That boy was James Westley Welch, and even after their marriage ended, she kept his last name for the rest of her life.Before Raquel Welch became a Hollywood icon known for “One Million Years B.C.” and a career spanning four decades, she was just a teenage girl from San Diego falling for a boy on the football team. His story rarely gets told on its own terms, mostly because he never wanted the attention that came with being married to a future star. Here’s what’s actually known about him, their marriage, and why people still search his name decades later.

James Westley: Bio

Who Was James Westley Welch?

James Westley Welch is best known as the first husband of actress Raquel Welch, whose birth name was Jo Raquel Tejada. He worked as a tuna fisherman in his younger years, a detail that shows up in nearly every account of his life. Unlike a lot of people connected to Hollywood stars, Welch never gave interviews or tried to build a public profile off the marriage. That choice is part of why detailed records of his life outside the relationship are hard to come by.

A High School Romance

Welch and Raquel met at La Jolla High School in San Diego, California, when they were both around 15 years old. He played football. She was a cheerleader. It’s about as classic a setup as it gets. Raquel later wrote in her 2010 memoir, “Raquel: Beyond the Cleavage,” that it was love at first sight for both of them, and she described him as looking like the man of her dreams at the time. They dated on and off through high school, going to games, grabbing burgers afterward, and dancing to Sam Cooke at school events.

Time Apart at Sea

During his senior year, Welch dropped out of school and headed to Peru on a tuna clipper. That kind of restlessness toward academics apparently ran deep, and going off to sea was a bigger draw for him than finishing high school. Raquel waited for him. When he eventually came back to San Diego, their relationship picked back up right where it left off.

Marriage to Raquel Welch

Welch dropped out of San Diego State University to be with Raquel, and the two married in Las Vegas on May 8, 1959, not long after she graduated high school. They were both still teenagers, and neither had any real money or career direction yet. They settled into a small apartment in Pacific Beach, and Raquel worked as a local weather girl while trying to break into modeling. She managed the household while juggling those early gigs, all while pregnant with their first child not long after eloping.

Building a Young Family

Their son, Damon Welch, was born on November 6, 1959. Their daughter, Latanne Rene “Tahnee” Welch, followed on December 26, 1961, and was named after James’s mother. Both kids eventually found their own paths in entertainment. Damon worked as an actor and producer, appearing in projects like “The Day the Earth Got Stoned.” Tahnee became a model and actress, known for roles in “Cocoon” and “I Shot Andy Warhol.”

Why the Marriage Ended

Raquel wanted to move to New York and pursue theater work, but James had different plans for their life together. That gap between what each of them wanted only grew wider as time went on. She later admitted their age played a big role too. She pointed to their youth and a lack of what she called serious relationship tools as reasons the marriage didn’t survive. The couple separated around 1962 and officially divorced in 1964. Raquel took their two children and moved to Los Angeles to chase her acting career.

A Painful Decision, By Her Own Account

Raquel didn’t shy away from how hard that choice was. She wrote that leaving James was the most painful decision of her life, and that the damage it caused him and their children was something she carried with her. That kind of honesty is rare in celebrity memoirs, and it’s part of why James still comes up whenever people discuss her early life.

Life After the Divorce

James Westley Welch stayed out of the public eye after the split. He didn’t chase interviews or try to capitalize on his connection to a rising star, which is unusual by Hollywood standards. In 1977, after being apart for around 15 years, James reached out to Raquel, mainly to talk about their children and make sure both kids had good relationships with each parent. Raquel’s second husband, producer Patrick Curtis, later legally adopted Damon and Tahnee. Beyond that, solid details about his later life are thin. Reports about whether he remarried, what career he settled into long-term, or whether he’s still living vary quite a bit across sources, so it’s worth treating anything beyond the core facts with some caution.

Public Reactions and Why People Still Care

Raquel Welch went on to marry three more times, to Patrick Curtis, André Weinfeld, and Richard Palmer, yet she kept the Welch name for her entire life and career. That detail alone keeps James’s name tied to hers in a way most first husbands never experience. In her memoir, she described him as her first true love and the unforgettable measure against which every other relationship in her life would be judged. Fans and biographers have pointed to that line for years as proof of how much that early relationship shaped her. There’s also something people find compelling about a man who had every opportunity to lean into fame by association and simply didn’t. In an era where proximity to celebrity often gets monetized, his choice to stay private stands out.

FAQs about James Westley Welch

Who was James Westley Welch?
He was an American tuna fisherman best known as the first husband of actress Raquel Welch, whom he married in 1959 after meeting her in high school.

When did James Westley Welch marry Raquel Welch?
They married on May 8, 1959, in Las Vegas, not long after Raquel graduated high school.

Why did James Westley Welch and Raquel Welch divorce?
Their marriage ended due to differing life goals, with Raquel wanting to pursue acting in New York while James preferred a quieter, more settled life. They divorced in 1964.

Did James Westley Welch and Raquel Welch have children?
Yes, they had two children together, son Damon Welch and daughter Tahnee Welch, both of whom later worked in entertainment.

Why did Raquel Welch keep the surname Welch after their divorce?
She kept the name throughout her life and later marriages, and she described James as her first true love and the relationship she measured every other one against.

Final Thoughts

James Westley Welch never sought fame, yet his name is permanently tied to one of Hollywood’s most recognizable stars. Their teenage romance, quick marriage, and eventual divorce shaped Raquel Welch’s early adult life in ways she wrote about with real honesty decades later. Sometimes the most lasting legacies aren’t built through fame at all. They’re built through the quiet, complicated relationships that come before it.

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