheart, father of Damon and Tahnee, worked as tuna fisherman then real estate developer |
| Patrick Curtis | 1967 | 1972 | Hollywood producer, helped manage and shape her early acting career, legally adopted her two children |
| André Weinfeld | 1980 | 1990 | French film director and producer |
| Richard Palmer | 1999 | 2003 | Restaurateur, common-law marriage that ended in a legal dispute over its validity |
James stands out from the rest for one clear reason: he was the only one connected to her life before fame, not after it. Her later husbands were tied to her career and public image in different ways, but James knew her simply as Raquel Tejada, a teenager from San Diego, before any of that existed.
What Was James Westley Welch’s Net Worth?
No reliable public source establishes James Westley Welch’s net worth. Several biography sites publish estimates, most commonly around $40 million, but these figures aren’t independently verified and appear to be repeated from site to site rather than sourced from financial records.
Does James Westley Welch Have a Wikipedia Page?
James Westley Welch doesn’t have a standalone Wikipedia page. Information about him typically appears within Raquel Welch’s own Wikipedia entry and biography, in the context of her early life and first marriage.
Third-party biography sites shouldn’t be treated as equivalent to a verified encyclopedia entry, since much of what’s published about him is repeated across sites rather than independently sourced.
FAQs
Who was James Westley Welch?
James Westley Welch was the first husband of actress Raquel Welch and the father of her two children, Damon and Tahnee. He met Raquel in high school and later worked as a tuna fisherman before moving into publicity and real estate.
When did James Westley Welch marry Raquel Welch?
They eloped to Las Vegas on May 8, 1959, when Raquel was 19 years old. The marriage followed a relationship that began years earlier in high school.
How did James Westley Welch meet Raquel Welch?
They met at La Jolla High School in San Diego, in an American government class, when both were around 15 years old. Their connection was immediate and quickly grew into a serious relationship.
Did James Westley Welch and Raquel Welch have children?
Yes, they had two children together: son Damon Welch, born in 1959, and daughter Tahnee Welch, born in 1961. Both went on to build their own careers in entertainment.
Why did James Westley Welch and Raquel Welch divorce?
Their marriage came under strain as their lives moved in different directions and Raquel’s career began developing. She later reflected on how young and inexperienced they both were. There’s no single officially documented reason for the divorce. .
What did James Westley Welch do for a living?
He started out as a tuna fisherman during his marriage to Raquel, then later worked as a publicist and agent before building a career in real estate development.
What happened to James Westley Welch after the divorce?
He moved away from public life and built a career in publicity and then real estate development. His exact net worth hasn’t been reliably documented, though some biography sites publish unverified estimates. He also reconnected with Raquel in 1977 to discuss their children.
Is James Westley Welch still alive?
Multiple sources claim he died on November 23, 2019, at age 82, but this is disputed, as the obituary may actually belong to a different man with a similar name. His current status isn’t confirmed.
Where was James Westley Welch born?
Sources differ on this. Some cite January 29, 1937, in Pike County, Missouri, while others place his birth in 1940 in San Diego, California. Neither version is backed by a confirmed primary source.
Did Raquel Welch keep James Westley Welch’s last name?
Yes, Raquel kept the Welch surname for the rest of her life and career, even after three more marriages, which reflects how significant that early relationship was to her.
Was James Westley Welch really a publicist?
Several secondary sources describe him working as a publicist after leaving tuna fishing, though this hasn’t been independently verified through primary records.
What was James Westley Welch’s net worth?
No reliable public source confirms his net worth. Online estimates of around $40 million are unverified.
Does James Westley Welch have a Wikipedia page?
No. He doesn’t have a standalone Wikipedia page; he’s referenced within Raquel Welch’s own biography.
How old would James Westley Welch be today?
This depends on which birth year is accurate. If born in 1937, he’d be 89. If born in 1940, he’d be 86. Neither date is independently confirmed.
Sources & References
Primary Source
- Raquel Welch, Beyond the Cleavage: A Life in Focus — firsthand account of meeting James and their early relationship
Secondary Biographical Sources
- YEN.COM.GH, “Who was James Westley Welch, the first husband of actress Raquel Welch?” — relationship timeline and children’s careers
- Briefly.co.za, “Who was James Westley Welch, the man who stole Raquel Welch’s heart?” — marriage timeline and memoir excerpts
- Amomama, “Meet James Westley Welch, Raquel Welch’s First Husband” — courtship and early married life
- The Press Tribune, “James Westley Welch: First Ex-Husband of Raquel Welch” — family background
Disputed / Contradictory Evidence
- ABTC, “Raquel Welch first husband: James Westley Welch Biography, Obituary, Net Worth, Wikipedia” — source of the widely circulated 2019 death claim
- Early Magazine, “James Westley Welch: Raquel Welch’s First Love Story” — disputes the 2019 obituary’s identity match
Note: Where sources conflict, particularly on birth details and the 2019 death report, this article presents the conflicting claims and identifies them as unconfirmed rather than treating either version as established fact.
Abubakar Khatri is a content writer who enjoys turning everyday topics and useful ideas into clear, easy-to-read articles. He focuses on creating practical content that helps readers find straightforward answers and useful information. His approach is centered on clarity, relevance, and writing with the reader’s needs in mind.