Most people associate Christmas day with the traditional
festivities; presents, a belly full of turkey and a drink or three; if
you were a fan of James Brown however, you now associate December 25
with the death of the “Godfather of soul”.

The legendary R&B star died of congestive heart failure at the ripe
old age of 73. The self confessed ‘Hardest Working Man in Show
Business’ worked right up until he was struck with pneumonia resulting
in his eventual demise.

Unquestionably one of the most charismatic  musical icons of the 20th
century, Brown was known for his uncontrollable and wild performances
and was also acclaimed as the man who flipped soul music on its head to
create funk. James became a huge black cultural symbol during the 60s
and 70s and since then played a major role in shaping the music scene
for future black artists to come. Few other African-American musicians
were so influential when it came to shaping new brash recipes of
popular music.

An only child, James grew comfortable with the idea of being in the
spot light at an early age. Even a childhood of extreme poverty, family
abandonment and prostitution rackets failed to suppress James’s urge to
perform; he would enter singing competitions to earn money and
entertain troops at the start of World War II, dancing for change.

Together with a medley of dysfunctional family settings and James’s own
demons, he managed to battle through presumably by focusing on his
music; Brown taught himself to play the harmonica (given to him by his
father) as well as piano, guitar and drums. 

Music wasn’t enough to keep James out of trouble though and as a result
he was convicted of armed robbery and sent to a youth detention centre
at the age of sixteen. It was here that James met Bobby Byrd, the man
he would later join forces with to take over the music scene.

Not always destined to be a musician, Brown tried his luck at a number
of career moves including a brief stint as a boxer as well as
short-lived career in semi-professional baseball before dedicating his
life to music. Brown joined up with Bobby’s band The Flames, who having
signed to Federal Records soon shot to fame with hits such as Try Me,
Night Train and (Do the) Mashed Potatoes the band later renamed
themselves the Famous Flames in the early sixties.

Not content with being just a performer, James branched out and started
his own label, Try Me Records as well as a production company Fair Deal
which he and Bobby Byrd formed. The two started the company to promote
James’s record releases ­­to white audiences, where as before due to
poor coverage they were predominantly black. James felt he owed nobody
other than his fans, his reasoning simple; “When you’re on stage, the
people who paid money to get in are the boss, even if it cost them only
a quarter. You’re working for them.”

By doing this Brown broke new ground with the music industry and
boosted his public profile so much that it resulted in him winning a
Grammy for his hit Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag as well as appearances in
Hollywood movies. James continued to fine tune his musical sound and
expanding musical empire throughout the following decades all the while
accumulating his fortune in album sales and assets. For someone with
hardly any formal education or training, James Brown knew the secret
for success as said in his own words: “I only got a seventh-grade
education, but I have a doctorate in funk, and I like to put that to
good use.”

In his 1966 single Don’t be a Drop-Out he advocated the importance of
education to young students. He also campaigned vigorously for the
rights of the African-American community, many black people felt that
Brown was speaking out to them, and more importantly for them, more
than some major leaders of the time. A sentiment that was fortified
with the release of his groundbreaking single Say it Loud — I’m Black
and I’m Proud.

From trouble with the law, back stage antics and drugs to multiple
marriages and rumours of several illegitimate children, James Brown has
undoubtedly left his mark on the world. For those that remember James
as a man who took little seriously, his death is best described in the
words of a devote fan on one of James’s fan forums: “Looks like JC
wanted a little fun on his birthday and called the Godfather of Soul
home to play his ultimate show.”

- Deborah Tierney