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Tuesday, 02 January 2007 13:53 |
| John North
Editor & Publisher |
For many, the death of James Brown ÇƒÓ "the Godfather of Soul" ÇƒÓ marked the passing of an era.
Brown was, after all, simply the all-time greatest soul music singer. He had it all ÇƒÓ singing with a quintessentially gritty voice, the ability to create funky and bold rhythms mixed with staccato horns in his music and a decided flair for showmanship. Moreover, Brown was the self-proclaimed "hardest working man in show business."
Indeed, the timing of Brownës death ÇƒÓ Christmas Day ÇƒÓ was in itself dramatic. Ironically, the man whose manic performances on stage mesmerized generations of fans died at age 73 of congestive heart failure in, of all things, his hospital bed in Atlanta.
However, even a few hours before he died, Brown reportedly told friends that he was looking forward to performing on New Yearës Eve at Times Square in New York. Alas, "Mr. Dynamite" was to be a no-show.
As
many people know, Brownës show business success was counterbalanced by
a turbulent personal life that included highly publicized run-ins with
various women, including ex-wives, and the police.
He was jailed in
1988 for drug, weapons and vehicular charges after a car chase through
Georgia and South Carolina. The chase ended when police shot out the
tires of his truck. He left prison in 1991.
Known earlier in
his career as "Soul Brother No. 1," Brownës energy on stage was
amazing. His vocal style was explosive, as was his dancing in a
controlled frenzy ÇƒÓ and his early act often included having his stage
crew throw a cape over his back and he would leave the stage, only to
reappear seconds later on his knees, moaning yet another song into the
microphone, leaving the fans delirious. He typically changed suits a
dozen times during a stage show.
 His style
influenced many other musicians and performers, perhaps most notably
Mick Jagger, George Clinton and Michael Jackson. Brown is widely
credited as the founder of rap, funk and disco.
Moreover,
Brownës mid-1960s song, "Say It Loud (Iëm Black and Iëm Proud)" is
credited with infusing the African-American community with a sense of
pride that heretofore may have been lacking. The song became an anthem
for the civil rights and black power movements of the 1960s.
Some of his
early classics included "Papaës Got a Brand New Bag" and "I Got You (I
Feel Good)." His biggest hit was "Living in America," released in 1987.
The popularity
of his music crossed racial boundaries and exposed many white Americans
ÇƒÓ and others worldwide ÇƒÓ to a genre they had never heard before.
While likely
disapproving of his treatment of women, Brownës many fans ÇƒÓ female and
male ÇƒÓ appear to still appreciate this man for his revolutionary music
and style.
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