FRONT & CENTER
The hardest working man in show business, James Brown
1933–2006
One of the most influential performers of the 20th century, the “hardestworking man in show business” was at the peak of his popularity in the
1960s. The chart-topping “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag,” released in ’65, even launched a new genre: funk. Known as the godfather of soul, Brown also influenced modern R&B and hip-hop, and his energetic shows and vocal pyrotechnics—he had an uncanny ability to scream on pitch— inspired Michael Jackson, David Bowie, Mick Jagger and Prince to find their own groove.
He was born in a shack in the woods in South Carolina
When his parents split up, he was sent, at age 4, to live with an aunt who ran a brothel in Georgia.
His childhood was one of extreme poverty
His school once sent him home for having “insufficient clothes.” As a star, he reveled in flashy clothing and jewelry.
Neighbors and church services influenced him
Friends taught him to play piano, guitar and drums; he learned gospel music and some of his dramatic stage moves, such as dropping flat to his knees, at tent revivals.
Brown’s 1959 “Try Me” was his first single to hit the charts
Over the next 27 years, he’d be a regular fixture there, with almost 100 singles and nearly 50 albums on the charts.
His label wouldn’t finance a live album, so Brown did it himself
Live at the Apollo, one of the first live concert LPs, was a smash, staying on the charts for an astounding 66 weeks.
During the riots of the late 1960s, Brown appealed for nonviolence
In 1968, he told activist H. Rap Brown, “I’m not going to tell anybody to pick up a gun.”
He used his status to raise money for civil rights causes
Brown sometimes canceled his own shows to stage benefit concerts for groups working for Black civil rights.
He urged kids to stay in school
A seventh grade dropout, Brown recorded “Don’t
Be a Dropout” in 1966. His will included provisions to establish an educational trust for needy children.
“Disco is James Brown, hip-hop is James Brown, rap is James Brown; you know what I’m saying?”