The story of James is found in Matthew 4:21-22.

Influential Men of the Bible: James
The story of James is found in Matthew 4:21-22.
James, son of Zebedee and brother of John, was one of the twelve Apostles. He should not be confused with James, the son of Alphaeus (Luke 6:15) or James, the brother of Jesus. Originally fishermen like their father, James and John fished with Peter and Andrew, another pair of brothers who became disciples. They were among the first that Jesus called to be his disciples, and they left everything, including their father, to follow him. James and his brother John were among those closest to Jesus. With Peter, they formed an inner circle of trusted disciples who accompanied Jesus on special occasions, as when he healed Jairus’ daughter (Luke 8:51), conversed with Elijah and Moses on the mountain (Luke 9:28), and agonized in prayer in the garden (Matthew 26:37). At one point, the two brothers evoked the indignation of the other disciples by asking for special positions of privilege in the coming Kingdom (Matthew 20:20-28). Perhaps because of James’ prominence among the disciples, Herod Agrippa had him killed soon after Jesus’ death, which pleased the Jewish leaders (Acts 12:2-3) and fulfilled Jesus’ prediction about his drinking the bitter cup that Jesus drank.
James was an ordinary working person whom Jesus called to be his disciple. His willingness to leave everything he knew — work, family, and home — to follow Jesus in simple trust, and eventually to die for him, makes him a model of committed discipleship.
Oftentimes it’s the front-line soldiers such as James, those closest to the leader, who suffer the fiercest attack. Enduring the affliction is not in vain, for the Bible says, “If we suffer, we shall also reign with him” (2 Timothy 2:12). God is faithful to His word that “as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (Romans 8:14). God has never been known for forsaking His children. In fact, Luke 12:32 says, “It is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Your commitment to Christ may cause you to leave some things behind, but remember this promise: “Every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life” (Matthew 19:29). Hold on believer, pay day is coming!