- Born
- Died
- Birth nameJames Joseph Brown
- Nicknames
- The Godfather of Soul
- The Minister of the New New Super Heavy Funk
- The Hardest Working Man in Show Business
- Soul Brother Number One
- Mr. Dynamite
- The Godfather of Funk
- Mr Please Please Please
- J.B.
- Height5′ 7″ (1.70 m)
- James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 - December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer, and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the honorific nicknames "Godfather of Soul", "Mr. Dynamite", and "Soul Brother No. 1". In a career that lasted more than 50 years, he influenced the development of several music genres. Brown was one of the first 10 inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at its inaugural induction in New York on January 23, 1986.
Brown began his career as a gospel singer in Toccoa, Georgia. He first came to national public attention in the mid-1950s as the lead singer of the Famous Flames, a then-only Rhythm and blues vocal group founded by Bobby Byrd. With the hit ballads "Please, Please, Please" and "Try Me", Brown built a reputation as a dynamic live performer with the Famous Flames and his backing band, sometimes known as the James Brown Band or the James Brown Orchestra. His success peaked in the 1960s with the live album Live at the Apollo and hit singles such as "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag", "I Got You (I Feel Good)" and "It's a Man's Man's Man's World".
During the late 1960s, Brown moved from a continuum of blues and gospel-based forms and styles to a profoundly "Africanized" approach to music-making, emphasizing stripped-down interlocking rhythms that influenced the development of funk music. By the early 1970s, Brown had fully established the funk sound after the formation of the J.B.s with records such as "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine" and "The Payback". He also became noted for songs of social commentary, including the 1968 hit "Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud". Brown continued to perform and record until his death from pneumonia in 2006.
Brown recorded 17 singles that reached No. 1 on the Billboard R&B charts. He also holds the record for the most singles listed on the Billboard Hot 100 chart that did not reach No. 1. Brown was inducted into the first class of the Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame in 2013 as an artist and then in 2017 as a songwriter. He also received honors from several other institutions, including inductions into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame, and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In Joel Whitburn's analysis of the Billboard R&B charts from 1942 to 2010, Brown is ranked No. 1 in The Top 500 Artists. He is ranked seventh on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Bonitao
- SpousesTomirae Brown(December 14, 2001 - January 2004) (annulled, 1 child)Adrienne Rodriguez(September 21, 1984 - January 6, 1996) (her death)Deidra Jenkins(October 22, 1970 - January 10, 1981) (divorced, 2 children)Velma Warren(June 27, 1953 - August 26, 1969) (divorced, 3 children)
- Pompadour hairstyle
- Dance moves
- Cape -- in nearly every performance, James Brown would fall to his knees and a member of his entourage would come onstage and place a cape around his shoulders. He would then feign recovery only to fall onto his knees again - after doing this a couple of times James would break-out in one of his trademark dance moves and drive the crowd wild!
- Gravelly voice
- Coordinated his dance moves to lead his band. Each movement was actually an instruction to the band.
- In live shows, Brown would sometimes add the "I got ya" lyric in a song when he caught a musician making a mistake.
- Holds the record for holder for charting the most singles on the Billboard Hot 100 without ever reaching #1.
- He served 26 months in prison for leading police on a high speed chase in Georgia in 1988.
- Was lifelong friends with Little Richard, since they were both teenagers.
- [about Elvis Presley] I wasn't just a fan, I was his brother. He said I was good and I said he was good; we never argued about that. Elvis was a hard worker, dedicated, and God loved him. Last time I saw him was at Graceland. We sang "Old Blind Barnabus" together, a gospel song. I love him and hope to see him in heaven. There'll never be another like that soul brother.
- Disco is James Brown, hip-hop is James Brown, rap is James Brown; you know what I'm saying? You hear all the rappers, 90% of their music is me.
- I would like to pass on the want to do something. The need is there. Good lyrics are good things, but I would like to pass on that drive, that vigorous undying determination.
- We need to protect the kids by giving them something to do. It's about making them interested, making them love mom and dad more, love the family more, love themselves more and love their school. So there won't have to be killing in school.
- I've been in slavery all my life. Ain't nothing changes for me but the address.
- The T.A.M.I. Show (1964) - $15,000
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