James Brown May 10, 2006 at Stubb's Bar-B-Q
photo courtesy of gary miller |
James Joseph Brown, Jr.
(May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006)
Biography
Concert Review
Web Site
The godfather is dead.
James Brown, "Godfather of Soul," "Mr. Dynamite," and "the Hardest-Working Man in Show Business," died early Monday while being treated for pneumonia in Atlanta. One of the most influential performers of the second half of the 20th century, he worked right up until his passing. After he was born in a small town in depression era South Carolina, his family relocated to Augusta, Georgia, where a young James helped support his family by picking cotton and shining shoes.
After trying his hand as a boxer, then a baseball player, eventually James turned to music, performing in a gospel group called the Gospel Starlighters in 1955. Joining Bobby Byrds' group, The Avons, later becoming known as The Famous Flames, James tasted his first success in 1956, with the song "Please, Please, Please" charting as high as #5 on the R & B charts and selling over a million copies.
Not truly hitting his stride until 1962's legendary
Live At The Apollo, James went on to define funk with songs such as "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" and "I Got You (I Feel Good)." Appearing in countless movies, TV shows, and touring relentlessly over the years, James constantly and consistently set the bar high for those that came after.
James Brown May 10, 2006 at Stubb's Bar-B-Q
staff photo by jeff barringer |
I remember first listening to his music in the late 60s, tuning in via a tiny little transistor a.m. radio, hearing his songs along with the songs of other contemporaries like the Supremes, Aretha Franklin, and the Four Tops. I watched James perform in the 70s on Don Cornelius's TV Show "Soul Train" several times, and was forever influenced by his funky rhythms. I missed an opportunity to see him live in Las Vegas at the Hard Rock Cafe in the 90s and always regretted it. I finally got to see
James perform this year in Austin at Stubb's, and consider it to be one of my favorite live shows.
James Brown has left a legacy that few can hope to match, his influence extending beyond description into today's music. It is hard to say where the R & B and hip-hop scenes would be today without the seeds that James Brown has sown, but doubtless it would be less colorful, exciting, or funky. James will be missed.
It's been over a year since Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, and while the re-building continues, much more is needed just to get back to zero. A lot of people are still living in FEMA trailers and trying to put their lives back together piece by piece. Working musicians seemed to suffer a triple whammy, as it's hard enough to earn a living as a musician to start with, without having to find a new home. Hoping the crowds return to the Big Easy has left many musicians struggling. 
