James Brown is one of the best- known soul figures of the 20th century! His life is one for the legends!
So let’s find out some more things about him!
- His full name is James Joseph Brown
- He was born in May 3, 1933
- He died on December 25, 2006
- James Brown was an American singer- songwriter, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader
- A progenitor of funk music
- James Brown was a major figure of 20th- century music and dance
- He is referred to as the “Godfather of Soul”
- His career lasted for 50 years
- He was an influence for the development of several music genres
- James Brown began his career as a gospel singer in Toccoa, Georgia
- He joined an R&B vocal group
- It was called he Gospel Starlighters
- It later evolved into the Flames
- It was founded by Bobby Byrd
- In this band James Brown was the lead singer
- In the late1950s he came to prominence as a member of the singing group The Famous Flames
- Their hit ballads were “Please, Please, Please” and “Try Me”
- James Brown built a reputation as a tireless
- The Flames sometimes were known as the James Brown Band or the James Brown Orchestra
- His success peaked in the 1960s with the live album Live at the Apollo
- Some of his greatest hits singles were “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag”, “I Got You (I Feel Good)” and “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World”
- He was best- known for his blues and gospel- based music
- During the late 60s he turned to “Africanized” music
- An approach that influenced the development of funk music
- By the early 1970s, James Brown had fully established the funk sound
- This happenned with the songs “Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine” and “The Payback”
- He also became noted for songs of social commentary
- They include the 1968 hit “Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud”
- James Brown continued to perform and record until his death in 2006
- He died from pneumonia
- James Brown recorded 17 singles that reached number one on the Billboard R&B charts
- He also holds the record for the most singles listed on the Billboard Hot 100 chart without ever reaching number one
- James Brown has received honors from many institutions
- They include inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame
- James Brown is ranked as number one in The Top 500 Artists in the Billboard Hot100 R&B charts
- He is ranked seventh on the music magazine Rolling Stone’s list of its 100 greatest artists of all time
- Rolling Stone has also cited Brown as the most sampled artist of all time
- He was born in Barnwell, South Carolina
- James Brown was married four times
- james Brown had numerous children and acknowledged nine of them including five sons
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