James Brown: The Godfather Of Soul

James Brown, the Godfather of Soul, was a prolific singer, songwriter and bandleader. He was known as one of the most iconic figures in funk and soul music from 1956 to 2006. James was born in Barnwell, South Carolina; he worked his way to the top of the funk and R&B music earning the nickname, The Godfather of Soul. His irreplaceable vocal and musical style had influenced many modern artists. He was also known for his emotional personal life, as well as his social activism, in both his songwriting and supporting the benefits of educating children. In 1933, James Brown was born in Barnwell, South Carolina, a few miles away from the Georgia border. His parents separated when he was very young. At the age of 4, Brown was sent to Augusta,
Therefore, James Brown turned to working full-time. It was a really harsh reality to grow up African Americans in the South during the Great Depression, so Brown turned to religion and to music. He joined and sang in church where he developed his outstandingly and powerful emotive voice, and is where he started to be inspired to make music. However, as a teenager, James Brown, was a criminal. When he was 16 years old, he was arrested for stealing a car and was sentenced to three years in prison. Meanwhile, when he was imprisoned for three years, James came up with an idea to get organized and led a prison gospel choir. Brown encountered Bobby Byrd, an aspiring R&B singer and pianist. They formed a friendship and partnership in music that proved to be the most fruitful in music history. After he was released from prison in 1953, he turned his attention to sports and dedicated the next years primarily to boxing and played for baseball in semi-professionals. In 1955, Bobby Byrd requested James Brown to join his R&B vocal group, The Gospel Starlighters. James acknowledged the offer, and with his arrogant talent and showmanship, he dominated the group for they renamed the group Famous Flames. They all moved to Macon, Georgia where they performed at local nightclubs. Therefore, Brown wanted to recorded with the band into his recoding label; however, the federal refused to let
After these incidents, he was punished to stay for 90-day in drug rehabilitation program. James Brown passed away on
December 25, 2006 after battling with pneumonia. The most famous song was fighting form these illnesses; however, he died from a heart failure after admitting he had the pneumonia. This was going to be harder for him because he was at a old age, and people that are old will have a more difficult time getting the cure or trying to fight the disease, so James Brown died. We will never forget what he has done for music. James Brown is one of the most influential musical pioneers in the 20th century. The God Father of Soul, the inventor of funk, the grandfather of hip-hop. He influenced many modern artists such as Michael Jackson and Jay-Z. Brown had written in his memoir that he turned racial minstrelsy into black soul and by doing so, became a cultural force. James Brown always maintained that there was only one way to truly understand him; if you want to know more about who James Brown is, all you have to do is listen to his