MUSICAL ROOTS
This month, we spotlight James Brown, ‘the godfather of soul’, who recently passed away
Such was the stature of James Brown, that he was known by more than just his name. “The godfather of soul,” “The hardest working man in showbiz”, “Mr. Dynamite”, “Soul Brother #1”. These are just a few of the qualifiers often used in reference to Brown. He is widely recognized as one of the most influential figures in the history of popular music. As a prolific singer, songwriter, performer, and record producer, Brown was a driving force in the evolution of gospel and R&B into soul and funk.
Brown, who died last month, began his music career in 1953. He quickly attained stardom on the strength of his thrilling live performances and hit songs. Renowned for his shouting vocals, feverish dancing and unique rhythmic style, he scored hits in every decade through to the 1980s. He was also a strong presence in U.S. political affairs, advocating on behalf of African Americans and the poor.
Born in South Carolina, Brown spent his childhood picking cotton and shining shoes. He also tried brief stints as a boxer and baseball pitcher before focusing on music. He formed an R&B group named James Brown & The Famous Flames and scored a few hits, namely Please, Please, Please in 1956 and Try Me in 1958. Brown then began recording without the Flames, heavily inspired by Ray Charles and Little Richard, who Brown called his idol.
The mid-1960s was the period of Brown’s greatest success. His two signature songs, Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag and I Got You (I Feel Good) were his first Top 10 hits. As the 60s came to a close Brown’s ‘singing’ increasingly became more rhythmic and rarely featured pitch or melody.
Brown’s music influenced artists such as Sly & The Family Stone, Booker T & The MGs along with soul shouters Edwin Starr, David Ruffin and a young Michael Jackson who took Brown’s shouts and dancing into the pop mainstream as lead singer of The Jackson 5. Brown remains the most sampled recording artist of all time.
In 1970, with a new backing band (the JBs), Brown recorded Get Up (I Feel Like Being A Sex Machine which was a huge success. The early 1970s marked the first real awareness of Brown’s achievements. Brown’s star status began to fade in the mid-70s with the emergence of the disco era..
The 1980s saw a bit of a resurgence for Brown as he crossed over into a more mainstream audience with appearances in films such as The Blues Brothers, Doctor Detroit and Rocky IV. He won the Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance in 1987 for his song Living In America that featured prominently in Rocky IV.
Since 1990, Brown suffered various setbacks and legal troubles. He was repeatedly arrested for drugs and domestic abuse but continued to perform and record. He appeared in Blues Brothers 2000 alongside Dan Aykroyd, a close friend of Roots.
In 2004, Brown was diagnosed with prostate cancer, which was successfully treated. He performed at various festivals in recent years and recorded with Joss Stone. Last month, Brown was hospitalized in Atlanta, Georgia due to pneumonia. He died the next day on Christmas from heart failure. He was 73.
Moments before he died, he reportedly said: “I’m going away tonight,” took three long, quiet breaths and closed his eyes. – Davin Bujalski
Such was the stature of James Brown, that he was known by more than just his name. “The godfather of soul,” “The hardest working man in showbiz”, “Mr. Dynamite”, “Soul Brother #1”. These are just a few of the qualifiers often used in reference to Brown. He is widely recognized as one of the most influential figures in the history of popular music. As a prolific singer, songwriter, performer, and record producer, Brown was a driving force in the evolution of gospel and R&B into soul and funk.
Brown, who died last month, began his music career in 1953. He quickly attained stardom on the strength of his thrilling live performances and hit songs. Renowned for his shouting vocals, feverish dancing and unique rhythmic style, he scored hits in every decade through to the 1980s. He was also a strong presence in U.S. political affairs, advocating on behalf of African Americans and the poor.
Born in South Carolina, Brown spent his childhood picking cotton and shining shoes. He also tried brief stints as a boxer and baseball pitcher before focusing on music. He formed an R&B group named James Brown & The Famous Flames and scored a few hits, namely Please, Please, Please in 1956 and Try Me in 1958. Brown then began recording without the Flames, heavily inspired by Ray Charles and Little Richard, who Brown called his idol.
The mid-1960s was the period of Brown’s greatest success. His two signature songs, Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag and I Got You (I Feel Good) were his first Top 10 hits. As the 60s came to a close Brown’s ‘singing’ increasingly became more rhythmic and rarely featured pitch or melody.
Brown’s music influenced artists such as Sly & The Family Stone, Booker T & The MGs along with soul shouters Edwin Starr, David Ruffin and a young Michael Jackson who took Brown’s shouts and dancing into the pop mainstream as lead singer of The Jackson 5. Brown remains the most sampled recording artist of all time.
In 1970, with a new backing band (the JBs), Brown recorded Get Up (I Feel Like Being A Sex Machine which was a huge success. The early 1970s marked the first real awareness of Brown’s achievements. Brown’s star status began to fade in the mid-70s with the emergence of the disco era..
The 1980s saw a bit of a resurgence for Brown as he crossed over into a more mainstream audience with appearances in films such as The Blues Brothers, Doctor Detroit and Rocky IV. He won the Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance in 1987 for his song Living In America that featured prominently in Rocky IV.
Since 1990, Brown suffered various setbacks and legal troubles. He was repeatedly arrested for drugs and domestic abuse but continued to perform and record. He appeared in Blues Brothers 2000 alongside Dan Aykroyd, a close friend of Roots.
In 2004, Brown was diagnosed with prostate cancer, which was successfully treated. He performed at various festivals in recent years and recorded with Joss Stone. Last month, Brown was hospitalized in Atlanta, Georgia due to pneumonia. He died the next day on Christmas from heart failure. He was 73.
Moments before he died, he reportedly said: “I’m going away tonight,” took three long, quiet breaths and closed his eyes. – Davin Bujalski
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