James Brown: From poverty and prosecution to fame and fortune
James Joseph Brown is arguably one of the coolest South Carolinian’s to step out of the state and into a mega music career. Born on May 3, 1933 in Barnwell, SC the “Godfather of Soul” was inspired to become an entertainer by artists’ like Louis Jordan, Little Richard and Ray Charles. He would begin his well-documented career with winning his first talent show at Augusta, Georgia’s Lenox Theater in 1944, singing the ballad “So Long”.
At 16, Brown was arrested for robbery and sent to a juvenile detention center. Upon his release three years later, Brown joined a gospel quartet that would become known as “James Brown & the Famous Flames”. From there Brown would slowly but determinately continue to rise to stardom. Brown’s first #1 hit “Try Me” was released in 1958, the first of 17-chart topping R&B singles to span the next two decades.
Who could forget hits like “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag”, “I Got You (I Feel Good)” and “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World”? With electric dance moves, indefatigable stage performances and a wardrobe that rivaled any other performing diva, “Soul Brother No. 1” would go on to be regarded as a founding father of funk music, with such hits as “Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine”, “The Payback” and the socially-aware hit, “Say It Loud - I’m Black and I’m Proud”.
“The hardest working man in show business” died on Christmas Day in 2006 at 73 due to heart failure brought on by pneumonia. The singer/songwriter/dancer’s career spanned six decades — which included three Christmas albums — and has been honored by many institutions including inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame.
“When I’m on stage, I’m trying to do one thing: bring people joy,” Brown was quoted as saying. “Just like church does. People don’t go to church to find trouble, they go there to lose it.”
This story was originally published December 24, 2015 at 10:00 AM with the headline "James Brown: From poverty and prosecution to fame and fortune."