James Brown

Tuesday, 02 October 2012

wn.com/james brown

James Brown & Luciano Pavarotti - It's a Man's World

James Brown - I Feel Good (Legends of Rock 'n' Roll)

It's A Man's Man's Man's World - James Brown (Lyrics)

james brown,say it loud i'm black and i'm proud

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Atlanta
Atlanta (, ) is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. Atlanta had an estimated population of about 540,900 people. Its metropolitan area is the ninth largest in the country, inhabited by more than 5.4 million people. The Atlanta Combined Statistical Area has a population approaching six million, making it the most populous metropolis in the Southeastern United States. Like many areas in the Sun Belt, the Atlanta region has seen explosive growth since about 1976, and it added about 1.1 million residents between 2000 and 2008.
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Augusta, Georgia
http://wn.com/Augusta_Georgia
Belgrade
http://wn.com/Belgrade
Camp Gordon
http://wn.com/Camp_Gordon
Cincinnati
Cincinnati () is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. The municipality is located north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border. The population within city limits was estimated to be 333,200 in 2009, making it the state's third-largest city. According to a 2008 Census Bureau estimate, the Cincinnati metropolitan area had a population of 2,155,137 making it the largest MSA in Ohio (surpassing Cleveland, which ranks 26th), and the 24th most populous in the United States. Residents of Cincinnati are called Cincinnatians.
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Covington, Kentucky
http://wn.com/Covington_Kentucky
Disney World
http://wn.com/Disney_World
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia () is a state located in the southeastern United States. Georgia was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788. It declared its secession from the Union on January 21, 1861, and was one of the original seven Confederate states. It was the last state to be restored to the Union, on July 15, 1870 and the only among the 13 that is explicitly named after a monarch; King George II of England.
http://wn.com/Georgia_(US_state)
James Brown Arena
The James Brown Arena (formerly known as the Augusta-Richmond County Civic Center) is a multi-purpose complex, in Augusta, Georgia.
http://wn.com/James_Brown_Arena
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is also the largest city in East Tennessee. As of the 2000 United States Census, Knoxville had a total population of 173,890; the July 2007 estimated population was 183,546. Knoxville is the principal city of the Knoxville Metropolitan Statistical Area with a metro population of 655,400, which is in turn the central component of the Knoxville-Sevierville-La Follette Combined Statistical Area with 1,029,155 residents.
http://wn.com/Knoxville_Tennessee
MGM Grand Las Vegas
The MGM Grand Las Vegas is a hotel casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The MGM Grand is the second largest hotel in the world and second largest hotel resort complex in the United States behind The Venetian. The MGM Grand was the largest hotel in the world when it opened in 1993.
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South Carolina
South Carolina () is a state in the United States that borders Georgia to the south and North Carolina to the north. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence from the British Crown during the American Revolution. The colony was originally named by British King Charles II in honor of his father Charles I of England, as Carolus is Latin for Charles. South Carolina was the first state to vote to secede from the Union and was the founding state of the Confederate States of America. According to an estimate by the United States Census Bureau, the state's population in 2009 was 4,561,242 and ranked 24th among the U.S. states. South Carolina contains 46 counties and its capital is Columbia.
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Tampa
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Toccoa, Georgia
Toccoa is a city in Stephens County, Georgia, United States located approximately from Athens and approximately northeast of Atlanta. The population was 9,323 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Stephens County.
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50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2003) and The Massacre (2005). Get Rich or Die Tryin has been certified 8 times platinum by the RIAA and has sold over 15 million copies worldwide. His album The Massacre has been certified 5 times platinum by the RIAA and has sold 11 million copies worldwide.
http://wn.com/50_Cent
Afrika Bambaataa
Afrika Bambaataa (born April 19, 1960) is an American DJ from the South Bronx, New York who was instrumental in the early development of hip hop throughout the 1980s. Afrika Bambaataa is one of the three originators of break-beat deejaying, and is respectfully known as the "Grandfather" and "Godfather" and The Amen Ra of Universal Hip Hop Culture as well as The Father of The Electro Funk Sound. Through his co-opting of the street gang the Black Spades into the music and culture-oriented Universal Zulu Nation, he is responsible for spreading hip hop culture throughout the world. On September 27, 2007, he was nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
http://wn.com/Afrika_Bambaataa
Ali-Ollie Woodson
Ali-Ollie Woodson (September 12, 1951 – May 30, 2010) was an American R&B; singer, songwriter, keyboardist and occasional actor. He was known for singing with The Temptations beginning in 1984, and also worked with Aretha Franklin and Bill Pinkney.
http://wn.com/Ali-Ollie_Woodson
Allen Toussaint
Allen Toussaint, , (born January 14, 1938) is an American musician, composer, record producer, and influential figure in New Orleans R&B.;
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American Masters
American Masters is a PBS television show which produces biographies on the artists, actors and writers of the United States that have left a profound impact on the nation's popular culture. It is produced by WNET in New York City. The show debuted on PBS in 1986.
http://wn.com/American_Masters
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948) is an English composer of musical theatre. He started composing at the age of six, and published his first piece at the age of nine.
http://wn.com/Andrew_Lloyd_Webber
Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox (born 25 December 1954) is a Scottish recording artist, better known as being one member of the duo Eurythmics, which she formed in 1980. Lennox penned some of the band's best-known tracks to date, including "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)", "Here Comes The Rain Again", "Sexcrime (Nineteen Eighty-Four)" "There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart)" and "Love Is a Stranger".
http://wn.com/Annie_Lennox
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. They comprise the third largest minority group in the United States. The most commonly used definition of Asian American is the U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asian, which includes individuals of East Asian, South Asian, and Southeast Asian origin.
http://wn.com/Asian_American
B. B. King
http://wn.com/B_B_King
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand ( ; born Barbara Joan Streisand, April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress, director, and songwriter. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, and a Peabody Award.
http://wn.com/Barbra_Streisand
Bernard Odum
Bernard Odum (1932 - August 17, 2004) was an American bass guitar player best known for performing in James Brown's band in the 1960s.
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Bobby Byrd
http://wn.com/Bobby_Byrd
Bootsy Collins
William Earl "Bootsy" Collins (born October 26, 1951, Cincinnati, Ohio) is an American funk bassist, singer, and songwriter.
http://wn.com/Bootsy_Collins
Brian Grazer
Brian Thomas Grazer (born July 12, 1951) is an American film and television producer who founded Imagine Entertainment in 1986 with partner Ron Howard. Together they have produced many acclaimed films, including A Beautiful Mind and Apollo 13.
http://wn.com/Brian_Grazer
Brian Wilson
Brian Douglas Wilson (born June 20, 1942 in Inglewood, California) is an American musician, best known as the leader and chief songwriter of the group The Beach Boys. Within the band, Wilson played bass and keyboards, also providing part-time lead vocals and, more often, backing vocals, harmonizing in falsetto with the group.
http://wn.com/Brian_Wilson
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949), nicknamed "The Boss", is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band. Springsteen is widely known for his brand of Heartland rock infused with pop hooks, poetic lyrics, and Americana sentiments centered on his native New Jersey.
http://wn.com/Bruce_Springsteen
Carlos Alomar
Carlos Alomar (born 1951 in Ponce, Puerto Rico) is an American guitarist, composer and arranger best known for his work with David Bowie, having played on more Bowie albums than any other musician.
http://wn.com/Carlos_Alomar
Carol Burnett
Carol Creighton Burnett (born April 26, 1933) is an American actress, comedienne, singer, dancer and writer. Burnett started her career in New York. After becoming a hit on Broadway, she debuted on television. After successful appearances on The Garry Moore Show, Carol moved to Los Angeles and began an eleven-year run on The Carol Burnett Show which was aired on CBS television from 1967 to 1978. With roots in vaudeville, The Carol Burnett Show was a variety show combining comedy sketches, song, and dance. The comedy sketches ranged from film parodies to character pieces which featured the many talents of Burnett herself who created and played several well-known and distinctive characters.
http://wn.com/Carol_Burnett
Catfish Collins
Phelps "Catfish" Collins (1944 – August 6, 2010) was a rhythm guitarist known mostly for his work in the P-Funk collective. Although frequently overshadowed by his younger brother, Bootsy Collins, Catfish played on many important and influential records by Parliament, Funkadelic, and Bootsy's Rubber Band.
http://wn.com/Catfish_Collins
Chita Rivera
Chita Rivera (born January 23, 1933) is an American actress, dancer, and singer best known for her roles in musical theater. She is the first Hispanic woman to receive a Kennedy Center Honors award (December 2002). She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009.
http://wn.com/Chita_Rivera
Christina Aguilera
http://wn.com/Christina_Aguilera
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry (born October 18, 1926) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" (1955), "Roll Over Beethoven" (1956), "Rock and Roll Music" (1957) and "Johnny B. Goode" (1958), Chuck Berry refined and developed rhythm and blues into the major elements that made rock and roll distinctive, with lyrics focusing on teen life and consumerism and utilizing guitar solos and showmanship that would be a major influence on subsequent rock music.
http://wn.com/Chuck_Berry
Chuck D
Carlton Douglas Ridenhour (born August 1, 1960), better known by his stage name, Chuck D, is an American rapper, author, and producer. He helped create politically and socially conscious rap music in the mid-1980s as the leader of the rap group Public Enemy.
http://wn.com/Chuck_D
Clint Eastwood
http://wn.com/Clint_Eastwood
Clive Owen
Clive Owen (born 3 October 1964) is an English actor, who has worked on television, stage and film. He first gained recognition in the United Kingdom for portraying the lead in the ITV series Chancer from 1990 to 1991. He then garnered critical acclaim for his work in the film Close My Eyes (1991) before getting international notice for his performance as a struggling writer in Croupier (1998). In 2005, Owen won a Golden Globe and a BAFTA Award and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his appearance in the drama Closer (2004). He has since played leading as well as supporting roles in films such as Sin City (2005), Inside Man (2006) and Children of Men (2006).
http://wn.com/Clive_Owen
Clyde Stubblefield
Clyde Stubblefield (born April 18, 1943 in Chattanooga, Tennessee) is a drummer best known for his work with James Brown.
http://wn.com/Clyde_Stubblefield
Count Basie
William "Count" Basie (August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. Basie led his jazz orchestra almost continuously for nearly 50 years. Many notable musicians came to prominence under his direction, including tenor saxophonists Lester Young and Herschel Evans, trumpeters Buck Clayton and Harry "Sweets" Edison and singers Jimmy Rushing and Joe Williams. Basie's theme songs were "One O'Clock Jump" and "April In Paris".
http://wn.com/Count_Basie
Dan Hartman
http://wn.com/Dan_Hartman
Danny Trejo
Dan "Danny" Trejo, Jr. (; born May 16, 1944) is an American actor who has appeared in numerous Hollywood films, notable for roles as an antagonist or anti-hero.
http://wn.com/Danny_Trejo
Dave Brubeck
David Warren "Dave" Brubeck (born December 6, 1920) is an American jazz pianist. He has written a number of jazz standards, including "In Your Own Sweet Way" and "The Duke". Brubeck's style ranges from refined to bombastic, reflecting his mother's attempts at classical training and his improvisational skills. His music is known for employing unusual time signatures, and superimposing contrasting rhythms, meters, and tonalities.
http://wn.com/Dave_Brubeck
David Bowie
David Bowie ( ; born David Robert Jones, 8 January 1947) is an English rock musician, who has also worked as an actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for five decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s, and is known for his distinctive voice and the intellectual depth of his work.
http://wn.com/David_Bowie
David Ruffin
Davis Eli "David" Ruffin (January 18, 1941 – June 1, 1991) was an American soul singer and musician most famous for his work as one of the lead singers of the Temptations from 1964 to 1968 (or the group's "Classic Five" period as it was later known). He was the lead voice on such famous songs as "My Girl" and "Ain't Too Proud to Beg." Known for his unique raspy and anguished tenor vocals, Ruffin was ranked as one of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time by Rolling Stone magazine in 2008. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 for his work with the Temptations. Fellow Motown recording artist Marvin Gaye once said admiringly of Ruffin that, "I heard in [his voice] a strength my own voice lacked."
http://wn.com/David_Ruffin
Debra Opri
Debra Ann Opri (born 10 June 1960) is an American attorney.
http://wn.com/Debra_Opri
Dennis Edwards
Dennis Edwards (born February 3, 1943) is a soul and R&B; singer, most noted for being one of Motown act The Temptations' lead singers replacing David Ruffin. He is the father of Issa Pointer, whose mother is Ruth Pointer of The Pointer Sisters.
http://wn.com/Dennis_Edwards
Diana Ross
Diana Ernestine Earle Ross (born March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. During the 1960s, she helped shape the Motown sound as lead singer of The Supremes, before leaving the group for a solo career on January 14, 1970. Since the beginning of her career with The Supremes and as a solo artist, Ross has sold more than 150 million records.
http://wn.com/Diana_Ross
Dick Gregory
Richard Claxton "Dick" Gregory (born on October 12, 1932 in St. Louis, Missouri) is an American comedian, social activist, social critic, writer, and entrepreneur.
http://wn.com/Dick_Gregory
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best-known for her work in country music.
http://wn.com/Dolly_Parton
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young (born February 18, 1965), primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, and actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records, also having produced albums for and overseeing the careers of many rappers signed to those record labels, such as Snoop Dogg, Eminem and 50 Cent. As a producer he is credited as a key figure in the popularization of West Coast G-funk, a style of rap music characterized as synthesizer-based with slow, heavy beats.
http://wn.com/Dr_Dre
Edwin Starr
http://wn.com/Edwin_Starr
Elizabeth Taylor
Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor, DBE (born 27 February 1932), also known as Liz Taylor, is an English-American actress. She is known for her acting talent and beauty, as well as her Hollywood lifestyle, including many marriages. Taylor is considered one of the great actresses of Hollywood's golden age.
http://wn.com/Elizabeth_Taylor
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is an English singer-songwriter, composer and pianist. He has worked with his songwriting partner Bernie Taupin since 1967; they have collaborated on more than 30 albums to date.
http://wn.com/Elton_John
Elvis Presley
http://wn.com/Elvis_Presley
Fergie (singer)
Stacy Ann Ferguson (born March 27, 1975), better known by her stage name Fergie, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, fashion designer and actress. She was a member of the children's television series Kids Incorporated, and the girl group Wild Orchid. She is the female vocalist for the hip hop group the The Black Eyed Peas with whom she has attained much charting success worldwide. Her own debut album spawned four Billboard Hot 100 top five singles, three of which went to number one.
http://wn.com/Fergie_(singer)
Fred Wesley
Fred Wesley (born July 4, 1943) is an American jazz and funk trombonist, best known for his work with James Brown in the 1960s and 1970s.
http://wn.com/Fred_Wesley
Gary Oldman
http://wn.com/Gary_Oldman
Gene Chandler
Gene Chandler (born Eugene Dixon, July 6, 1937, Chicago, Illinois) also known as "The Duke of Earl" or simply "The Duke", is an American R&B; and soul singer-songwriter, producer and record executive. He is one of the leading exponents of the 1960s Chicago soul scene. He is best known for his million-selling hits, "Duke Of Earl," and "Groovy Situation," and his associations with the Dukays, the Impressions and Curtis Mayfield. A Grammy Hall Of Fame inductee, and winner of the National Association of Television and Radio Announcers Producer of the Year Award, Chandler has had more than thirty chart hits.
http://wn.com/Gene_Chandler
George Foreman
George Edward Foreman (born January 10, 1949) is an American two-time former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Olympic gold medalist, ordained Baptist minister, author and successful entrepreneur.
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George Jones
George Glenn Jones (born September 12, 1931) is an American country music singer known for his long list of hit records, his distinctive voice and phrasing, and his marriage to Tammy Wynette.
http://wn.com/George_Jones
George Wagner
http://wn.com/George_Wagner
Grace Bumbry
Grace Bumbry (born January 4, 1937) is an American opera singer, and is considered one of the leading mezzo-sopranos of her generation, as well as a major soprano for many years. She was a member of an extraordinary and pioneering generation of singers who followed Marian Anderson (including Leontyne Price, Martina Arroyo, Shirley Verrett and Reri Grist) in the world of classical music and paved the way for future African-American opera and classical singers. Bumbry's voice was rich and sizable, possessing a wide range, and was capable of producing a very distinctive plangent tone. In her prime, she also possessed good agility and bel canto technique (see for example her renditions of the 'Veil Song' from Verdi's Don Carlo in the 1970s and 1980s, as well as her Ernani from the Chicago Lyric Opera in 1984). She was particularly noted for her fiery temperament and dramatic intensity on stage. More recently, she has also become known as a recitalist and interpreter of lieder, and as a teacher. From the late 1980s on, she seemed to concentrate her career in Europe, rather than in the US. A long time resident of Switzerland, she now makes her home in Salzburg, Austria.
http://wn.com/Grace_Bumbry
Henry Stone
Henry Stone (born 3 June 1921) is an American record company executive and producer whose career spans the era from R&B; in the early 1950s through the disco boom of the 1970s to the present day. He is best known as co-owner and president of TK Records.
http://wn.com/Henry_Stone
Ice Cube
'''O'Shea Jackson (born June 15, 1969), better known by his stage name Ice Cube''', is an American rapper, actor, screenwriter, film director, and producer.
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Ice-T
Tracy Marrow (born February 16, 1958), better known by his stage name Ice-T, is an American rapper and actor. He was born in Newark, New Jersey and moved to Los Angeles, California when he was in the 7th grade. After graduating from high school he served in the United States Army for four years. He began his career as a rapper in the 1980s and was signed to Sire Records in 1987, when he released his debut album Rhyme Pays. The next year, he founded the record label Rhyme Syndicate Records (named after his collective of fellow Hip-Hop artists called the Rhyme Syndicate) and released another album, Power. He became the lead vocalist in heavy metal band Body Count, which he introduced in his 1991 album . Body Count released its self-titled debut album in 1992. Ice-T encountered controversy over his track "Cop Killer", which was perceived to glamorize killing police officers. In the following year, pressure upon Time Warner, the parent company of Warner Bros. Records, to censor or hold back any music or form of content that was deemed too dangerous for public consumption -- including Ice-T's next Hip-Hop album, Home Invasion which was supposed to be released early in 1993 and was under scrutiny for its album cover artwork -- ultimately prompted a severance of the relationship between them and Ice-T. Home Invasion was released later in the Fall of 1993 directly on his Rhyme Syndicate label through a new distribution deal with Priority Records instead. Body Count's next album was released in 1994, and Ice-T released two more albums in the late 1990s.
http://wn.com/Ice-T
Jack Nicholson
John Joseph "Jack" Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is an American actor, film director and producer. He is renowned for his often dark-themed portrayals of neurotic characters.
http://wn.com/Jack_Nicholson
Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan, SBS, MBE (born Chan Kong-sang, ; 7 April 1954) is a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, filmmaker, comedian, director, producer, martial artist, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer.
http://wn.com/Jackie_Chan
James Brown
http://wn.com/James_Brown
James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones (born January 17, 1931) is an American actor of stage and screen, well known for his deep basso voice. To modern audiences, he is known for providing the voice of Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise and the tagline for CNN.
http://wn.com/James_Earl_Jones
James Levine
James Lawrence Levine (; born June 23, 1943) is an American conductor and pianist. He is currently the music director of the Metropolitan Opera and of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Levine's first performance conducting the Metropolitan Opera was on June 5, 1971, and as of July 2009 he has conducted more than 2,456 Met performances. In 1997, he was awarded the National Medal of Arts.
http://wn.com/James_Levine
Jeremy Marre
Jeremy Marre is a television director, writer and producer who founded Harcourt Films and has worked extensively around the world. Many of his films are on musical subjects.
http://wn.com/Jeremy_Marre
Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis (born September 29, 1935) is an American rock and roll and country music singer and pianist. An early pioneer of rock and roll music, his career faltered after Lewis married his young cousin, and he afterwards made a transition to country music.
http://wn.com/Jerry_Lee_Lewis
Jesse Jackson
Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr. (born October 8, 1941) is an American civil rights activist and Baptist minister. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 and served as shadow senator for the District of Columbia from 1991 to 1997. He was the founder of both entities that merged to form Rainbow/PUSH. Representative Jesse Jackson, Jr. is his eldest son. In an AP-AOL "Black Voices" poll in February 2006, Jackson was voted "the most important black leader" with 15% of the vote.
http://wn.com/Jesse_Jackson
Jimmy Nolen
http://wn.com/Jimmy_Nolen
Jimmy Page
James Patrick Page, OBE (born 9 January 1944) is an English guitarist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.
http://wn.com/Jimmy_Page
Joan Sutherland
Dame Joan Alston Sutherland, OM, AC, DBE (7 November 192610 October 2010) was an Australian dramatic coloratura soprano noted for her contribution to the renaissance of the bel canto repertoire from the late 1950s through to the 1980s.
http://wn.com/Joan_Sutherland
Joe Frazier
Joseph William "Joe" Frazier, known as '''Smokin' Joe''' (; born January 12, 1944), is a former Olympic and World Heavyweight boxing champion, whose professional career lasted from 1965 to 1976, with a brief comeback in 1981.
http://wn.com/Joe_Frazier
John "Jabo" Starks
John "Jabo" Starks (born October 26, 1938) is an American funk and blues drummer. He is best known for playing with James Brown. Starks played on many of Brown's biggest hits, either as the sole drummer or in tandem with Clyde Stubblefield, including "The Payback", "Sex Machine", "Super Bad", and "Talking Loud and Saying Nothing". He has also backed many of the artists produced or managed by Brown, most notably Lyn Collins, The JBs, and Bobby Byrd. Along with his colleague Stubblefield, Starks ranks as one of the most sampled drummers on contemporary hip hop and R&B; recordings.
http://wn.com/John_"Jabo"_Starks
John Lennon
http://wn.com/John_Lennon
John Williams
John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932) is a prolific American composer, conductor, and pianist. In a career spanning six decades, he has composed many of the most recognizable film scores in the history of motion pictures, including those for Jaws, the Star Wars Saga, Superman, the Indiana Jones films, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Hook, Jurassic Park, ''Schindler's List, Home Alone, and three Harry Potter'' films. He has composed the music for all but two of director Steven Spielberg's feature films.
http://wn.com/John_Williams
Jon Alpert
http://wn.com/Jon_Alpert
Joss Stone
http://wn.com/Joss_Stone
Julie Andrews
Dame Julia Elizabeth Andrews, DBE ( Wells; born 1 October 1935) is an English film and stage actress, singer, and author. She is the recipient of Golden Globe, Emmy, Grammy, BAFTA, People's Choice Award, Theatre World Award, Screen Actors Guild and Academy Award honours. Andrews was a former British child actress and singer who made her Broadway debut in 1954 with The Boy Friend, and rose to prominence starring in other musicals such as My Fair Lady and Camelot, and in musical films such as Mary Poppins (1964), for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress, and The Sound of Music (1965): the roles for which she is still best-known. Her voice spanned four octaves until it was damaged by a throat operation in 1997.
http://wn.com/Julie_Andrews
Julie Harris
Julia Ann "Julie" Harris (born December 2, 1925) is an American stage, screen, and television actress. She has won five Tony Awards, three Emmy Awards and a Grammy Award, and was nominated for an Academy Award. In 1994, she was awarded the National Medal of Arts. She is a member of the American Theatre Hall of Fame. She also received the 2002 Special Lifetime Achievement Tony Award.
http://wn.com/Julie_Harris
Kevin White (mayor)
Kevin Hagan White (born September 25, 1929) is an American politician best known as the Mayor of Boston, a position he held from 1968 to 1984.
http://wn.com/Kevin_White_(mayor)
King Curtis
http://wn.com/King_Curtis
Kurtis Blow
Kurtis Walker (born August 9, 1959), better known by his stage name Kurtis Blow, is an American rapper and record producer. He is one of the first commercially successful rappers and the first to sign with a major record label. "The Breaks", a single from his 1980 eponymous debut album, is the first certified gold record rap song.
http://wn.com/Kurtis_Blow
Larry King
Lawrence Harvey "Larry" King (born November 19, 1933) is an American television and radio host.
http://wn.com/Larry_King
Leon Fleisher
Leon Fleisher (born July 23, 1928) is an American pianist and conductor.
http://wn.com/Leon_Fleisher
Little Richard
Richard Wayne Penniman (born December 5, 1932), known by the stage name Little Richard, is an American singer, songwriter, pianist, bandleader and recording artist, considered key in the transition from rhythm and blues to rock and roll in the 1950s. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame web site entry on Penniman states that:
http://wn.com/Little_Richard
Louie Bellson
Luigi Paulino Alfredo Francesco Antonio Balassoni (July 6, 1924 – February 14, 2009), better known by the stage name Louie Bellson (his own preferred spelling, although he is often seen in sources as Louis Bellson), was an Italian-American jazz drummer. He was a composer, arranger, bandleader, and jazz educator, and is credited with pioneering the use of two bass drums.
http://wn.com/Louie_Bellson
Luciano Pavarotti
http://wn.com/Luciano_Pavarotti
Lyn Collins
Lyn Collins (12 June 1948 – 13 March 2005) (real name: Gloria Lavern Collins) was an African American soul singer best known for working with James Brown in the 1970s. Contrary to some reports, she is not related to Bootsy Collins, nor Catfish Collins.
http://wn.com/Lyn_Collins
Lyndon B. Johnson
http://wn.com/Lyndon_B_Johnson
Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese (; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film historian. He is the founder of the World Cinema Foundation and a recipient of the AFI Life Achievement Award for his contributions to the cinema, and has won awards from the Oscars, Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Directors Guild of America. Scorsese is president of The Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to film preservation.
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Mel Brooks
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MedalCountry|
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This article is about the singer. For other people named James Brown, see James Brown (disambiguation).

James Brown
James Brown performing on June 27, 2005
Background information
Birth name	James Joseph Brown, Jr.^[1]
Also known as	"The Godfather of Soul"^[2]^[3]^[4]
Born	(1933-05-03)May 3, 1933 Barnwell, South Carolina, U.S.
Origin	Augusta, Georgia, United States
Died	December 25, 2006(2006-12-25) (aged 73) Atlanta, Georgia^[5]^[6]
Genres	R&B, funk, soul, rock and roll
Occupations	Musician, songwriter, dancer, bandleader, record producer, actor
Instruments	Vocal, guitar, harmonica, bass guitar, keyboards, drums, percussion
Years active	1956–2006
Labels	Federal, King, Try Me, Smash, People, Polydor, Scotti Bros., Dade
Associated acts	The Famous Flames, The J.B.'s, Bobby Byrd, The Soul Generals, Lyn Collins

James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of funk music and is a major figure of 20th century popular music and dance.

In a career that spanned decades, Brown profoundly influenced the development of many different musical genres.^[7] Brown moved on a continuum of blues and gospel-based forms and styles to a profoundly "Africanized" approach to music making.^[8] Brown performed in concerts, first making his rounds across the Chitlin' Circuit, and then across the country and later around the world, along with appearing in shows on television and in movies. Although he contributed much to the music world through his hitmaking, Brown holds the record as the artist who charted the most singles on the Billboard Hot 100 without ever hitting number one on that chart.^[9]^[10]

For many years, Brown's touring show was one of the most extravagant productions in American popular music. At the time of Brown's death, his band included three guitarists, two bass guitar players, two drummers, three horns and a percussionist.^[11] The bands that he maintained during the late 1960s and 1970s were of comparable size, and the bands also included a three-piece amplified string section that played during ballads.^[12] Brown employed between 40 and 50 people for the James Brown Revue, and members of the revue traveled with him in a bus to cities and towns all over the country, performing upwards of 330 shows a year with almost all of the shows as one-nighters.^[13]^[14] In 1986, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and in 1990 into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Brown died on Christmas Day 2006 from heart failure after becoming ill on December 23 and being hospitalized for hours. James Brown is buried in Beech Island, South Carolina.

Early life [link]

James Brown was born in Barnwell, South Carolina on May 3, 1933 to Susie Brown and Joseph ("Joe") Gardner (who changed his surname to Brown after Mattie Brown who raised him). Although Brown was to be named after his father Joseph, his first and middle names were mistakenly reversed on his birth certificate. He therefore became James Joseph Brown, Jr.^[1] As a young child, Brown was called Junior. When he later lived with his aunt and cousin, he was called Little Junior since his cousin's nickname was also Junior.^[1] He was of African American and Native American (Apache) descent through his father, and had Asian ancestry.^[15]^[16]

As a young child, Brown and his family lived in extreme poverty^[9] in nearby Elko, South Carolina, which at the time was an impoverished town in Barnwell County. When Brown was two years old, his parents separated after his mother left his father for another man.^[17] After his mother abandoned the family, Brown continued to live with his father and his father's live-in girlfriends until he was six years old.

His father sent him to live with an aunt, who ran a house of prostitution.^[18] Even though Brown lived with relatives, he spent long stretches of time on his own, hanging out on the streets and hustling to get by.^[9] Brown managed to stay in school until he dropped out in the seventh grade.^[19]

During his childhood, Brown earned money shining shoes, sweeping out stores, selling and trading in old stamps, washing cars and dishes and singing in talent contests.^[9] Brown also performed buck dances for change to entertain troops from Camp Gordon at the start of World War II as their convoys traveled over a canal bridge near his aunt's home.^[17]^[18] Between earning money from these adventures, Brown taught himself to play a harmonica given to him by his father.^[17] He learned to play some guitar from Tampa Red, in addition to learning to play piano and drums from others he met during this time.^[17] Brown was inspired to become an entertainer after watching Louis Jordan, a popular jazz and R&B performer during the 1940s, and Jordan's Tympany Five performing "Caldonia" in a short film.^[20]

As an adult, Brown legally changed his name to remove the "Jr." designation.^[21] In his spare time, Brown spent time practicing his various skills in Augusta-area stalls and committing petty crimes. At the age of sixteen, he was convicted of armed robbery and sent to a juvenile detention center upstate in Toccoa in 1949.^[8]

In 1952, while Brown was still in reform school, he met future R&B legend Bobby Byrd, who was there playing baseball against the reform school team. Byrd saw Brown perform there and admired his singing and performing talent.^[17] As a result of this friendship, Byrd's family helped Brown secure an early release after serving three years of his sentence. The authorities agreed to release Brown on the condition that he would get a job and not return to Augusta or Richmond County. After stints as a boxer^[22] and baseball pitcher in semi-professional baseball (a career move ended by a leg injury), Brown turned his energy toward music.^[23]

Career [link]

1955: The Formation of The Famous Flames [link]

In 1955, Brown and Bobby Byrd's sister Sarah performed in a group called The Gospel Starlighters. Eventually, Brown joined Bobby Byrd's vocal group, the Avons, and Byrd turned the group's sound towards secular rhythm and blues. After the group's name was changed to The Flames, Brown and Byrd's group toured the Southern chitlin' circuit. The group eventually signed a deal with the Cincinnati, Ohio-based label Federal Records, a sister label of King Records. Brown's early recordings were fairly straightforward gospel-inspired R&B compositions, heavily influenced by the work of contemporary musicians such as Ray Charles, Little Willie John, Clyde McPhatter and Little Richard.

Little Richard's relations with Brown were particularly significant in Brown's development as a musician and showman. Brown once called Richard his idol,^[24] and credited Richard's saxophone-studded mid-1950s road band, The Upsetters, with being the first to put the funk in the rock and roll beat.^[25] Etta James recalled her first meeting with James Brown, in Macon, Georgia, where Brown had befriended Little Richard. She said Brown "used to carry around an old tattered napkin with him, because Little Richard had written the words, 'please, please, please' on it and James was determined to make a song out of it...".^[26] The resulting track "Please, Please, Please" ended up becoming The Flames first R&B hit in 1956,^[27] selling over a million copies. However, nine subsequent singles released by The Flames failed to live up to the success of their debut, and the group was in danger of being dropped by Federal Records. When Little Richard left pop music in October 1957 to become a preacher, Brown filled out Little Richard's remaining tour dates in his place. Further, several former members of Little Richard's backup band joined Brown's group after Richard's exit from the pop music scene. Brown's group returned to the charts, hitting #1 R&B in February 1959 with "Try Me".^[28] This hit record was the best-selling R&B single of the year, becoming the first of 17 chart-topping R&B singles by Brown over the next two decades.^[29] By the time "Try Me" was released on record, the group's billing was changed to James Brown and The Famous Flames. "The Famous Flames" was a vocal group, not a backing band.In the original group, the members were Brown, Byrd, Brown's old cellmate Johnny Terry, Sylvester Keels, Nash Knox, and NaFloyd Scott.

In 1959, Brown and The Famous Flames moved from the Federal Records subsidiary to King Records, the parent label. Brown began to have recurring conflicts with King Records president Syd Nathan over repertoire and other matters. In one notable instance, Brown recorded the 1960 Top Ten R&B hit "(Do the) Mashed Potatoes" on Dade Records, owned by Henry Stone, under the pseudonym "Nat Kendrick & The Swans" because Nathan refused to allow him to record it for King.^[30]

Early and mid-1960s [link]

Brown scored on the charts in the early 1960s with recordings such as his 1962 cover of "Night Train". While Brown's early singles were major hits across the southern United States and then regular R&B Top Ten hits, he and the Famous Flames were not successful nationally until his self-financed live show was captured on the 1963 LP Live at the Apollo. Brown financed the recording of the album himself, and it was released on King Records over the objections of label owner Syd Nathan, who saw no commercial potential in a live album containing no new songs. Defying Nathan's expectations, the album stayed on the pop charts for fourteen months, peaking at #2.^[31] In addition, Brown recorded a hit version of the ballad "Prisoner of Love", (his first Top 20 pop hit), in 1963 and founded (under King auspices) the fledgling Try Me Records, Brown's first attempt at running a record label.

In 1962, singer Tammi Terrell came to Brown's attention, and the seventeen-year-old found herself in Brown's popular Revue, becoming one of his first female headliners. In 1963 Terrell recorded for Try Me Records, releasing the ballad, "I Cried", which gave her some chart success. Terrell and Brown also had a personal relationship, which was hampered by Brown's physical abuse towards her. After a horrific incident backstage after a show, Terrell asked singer Gene Chandler (the "Duke of Earl"), who witnessed the incident first hand, to take her to the bus station so she could go home. He later called her mother to come pick her up. This ended Terrell's two-year relationship with Brown.^{[citation needed]}

File:James Brown and Flames.jpg

Brown (middle) & The Famous Flames (far left to right, Bobby Bennett, Lloyd Stallworth, and Bobby Byrd), performing live at the Apollo Theater in New York City, 1964.

Brown followed the success of Live at the Apollo with a string of singles that, along with the work of Allen Toussaint in New Orleans, essentially defined the foundation of Funk music. Driven by the success of Live at the Apollo and the failure of King Records to expand record promotion beyond the "black" market, James Brown and fellow Famous Flame Bobby Byrd formed a production company, Fair Deal, to promote sales of Brown's record releases to white audiences. In this arrangement, Smash Records, a subsidiary of Mercury Records, was used as a vehicle to distribute Brown's music. Smash released his 1964 hit "Out of Sight", which reached #24 on the pop charts and pointed the way to his later funk hits.^[32] Its release also triggered a legal battle between Smash and King that resulted in a one year ban on the release of Brown's vocal recordings.^[33]

Two of Brown's signature tunes, "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag"^[34] (which won the 1966 Grammy for Best Rhythm & Blues Recording (an award last given in 1968)) and "I Got You (I Feel Good)", both from 1965, were his first Top 10 pop hits as well as major #1 R&B hits, with each remaining the top-selling singles in black venues for over a month. Brown's national profile was boosted further that year by appearances in the movie Ski Party and the concert film The T.A.M.I. Show, in which he and The Famous Flames (Bobby Byrd, Bobby Bennett and "Baby Lloyd" Stallworth) upstaged The Rolling Stones. In his concert repertoire and on record, Brown mingled his innovative rhythmic essays with Broadway show tunes and ballads, such as his hit "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" (1966).^[34]

Late 1960s [link]

In November 1967, James Brown purchased radio station WGYW in Knoxville, Tennessee for a reported $75,000, according to the January 20, 1968 Record World magazine. The call letters were changed to WJBE reflecting his initials. WJBE began on January 15, 1968 and broadcast a Rhythm & Blues format. The station slogan was "WJBE 1430 Raw Soul". At the time it was mentioned "Brown has also branched out into real estate and music publishing in recent months".

Brown continued to refine the new funk idiom. His 1967 #1 R&B hit, "Cold Sweat", sometimes cited as the first true funk song, was the first of his recordings to contain a drum break and the first that featured a harmony that was reduced to a single chord.^[35]^[36] The instrumental arrangements on tracks such as "Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose" and "Licking Stick-Licking Stick" (both recorded in 1968) and "Funky Drummer" (recorded in 1969) featured a more developed version of Brown's mid-1960s style, with the horn section, guitars, bass and drums meshed together in intricate rhythmic patterns based on multiple interlocking riffs.

Changes in Brown's style that started with "Cold Sweat" also established the musical foundation for Brown's later hits, such as "I Got the Feelin'" (1968) and "Mother Popcorn" (1969). By this time Brown's vocals frequently took the form of a kind of rhythmic declamation, not quite sung but not quite spoken, that only intermittently featured traces of pitch or melody. This would become a major influence on the techniques of rapping, which would come to maturity along with hip hop music in the coming decades.

Brown's style of funk was based on interlocking syncopated parts: funky bass lines, drum patterns, and iconic guitar riffs.^[37] The main guitar ostinatos for "Aint" it Funky" (c. late 1960s), and "Give it Up or Turn it Lose" (1969), are examples of Brown's refinement of New Orleans funk— irresistibly danceable riffs, stripped down to their rhythmic essence. On "Aint" it Funky" (c. late 1960s), and "Give it Up or Turn it Lose" (1969), the tonal structure is bare bones. The pattern of attack-points is the emphasis, not the pattern of pitches. It's as if the guitar is an African drum, or idiophone. Alexander Stewart states that this popular feel was passed along from "New Orleans—through James Brown's music, to the popular music of the 1970s."^[38]

Guitar part for "Aint" it Funky" by James Brown.

Guitar part for "Give it Up or Turn it Lose" by James Brown (1969).

"Bring it Up" has an Afro-Cuban guajeo-like structure. If fact, on a 1976 version, Cuban bongos are used. All three of these guitar riff are based on an onbeat/offbeat structure. Stewart states: "This model, it should be noted, is different from a time line (such as clave and tresillo) in that it is not an exact pattern, but more of a loose organizing principle."^[39]

Guitar part for "Bring it Up" by James Brown (1967).

Brown's recordings influenced musicians across the industry, most notably Sly and his Family Stone, Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, Booker T. & the M.G.'s and soul shouters like King Curtis, Edwin Starr, Temptations David Ruffin, and Dennis Edwards. A then-prepubescent Michael Jackson took Brown's shouts and dancing into the pop mainstream as the lead singer of Motown's The Jackson 5. Those same tracks were later resurrected by countless hip-hop musicians from the 1970s onward. As a result, James Brown remains to this day the world's most sampled recording artist,^[40] with "Funky Drummer" itself becoming the most sampled individual piece of music.^[41]

Brown's band during this period employed musicians and arrangers who had come up through the jazz tradition. He was noted for his ability as a bandleader and songwriter to blend the simplicity and drive of R&B with the rhythmic complexity and precision of jazz. Trumpeter Lewis Hamlin and saxophonist/keyboardist Alfred "Pee Wee" Ellis (the successor to previous bandleader Nat Jones) led the band. Guitarist Jimmy Nolen provided percussive, deceptively simple riffs for each song, and Maceo Parker's prominent saxophone solos provided a focal point for many performances. Other members of Brown's band included stalwart singer and sideman Bobby Byrd, drummers John "Jabo" Starks, Clyde Stubblefield and Melvin Parker (Maceo's brother), saxophonist St. Clair Pinckney, trombonist Fred Wesley, guitarist Alphonso "Country" Kellum and bassist Bernard Odum.

During this period, Brown's music empire also expanded along with his influence on the music scene. As Brown's music empire grew, his desire for financial and artistic independence grew as well. Brown bought radio stations during the late 1960s, including radio station WRDW in Augusta, Georgia where he shined shoes as a boy.^[34] Brown also branched out to make several recordings with musicians outside his own band. He recorded Gettin' Down To It (1969) and Soul on Top (1970), two albums consisting mostly of romantic ballads and jazz standards, with the Dee Felice Trio and the Louie Bellson Orchestra respectively. He recorded a number of tracks with the Dapps, a white Cincinnati bar band, including the hit "I Can't Stand Myself (When You Touch Me)". He also released three albums of Christmas music with his own band.

1970s and the J.B.'s [link]

Brown after a concert in Tampa on Jan. 29, 1972

By 1970, most members of James Brown's classic 1960s band had quit his act for other opportunities, and The Famous Flames singing group had disbanded, with original member Bobby Byrd the only one remaining with Brown. Brown and Byrd employed a new band that included future funk greats, such as bassist Bootsy Collins, Collins' guitarist brother Phelps "Catfish" Collins and trombonist and musical director Fred Wesley. This new backing band was dubbed "The J.B.'s", and the band made its debut on Brown's 1970 single "Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine". Although The J.B.'s went through several lineup changes, with the first change occurring in 1971, the band remained Brown's most familiar backing band.

In 1971, Brown began recording for Polydor Records which also took over distribution of Brown's King Records catalog. Many of his sidemen and supporting players, such as Fred Wesley & The J.B.'s, Bobby Byrd, Lyn Collins, Vicki Anderson and Hank Ballard, released records on the People label, an imprint founded by Brown that was purchased by Polydor as part of Brown's new contract. The recordings on the People label, almost all of which were produced by Brown himself, exemplified his "house style". Songs such as "I Know You Got Soul" by Bobby Byrd, "Think (About It)" by Lyn Collins and "Doing It to Death" by Fred Wesley & The J.B.'s are considered as much a part of Brown's recorded legacy as the recordings released under his own name.

In 1972, James Brown, when asked, openly proclaimed his support of Richard Nixon against the Democrat, George McGovern,^[42] and a nationwide boycott called by Black Democratic leaders damaged his status as the most successful Black entrepreneur in the country. Still, his popularity buoyed up his financial fortunes after a brief downturn, and he went on with his career, undaunted.

In 1973, Brown provided the score for the blaxploitation film Black Caesar. In 1974, he toured Africa and performed in Zaire as part of the buildup to The Rumble in the Jungle fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. Admirers of Brown's music, including Miles Davis and other jazz musicians, began to cite Brown as a major influence on their own styles. However, Brown, like others who were influenced by his music, also "borrowed" from other musicians. His 1976 single "Hot (I Need To Be Loved, Loved, Loved, Loved)" (R&B #31) used the main riff from "Fame" by David Bowie, not the other way around as was often believed. The riff was provided to "Fame" co-writers John Lennon and Bowie by guitarist Carlos Alomar, who had briefly been a member of Brown's band in the late 1960s.^[43]

Brown's Polydor recordings during the 1970s exemplified his innovations from the previous 20 years. Compositions such as "The Payback" (1973), "Papa Don't Take No Mess", "Stoned to the Bone", and "Funky President (People It's Bad)" (1974), and "Get Up Offa That Thing" (1976) were among his most noted recordings during this time.

Late 1970s and 1980s [link]

James Brown 1973, Hamburg

By the mid-1970s, Brown's star-status was on the wane, and key musicians in his band such as Fred Wesley and Bootsy left to join Parliament-Funkadelic, the collective conducted by George Clinton. The onslaught of the slickly commercial style of disco caught Brown off guard, as it superseded his raw style of funk music on the dance floor. His 1976 albums Get Up Offa That Thing and Bodyheat were Brown's first flirtations with disco rhythms and its slicker production techniques. While the albums Mutha's Nature (1977) and Jam 1980s (1978) did not generate chart hits, Brown's 1979 LP The Original Disco Man was a notable late addition to his oeuvre. This album featured the song "It's Too Funky in Here", which was his last top R&B hit of the decade. Like the rest of the songs on The Original Disco Man, "It's Too Funky in Here" was not produced by Brown himself, but produced instead by Brad Shapiro.

Brown's contract with Polydor expired in 1981, and his recording and touring schedule was somewhat reduced. Despite these events, Brown experienced something of a resurgence during the 1980s, effectively crossing over to a broader, more mainstream audience. He appeared in the feature films The Blues Brothers, Doctor Detroit and Rocky IV, as well as guest starring in the Miami Vice episode "Missing Hours" (1988). He also recorded Gravity, a modestly popular crossover album released on his new host label Scotti Bros., and the 1986 top 10 hit single "Living in America" (written by Dan Hartman), which was featured prominently in the Rocky IV film and soundtrack. Brown performed the song in the film at Apollo Creed's final fight, shot in the Ziegfeld Room at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and was credited as "The Godfather of Soul." In 1987, Brown won the Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for "Living in America." Acknowledging his influence on modern hip-hop and R&B music, Brown collaborated with hip-hop artist Afrika Bambaataa on the single "Unity."

In 1988, Brown worked with the production team Full Force on the hip-hop influenced album I'm Real, which spawned a #5 R&B hit single, "Static". Meanwhile, the drum break from the second version of the original 1969 hit "Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose" (the recording included on the compilation album In the Jungle Groove) became so popular at hip hop dance parties (especially for breakdance) during the late 1970s and early 1980s that hip hop founding father Kurtis Blow called the song "the national anthem of hip hop".^[44]

1990s to the 2000s [link]

James Brown in Belgrade in 1993

After a stint in prison during the late 1980s, Brown released the album Love Overdue, with the new single "Move On". Brown also released the 1991 four-CD box set Star Time, which included music spanning his four-decade career at that time. Nearly all of his earlier LPs were re-released on CD, often with additional tracks and commentary by experts on Brown's music. In 1991, Brown appeared in MC Hammer's video "Too Legit to Quit" (or "2 Legit 2 Quit"), someone Hammer idolized. In 1993, James Brown released the album Universal James, which spawned the singles "Can't Get Any Harder", "How Long" and "Georgia-Lina". In 1995, the live album Live at the Apollo 1995 was released, featuring the new studio track "Respect Me", which was released as a single that same year. Brown followed up this single with the megamix "Hooked on Brown" that was released as a single in 1996. Brown's later LP releases during this time included the 1998 studio album I'm Back that featured the single "Funk on ah Roll", and the 2002 album The Next Step that featured the single "Killing is Out, School is In", both produced and co-written by Derrick Monk. Brown participated in the PBS American Masters television documentary James Brown: Soul Survivor, which was directed by Jeremy Marre.

James Brown during the NBA All Star Game jam session in 2001.

Although Brown had various run-ins with the law, he continued to perform and record regularly, and he also made appearances in television shows and films, such as Blues Brothers 2000, and sporting events, such as his 2000 appearance at the World Championship Wrestling pay-per-view event SuperBrawl X. In Brown's appearance at the SuperBrawl X event, he danced alongside wrestler Ernest "The Cat" Miller, whose character was based on Brown, during his in ring skit with The Maestro. Brown was featured in Tony Scott's 2001 short film, Beat the Devil, alongside Clive Owen, Gary Oldman, Danny Trejo and Marilyn Manson.^[45] Brown also made a cameo appearance in the 2002 Jackie Chan film The Tuxedo, in which Chan was required to finish Brown's act after Brown was accidentally knocked out by Chan.^[46] In 2002, Brown appeared in Undercover Brother, playing the role as himself.

James Brown performing on October 22, 2003.

Brown appeared at Edinburgh 50,000 – The Final Push, the final Live 8 concert on July 6, 2005, where he performed a duet with British pop star Will Young on "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag". He also performed a duet with another British pop star, Joss Stone, a week earlier on the United Kingdom chat show Friday Night with Jonathan Ross. Before his death, Brown was scheduled to perform a duet with singer Annie Lennox on the song "Vengeance" for her new album Venus, scheduled for release in early 2007. In 2006, Brown continued his "Seven Decades Of Funk World Tour", his last concert tour where he performed all over the world. His final U.S. performance was in San Francisco on August 20, 2006, as headliner at the Festival of the Golden Gate (Foggfest) on the Great Meadow at Fort Mason. His last shows were greeted with positive reviews, and one of his final concert appearances at the Irish Oxegen festival in Punchestown in 2006 was performed for a record crowd of 80,000 people. Brown's last televised appearance was at his induction into the UK Music Hall of Fame in November 2006, before his death the following month.

James Brown Revue [link]

Concert introduction [link]

Before James Brown appeared on stage, his personal MC gave him an elaborate introduction accompanied by drumrolls, as the MC worked in Brown's various sobriquets along with the names of many of his hit songs. The introduction by Fats Gonder, captured on Brown's 1962 album Live at the Apollo album, is a representative example:

So now ladies and gentlemen it is star time, are you ready for star time? Thank you and thank you very kindly. It is indeed a great pleasure to present to you at this particular time, national and international[ly] known as the hardest working man in show business, the man that sings "I'll Go Crazy" ... "Try Me" ... "You've Got the Power" ... "Think" ... "If You Want Me" ... "I Don't Mind" ... "Bewildered" ...the million dollar seller, "Lost Someone" ... the very latest release, "Night Train" ... let's everybody "Shout and Shimmy" ... Mr. Dynamite, the amazing Mr. Please Please himself, the star of the show, James Brown and The Famous Flames!!^[47]

Among the MCs who worked with Brown and his revue through the years, Brown's most famous MC was Danny Ray, who appeared on stage with him for over 30 years.

Concert repertoire and format [link]

File:281271011 c6024a64c1 m.jpg

Brown and MC Danny Ray during cape routine, BBC Electric Proms '06 concert

James Brown's performances were famous for their intensity and length. His own stated goal was to "give people more than what they came for — make them tired, 'cause that's what they came for.'"^[48] Brown's concert repertoire consisted mostly of his own hits and recent songs, with a few R&B covers mixed in. Brown danced vigorously as he sang, working popular dance steps such as the Mashed Potato into his routine along with dramatic leaps, splits and slides. In addition, his horn players and backup singers (The Famous Flames) typically performed choreographed dance routines, and later incarnations of the Revue included backup dancers. Male performers in the Revue were required to wear tuxedoes and cummerbunds long after more casual concert wear became the norm among the younger musical acts. Brown's own extravagant outfits and his elaborate processed hairdo completed the visual impression.

A James Brown concert typically included a performance by a featured vocalist, such as Vicki Anderson or Marva Whitney, and an instrumental feature for the band, which sometimes served as the opening act for the show. Although Brown released many live albums, Say It Live & Loud: Live in Dallas August 26, 1968, released by Polydor in 1998, was one of only a few audio recordings that captured a performance of the James Brown Revue from beginning to end.

Cape routine [link]

A trademark feature of Brown's stage shows, usually during the song "Please, Please, Please", involved Brown dropping to his knees while clutching the microphone stand in his hands, prompting the show's longtime MC, Danny Ray, to come out, drape a cape over Brown's shoulders and escort him off the stage after he had worked himself to exhaustion during his performance. As Brown was escorted off the stage by the MC, Brown's vocal group, The Famous Flames, continued singing the background vocals "Please, please don't go-oh-oh".^[49] Brown would then shake off the cape and stagger back to the microphone to perform an encore. Brown's routine was inspired by a similar one used by the professional wrestler Gorgeous George.^[47]^[50]

Brown performs a version of the cape routine over the closing credits of the film Blues Brothers 2000.

The best place to view the "cape routine" is in Brown's performance during the "T.A.M.I. Show" available on DVD.

As band leader [link]

Brown demanded extreme discipline, perfection and precision from his musicians and dancers — right down to when performers in his Revue showed up for rehearsals all the way to whether members wore the right "uniform" or "costume" for concert performances.^[51] During an interview conducted by Terri Gross during the NPR segment "Fresh Air" with Maceo Parker, a former saxophonist in Brown's band for most of the 1960s and part of the 1970s and 1980s, Parker offered his experience with the discipline that Brown demanded of the band:

You gotta be on time. You gotta have your uniform. Your stuff's got to be intact. You gotta have the bow tie. You got to have it. You can't come up without the bow tie. You cannot come up without a cummerbund ... [The] patent leather shoes we were wearing at the time gotta be greased. You just gotta have this stuff. This is what [Brown expected] ... [Brown] bought the costumes. He bought the shoes. And if for some reason [the band member decided] to leave the group, [Brown told the person to] please leave my uniforms ....

—Maceo Parker^[52]

Brown also had a practice of directing, correcting and assessing fines on members of his band who broke his rules, such as wearing unshined shoes, dancing out of sync or showing up late on stage.^[23] During some of his concert performances, Brown danced in front of his band with his back to the audience as he slid across the floor, flashing hand signals and splaying his pulsating fingers to the beat of the music. Although audiences thought Brown's dance routine was part of his act, this practice was actually his way of pointing to the offending member of his troupe who played or sang the wrong note or committed some other infraction. Brown used his splayed fingers and hand signals to alert the offending person of the fine that person must pay to him for breaking his rules.^[53]

Social activism [link]

Civil unrest and self-empowerment [link]

James Brown shakes the hand of the painter Groover, who gave him a picture during his tour in Guadeloupe in the 1980s.

During the late 1960s and early 1970s, James Brown was renowned for his social activism. In 1966, he released the single "Don't Be a Drop-Out" as a lesson to young students who had thoughts of dropping out. He later made public speeches in front of dozens of children and advocated the importance of education in school. In 1967, he issued a patriotic single, "America is My Home", which was a "rap" about how he felt people, particularly in the African-American community, were neglecting the country that he said "could give (them) opportunities" explaining how at one time he was shining shoes and the next, he was greeting the President of the United States as he did when President Lyndon B. Johnson thanked him for donating money to school drop-out prevention programs.

In 1968 after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., Brown released "Say It Loud – I'm Black and I'm Proud"^[34] following pressure from fans to take a stance on the civil rights movement, an issue he had avoided up until this point. It became an anthem of the civil rights movement. Brown later said of it in his 1986 autobiography “The song is obsolete now... But it was necessary to teach pride then, and I think the song did a lot of good for a lot of people... People called "Black and Proud" militant and angry – maybe because of the line about dying on your feet instead of living on your knees. But really, if you listen to it, it sounds like a children's song. That's why I had children in it, so children who heard it could grow up feeling pride... The song cost me a lot of my crossover audience. The racial makeup at my concerts was mostly black after that. I don't regret it, though, even if it was misunderstood.”

He performed in front of a televised audience in Boston the day after Dr. King's death.^[34] Brown is often given credit for preventing rioting with the performance.^[54] Mayor Kevin White strongly restrained the Boston Police from cracking down on minor violence and protests after the assassination,^[54] and Boston religious and community leaders worked to keep tempers from flaring.^[54] Also, White arranged to have the Brown performance broadcast multiple times on Boston's public television station, WGBH, thus keeping many potential rioters off the streets, watching the concert for free. Brown demanded $60,000 for "gate" fees (money he thought would be lost from ticket sales on account of the concert being broadcast for free), and then threatened to go public about the secret arrangement when the city balked at paying up after the concert, news of which would have been a political death-blow to White, and possibly sparked riots on its own.^[54] White successfully lobbied the behind-the-scenes power-brokering group known as "The Vault" to come up with money for Brown's gate fee and other social programs; The Vault contributed $100,000 to such programs, and Brown received $15,000 from them via the city. White persuaded management at the Boston Garden to give up their share of receipts to make up the difference.^[54] The story is documented in the PBS film "The Night James Brown Saved Boston".

Afterwards, President Johnson urged Brown to visit Washington, D.C. to greet inner-city residents there performing at a benefit concert there and expressed the notion that violence "wasn't the way to go". Many in the black community felt that Brown was speaking out to them more than some major leaders in the country, a sentiment that was strengthened with the release of his groundbreaking landmark single, "Say It Loud – I'm Black and I'm Proud".

Brown continued performing benefit concerts for various civil rights organizations including Jesse Jackson's PUSH and The Black Panther Party's Breakfast program throughout the early-1970s. Brown also continued to release socially conscious singles such as "I Don't Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing (Open Up the Door, I'll Get It Myself)" (1969), "Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved" (1971), "Talking Loud and Saying Nothing" (1972), "King Heroin" (1972), "Funky President (People It's Bad)" (1974) and "Reality" (1975). The week before his death, Brown took time to give Christmas presents to an orphanage in Atlanta.

Personal life [link]

At the end of his life, James Brown lived in a riverfront home in Beech Island, South Carolina, directly across the Savannah River from Augusta, Georgia. James Brown was diagnosed with diabetes at a very early stage of his life.^{[citation needed]} In 2004 Brown was successufully treated for prostate cancer.^[55] Regardless of his health, Brown maintained his reputation as the "hardest working man in show business" by keeping up with his grueling performance schedule.

Marriages and children [link]

Brown was married three times — Velma Warren (1953–1969, divorced), Deidre "Deedee" Jenkins (October 22, 1970 – January 10, 1981, divorced) and Adrienne Lois Rodriguez (born March 9, 1950) (1984–1996, wife's death). He also had a relationship with Tomi Rae Hynie (2001–2004). From these and other relationships, James Brown had five sons — Teddy Brown (1954–1973), Terry Brown, and Larry Brown, Daryl Brown (a member of Brown's backing band) and James Joseph Brown II, in addition to four daughters — Lisa Brown, Dr. Yamma Noyola Brown Lumar, Deanna Brown Thomas and Venisha Brown.^[5]^[56]^[57] Brown also had eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.^[5]^[56] Brown's eldest son, Teddy, died in a car crash on June 14, 1973.^[58] According to a August 22, 2007 article published in the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph, DNA tests indicate that Brown also fathered at least three illegitimate children. The only one of them who has been identified is LaRhonda Pettit (born 1962), a retired air stewardess and teacher who lives in Houston.^[59]

Brown-Hynie marriage controversy [link]

Much controversy surrounds Tomi Rae Hynie's marriage to James Brown on December 23, 2002, officiated by Rev. Larry Fryer.^[60] Brown's longtime attorney, Albert "Buddy" Dallas, reported that the marriage between Brown and Hynie was not valid because Hynie was married at that time to Javed Ahmed, a Bangladeshi whom Hynie claimed married her for a Green Card in an immigration fraud. Although Hynie stated that her marriage to Javed Ahmed was later annulled, this annulment did not occur until April 2004.^[60]^[61] In an interview on CNN with Larry King, Hynie produced a 2001 marriage certificate as proof of her marriage to James Brown, but she did not provide King with court records pointing to an annulment of her marriage to him or to Ahmed.^[62]

According to Dallas, Brown was angry and hurt that Hynie concealed her prior marriage from him, and that Brown moved to file for annulment from Hynie.^[63] Dallas added that, although Hynie's marriage to Javed Ahmed was annulled after she married James Brown, the Brown-Hynie marriage was not valid under South Carolina law because Brown and Hynie did not remarry after the annulment.^[62]^[64] In August 2003, Brown took out a full-page public notice in Variety Magazine featuring Hynie, James II and himself on vacation at Disney World to announce that he and Hynie were going their separate ways.^[65]^[66]

Paternity of James Brown II [link]

In a separate CNN interview, Debra Opri, another Brown family attorney, revealed to Larry King that Brown wanted a DNA test performed after his death to confirm the paternity of James Brown II — not for Brown's sake, but for the sake of the other family members.^[67] In April 2007, Hynie selected a guardian ad litem whom she wants appointed by the court to represent her son, James Brown II, in the paternity proceedings.^[68]

Legal issues [link]

Brown's personal life was marred by several brushes with the law. At the age of 16, he was arrested for theft and served 3 years in prison. In 1988, Brown was arrested following an alleged high-speed car chase on Interstate 20 near the Georgia-South Carolina state border. He was convicted of carrying an unlicensed pistol and assaulting a police officer, along with various drug-related and driving offenses. Although he was sentenced to six years in prison, he was eventually released in 1991 after serving only three years of his sentence. Brown's FBI file, released to The Washington Post in 2007 under the Freedom of Information Act,^[69] related Brown's claim that the high-speed chase did not occur as claimed by the police, and that local police shot at his car several times during an incident of police harassment and assaulted him after his arrest.^[70] Local authorities found no merit to Brown's accusations.

In another incident, the police were summoned to Brown's residence on July 3, 2000 after he was accused of charging at an electric company repairman with a steak knife when the repairman visited Brown's house to investigate a complaint about having no lights at the residence.^[71] In 2003, Brown was pardoned by the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole, and Pardon Services for past crimes that he was convicted of committing in South Carolina.^[72]

During the 1990s and 2000s (decade), Brown was repeatedly arrested for domestic violence. Adrienne Rodriguez, his third wife, had him arrested four times between the mid-1980s and mid-1990s on charges of assault. In January 2004, Brown was arrested in South Carolina on a domestic violence charge after Tomi Rae Hynie accused him of pushing her to the floor during an argument at their home, where she suffered scratches and bruises to her right arm and hip. Later that year in June 2004, Brown pleaded no contest to the domestic violence incident, but served no jail time. Instead, Brown was required to forfeit a US$1,087 bond as punishment.^[73]

In January 2005, a woman named Jacque Hollander filed a lawsuit against James Brown, which stemmed from an alleged 1988 forcible rape. When the case was initially heard before a judge in 2002, Hollander's claims against Brown were dismissed by the court as the limitations period for filing the suit had expired. Hollander claimed that stress from the alleged assault later caused her to contract Graves' Disease, a thyroid condition. Hollander claimed that the incident took place in South Carolina while she was employed by Brown as a publicist. Hollander alleged that, during her ride in a van with Brown, Brown pulled over to the side of the road and sexually assaulted her while he threatened her with a shotgun. In her case against Brown, Hollander entered as evidence a DNA sample and a polygraph result, but the evidence was not considered due to the limitations defense. Hollander later attempted to bring her case before the Supreme Court but nothing became of her complaint.^[74]

Death and aftermath [link]

Death [link]

James Brown memorial in Augusta, Georgia

On December 23, 2006, James Brown became ill and showed up at his dentist's office in Atlanta, Georgia several hours later than his appointment for dental implant work. During that visit, Brown's dentist observed that Brown looked "very bad ... weak and dazed." Instead of performing the dental work, the dentist advised Brown to see a doctor right away about his medical condition.^[18]

Brown checked in at the Emory Crawford Long Memorial Hospital the next day for a medical evaluation of his condition, and he was admitted to the hospital for observation and treatment.^[75] According to Charles Bobbit, Brown's longtime personal manager and friend, Brown had been sick and suffering with a noisy cough since he returned from a November trip to Europe.^[18] Bobbit also added that it was characteristic of Brown to never complain about being sick, and that he frequently performed during illness.^[18] Although Brown had to cancel upcoming shows in Waterbury, Connecticut and Englewood, New Jersey, Brown was confident that the doctor would discharge him from the hospital in time to perform the New Year's Eve shows. For the New Year's celebrations, Brown was scheduled to perform at the Count Basie Theatre in New Jersey and at the B. B. King Blues Club in New York, in addition to performing a song live on CNN for the Anderson Cooper New Year's Eve special.^[75] However, Brown remained hospitalized, and his medical condition worsened throughout that day.

On Christmas Day, Brown died at approximately 1:45 AM EST (06:45 UTC) from congestive heart failure resulting from complications of pneumonia, with his agent Frank Copsidas and his friend Paul Sargent at his bedside.^[76] According to Sargent, Brown stuttered "I'm going away tonight", and then Brown took three long, quiet breaths and fell asleep before dying.^[6]

Memorial services [link]

Public memorial for Brown at Harlem's Apollo Theater, 2006

After Brown's death on Christmas Day, Brown's relatives and friends, a host of celebrities and thousands of fans attended public memorial services at the Apollo Theater in New York on December 28, 2006 and at the James Brown Arena on December 30, 2006 in Augusta, Georgia.^[56] A separate, private memorial service was also held in North Augusta, South Carolina on December 29, 2006,^[5] which was attended by Brown's family and close friends. Celebrities who attended Brown's public and/or private memorial services included Michael Jackson, Jimmy Cliff, Joe Frazier, Buddy Guy, Ice Cube, Ludacris, Dr. Dre, Little Richard, Dick Gregory, MC Hammer, Prince, Jesse Jackson, Ice-T, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bootsy Collins, LL Cool J, Lil Wayne, Lenny Kravitz, 50 Cent, Stevie Wonder, and Don King, among others.^[77]^[78]^[79]^[80] All of the public and private memorial services were officiated by Rev. Al Sharpton.^[81]^[82]

Brown's public and private memorial ceremonies were elaborate, complete with costume changes for Brown and videos featuring him in concert performances. Brown's body, which was placed in a Promethean casket, which is bronze polished to a golden shine, was driven through the streets of New York to the Apollo Theater in a white, glass-encased horse-drawn carriage.^[83]^[84] In Augusta, Georgia, the procession for Brown's public memorial visited Brown's statue as the procession made its way to the James Brown Arena. During the public memorial at the James Brown Arena, nachos and pretzels were served to mourners, as a video showed Brown's last performance in Augusta, Georgia and the Ray Charles version of "Georgia On My Mind" played soulfully in the background.^[85]^[86]^[87] Brown's last backup band, The Soul Generals, also played the music of Brown's hits during the memorial service at the James Brown Arena. The group was joined by Bootsy Collins on bass, with MC Hammer performing a dance in James Brown style.^[88] Former Temptations lead singer Ali-Ollie Woodson performed "Walk Around Heaven All Day" at the memorial services.^[89]

Last will and testament [link]

James Brown signed his last will and testament on August 1, 2000, before Strom Thurmond, Jr., an attorney for Brown's estate.^[90] The irrevocable trust, separate and apart from Brown's will, was created on Brown's behalf in 2000 by his attorney, Albert "Buddy" Dallas, who was named as one of three personal representatives of Brown's estate. Brown's will covered the disposition of his personal assets, such as clothing, cars and jewelry, while Brown's irrevocable trust covered the disposition of music rights, business assets of James Brown Enterprises and Brown's Beech Island estate in South Carolina.^[91]

During the reading of Brown's will on January 11, 2007, Thurmond revealed that Brown's six adult living children (Terry Brown, Larry Brown, Daryl Brown, Yamma Brown Lumar, Deanna Brown Thomas and Venisha Brown) were named in the will. Hynie and James II were not mentioned in the will as parties who could inherit Brown's property.^[90]^[92] Brown's will was signed ten months before James II was born and more than a year before Brown's marriage to Tomi Rae Hynie. Like Brown's will, his irrevocable trust also did not mention Hynie and James II as recipients of Brown's property. The irrevocable trust was established before, and had not been amended since, the birth of James II.^[93]

On January 24, 2007, Brown's children filed a lawsuit against the personal representatives of Brown's estate. In their petition, Brown's children asked the court to remove the personal representatives of Brown's estate (including Brown's attorney and estate's trustee, Albert "Buddy" Dallas) and appoint a special administrator because of perceived impropriety and alleged mismanagement of Brown's assets.^[94]^[95] To challenge the validity of the will and irrevocable trust, Hynie also filed a lawsuit against Brown's estate on January 31, 2007. In her lawsuit against Brown's estate, Hynie asked the court to recognize her as Brown's widow, and she also asked the court to appoint a special administrator for the estate.^[96]

Burial at temporary site [link]

After the public and private memorial services in late December 2006, James Brown's body remained in his casket for a time in a temperature-controlled room at his estate. Brown's casket was later moved to an undisclosed location, while his children and Tomi Rae Hynie became embroiled in disputes about Brown's final resting place and matters related to probating his will.^[97] More than ten weeks after Brown's death and the public and private memorial services, Brown's children and Hynie decided on a temporary burial site for James Brown. Brown was buried on March 10, 2007 in a crypt at the home of Deanna Brown Thomas, one of Brown's daughters who also held a private ceremony for the temporary burial.^[98] The private ceremony for the temporary burial, officiated by Al Sharpton, was attended by Brown's family and a host of friends.

According to Brown's family, Brown's body will remain buried at the temporary site while a public mausoleum is built for him and a decision has been made for Brown's final resting place.^[98]^[99] To turn Brown's estate into a visitor attraction, Brown's family plans to consult with the family of Elvis Presley for guidance about converting the estate into an attraction similar to Graceland.^[98]^[100]

Dallas, Brown's long time attorney and one of the trustees for Brown's estate, did not attend the private service for the temporary burial. He expressed his disapproval and disappointment with the temporary burial arrangement with the comment "Mr. Brown's not deserving of anyone's backyard." According to Dallas, the trustees for Brown's estate "had made arrangements for Brown to be laid to rest at no cost at a 'very prominent memorial garden in Augusta.'"^[101]

Honors, awards and dedications [link]

James Brown received a variety of awards and honors throughout his lifetime and after his death. At one city, fans voted to honor Brown by naming a bridge after the entertainer. In 1993, the City Council of Steamboat Springs, Colorado conducted a poll of its residents to choose a new name for the bridge that crossed the Yampa River on Shield Drive. The winning name with 7,717 votes was "James Brown SoulCenter of the Universe Bridge". The bridge was officially dedicated in September 1993, and James Brown appeared at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the event.^[102] Although a petition was started by a local group of ranchers to return the name of the bridge to "Stockbridge" for historical reasons, the ranchers backed off after citizens defeated their efforts because of the popularity of Brown's name. Brown returned to Steamboat Springs, Colorado on July 4, 2002 for an outdoor music festival, performing with other bands such as The String Cheese Incident.^[103]

During his long career, James Brown received several prestigious music industry awards and honors. In 1983, Brown was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. In addition, Brown was named as one of the first inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at its inaugural induction dinner in New York on January 23, 1986. However, the members of his original vocal group, The Famous Flames, Bobby Byrd, Johnny Terry, Bobby Bennett, and Lloyd Stallworth, were not inducted.^[104] However, on April 14th, 2012 The Famous Flames were automatically and retroactively inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame alongside James Brown,without the need for nomination and voting, under the premise that they should have been inducted with him back in 1986.^[105]^[106] On February 25, 1992, Brown was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 34th annual Grammy Awards. Exactly a year later, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 4th annual Rhythm & Blues Foundation Pioneer Awards.^[107] A ceremony was held for Brown on January 10, 1997 to honor him with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.^[107]

On June 15, 2000, Brown was honored as an inductee for the New York Songwriters Hall of Fame. On August 6, 2002, James Brown was honored as the first BMI Urban Icon at the BMI Urban Awards. His BMI accolades include an impressive ten R&B Awards and six Pop Awards.^[108] On November 14, 2006, Brown was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame, and he was one of several inductees who performed at the ceremony.^[109] In recognition of his accomplishments as an entertainer, Brown was a recipient of Kennedy Center Honors on December 7, 2003.^[107] In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked James Brown as #7 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.^[110] In an article for Rolling Stone, critic Robert Christgau cited Brown as "the greatest musician of the rock era".^[111]

Brown was also honored in his hometown of Augusta, Georgia for his philanthropy and civic activities. On November 20, 1993, Mayor Charles DeVaney of Augusta held a ceremony to dedicate a section of 9th Street between Broad and Twiggs Streets, renamed "James Brown Boulevard", in the entertainer's honor.^[107] On May 6, 2005, as a 72nd birthday present for Brown, the city of Augusta unveiled a life-sized bronze James Brown statue on Broad Street.^[107] The statue was to have been dedicated a year earlier, but the ceremony was put on hold because of a domestic abuse charge that Brown faced at the time.^[112] In 2005, Charles "Champ" Walker and the We Feel Good Committee went before the County commission and received approval to change Augusta's slogan to "We Feel Good". Afterwards, Official renamed the city's civic center the James Brown Arena, and James Brown attended a ceremony for the unveiling of the namesake center on October 15, 2006.^[107]

On December 30, 2006, during the public memorial service at the James Brown Arena, Dr. Shirley A.R. Lewis, president of Paine College, a historically black college in Augusta, Georgia, bestowed posthumously upon Brown an honorary doctorate in recognition and honor of his many contributions to the school in its times of need. Brown was scheduled originally to receive the honorary doctorate from Paine College during its May 2007 commencement.^[113]^[114]

During the 49th Annual Grammy Awards presentation held on February 11, 2007, James Brown's famous cape was draped over a microphone at the end of a montage by Danny Ray (his M.C. for over 30 years), in honor of notable persons in the music industry, including Brown, who died during the previous year. Earlier that evening, Christina Aguilera delivered an impassioned performance of one of Brown's hits, "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" followed by a standing ovation, while Chris Brown performed a dance routine in honor of James Brown.^[115]

Tributes [link]

As a tribute to James Brown, the Rolling Stones covered the song, "I'll Go Crazy" from Brown's Live at the Apollo album, during its 2007 European tour. On September 12, 2007, barely nine months after James Brown's death, Bobby Byrd, the original leader and founder of The Famous Flames vocal group along with Brown, died of cancer at 73 years old.^[116] Jimmy Page has remarked, "He [James Brown] was almost a musical genre in his own right and he changed and moved forward the whole time so people were able to learn from him."^[117]

On December 22, 2007, the first annual "Tribute Fit For the King of King Records" in honor of James Brown was held at the Madison Theater in Covington, Kentucky. The tribute, organized by Bootsy Collins, featured appearances by Afrika Bambaataa, Chuck D of Public Enemy, The Soul Generals, Buckethead, Freekbass, Triage and many of Brown's surviving family members. Comedian Michael Coyer was the MC for the event. During the show, the mayor of Cincinnati proclaimed December 22 as James Brown Day.^[118] It has been said^{[by whom?]} that a biographical film is in the works about Brown; Spike Lee has signed on to direct, with Brian Grazer producing and Jez and John-Henry Butterworth writing the script. Usher and Fergie are interested in being in the project.^{[citation needed]}

Discography [link]

For an extended list of albums, compilations and charting singles, see James Brown discography.

Notable albums [link]

Four of James Brown's albums appeared on the Rolling Stone Magazine's 2003 list of the 500 greatest albums of all time:^[119]

Live at the Apollo (1963) (#24)
In the Jungle Groove (1986) (#330)
Star Time (1991) (#79)
20 All-Time Greatest Hits! (1991) (#414)

In addition, Brown's 1970 double album Sex Machine was ranked 96th in a 2005 survey held by British television station Channel 4 to determine the 100 greatest albums of all time.^[120] Other notable albums, originally released as double LP records, feature extensive playing by The J.B.'s and served as prolific sources of samples for later musical artists, including:

Get On the Good Foot (1972)
The Payback (1974)
Hell (1974)

The 1968 Live at the Apollo, Vol. II double LP album was notably influential on musicians at the time of its release. This classic album remains an example of Brown's energetic live performances and audience interaction, as well as providing a means of documenting the metamorphosis of his music from the R&B and soul styles into hard funk.

Notable singles [link]

Until the early 1970s, Brown was famous mostly for his road show and singles, rather than his albums (with his live LPs as a major exception). Six of his hit singles appeared on the Rolling Stone Magazine's 2004 list of the 500 greatest songs of all time:^[121]

"Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" (1965) (#72)
"I Got You (I Feel Good)" (1965) (#78)
"It's a Man's Man's Man's World" (1966) (#123)
"Please, Please, Please" (1956) (#142)
"Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud" (1968) (#305)
"Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine" (1970) (#326)

Complete singles reissue [link]

In 2006, Hip-O Select Records began a multi-volume reissue of James Brown's complete singles (both A-sides and B-sides) on CD. Eleven volumes have been released, covering the periods 1956–1960, 1960–1963, 1964–1965, 1966–1967, 1967–1969, 1969–1970, 1970–1972, 1972–1973, 1973–1975, 1975–1979, and 1979–1981.

Filmography [link]

The T.A.M.I. Show (1964) (documentary)
Ski Party (1965)
The Phynx (1970)
Black Caesar (1973) (soundtrack only)
Slaughter's Big Ripoff (1974) (soundtrack only)
The Blues Brothers (1980)
Doctor Detroit (1983)
Rocky IV (1985)
When We Were Kings (1996) (documentary)
Soulmates (1997)
Blues Brothers 2000 (1998)
portrayed by Carlton Smith in Liberty Heights (1999)
Holy Man (1998)
Undercover Brother (2002)
The Tuxedo (2002)
The Hire: Beat The Devil (2002) (short film)
Paper Chasers (2003) (documentary)
Sid Bernstein Presents... (2005) (documentary)
Glastonbury (2006) (documentary)
Life on the Road with Mr. and Mrs. Brown (2007) (documentary; release pending)
I Got The Feelin': James Brown in the '60s (three-DVD set featuring the film The Night James Brown Saved Boston, Live at the Boston Garden 1968 and Live at the Apollo '68
Soul Power (2009) (documentary)

In other media [link]

Games [link]

In the video game World of Warcraft, the first boss character of the Forge of Souls level is Brohnjahm, "the Godfather of Souls". His quotes during the fight are musical references, and he has a chance of dropping an item called "Papa's Brand New Bag".^[122]
In The Godfather 2 video game, Brown's "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" plays behind the end credits.
A different version of "I Got You (I Feel Good)", recorded in 1974, is playable in the rhythm video game Rock Band 3. In addition, "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine (Pt. 1)" is available for download across the series, while "Super Bad (Pts. 1 & 2)" was released later, only for the third game.
In the Worms Armaggedon and Worms World Party video games, many of James Brown's song titles are used in the "Soul Man" custom voice setting like "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" or "Like a Sex Machine", clear references to James Brown.

References [link]

Footnotes

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^ Popkin, Helen A.S. (December 30, 2006). "Remembering the Godfather of Soul". MSNBC. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16353627/. Retrieved July 6, 2011.
^ Lynn, Loretta. "James Brown: The Godfather of Soul (9781560253884): James Brown, Al Sharpton, Bruce Tucker: Books". Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/dp/1560253886. Retrieved July 6, 2011.
^ "Hardworking Godfather of Soul". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/25/AR2006122500049.html.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d May the works I have done speak for me ... James Brown.^{[dead link]} (December 29, 2006). Carpentersville Baptist Church, North Augusta, SC (obituary program for the Brown family's private memorial service). Retrieved January 10, 2007 (Adobe Acrobat Reader required for viewing).
^ ^a ^b James Brown, the "Godfather of Soul," dies at 73. (2006, December 25). CNN Entertainment News. Retrieved January 5, 2007.
^ Wiegand, D. (December 26, 2006). James Brown: 1928–2006 – Godfather of soul changed music at frenetic pace. The San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved January 10, 2007.
^ ^a ^b Collins, W. (January 29, 2002). James Brown. St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture. Retrieved January 12, 2007.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Hirshey, G. Funk's founding father. (2007, January 10). Rolling Stone Magazine. Retrieved January 27, 2007.
^ Whitburn, J. (2000). Top Pop Singles: 1955–1999, 900. Menonite Falls, WI: Record Research. ISBN 0-89820-140-3.
^ James Brown band to resume touring soon. (2006, December 29). MSNBC. Retrieved January 13, 2007.
^ White, C. & Weinger, H. Are You Ready for Star Time? Star Time, J. Brown. (1991) Liner notes, 31. Polydor.
^ George, N. (1988). The Death of Rhythm and Blues, 101. New York: Pantheon Books. ISBN 0-452-26697-1.
^ Guralnick, P. (1986). Sweet Soul Music: Rhythm and Blues and the Southern Dream of Freedom, 240. New York: Back Bay Books. ISBN 0-452-26697-1.
^ Jonathan Lethem (December 24, 2010). "Being James Brown: Rolling Stone's 2006 Story". Rolling Stone Magazine. http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/being-james-brown-rolling-stones-2006-cover-story-20101224. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
^ Contact Music (2004). "James Brown — James Brown's Indian Heritage". Contact Music. http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/james%20brown.s%20indian%20heritage. Retrieved April 9, 2009.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Gourevitch, Philip (July 29, 2002). "Mr. Brown: On the road with his bad self". The New Yorker. http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2002/07/29/020729fa_fact_gourevitch. Retrieved January 12, 2007. "He met his biological father once, who gave Brown a harmonica. His biological father worked on the railroad in Ridgeland, Kansas." (Subscription required)
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Smith, W. (December 26, 2006). James Brown, the undeniable Godfather of Soul" dead at 73. The New York Beacon. Retrieved January 10, 2007.
^ Page, C. (December 27, 2006). His adopted son, Jon White, of Memphis, Tennessee, says his Dad has come a long way since those dark days of his youth. "I asked my Dad how he felt after his 11th rehab visit, and J.B. stated.... "Whoa, I feel good, I knew that I would now...I feel nice, like sugar and spice.... so good, so good, I got you!"... I suggested he make it a song." Godfather of soul, and of our goal. The Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 28, 2007.
^ Kowalski, E. (2006, December 25). "Godfather of soul, James Brown, dead at 73", Voice of America. Retrieved January 12, 2007.
^ Brown, J. & Eliot, M. (introduction). (2005). I Feel Good: A Memoir of a Life Soul. New York: New American Library. ISBN 0-451-21393-9.
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^ ^a ^b Burnett, B. (2006, December 21). James Brown: Audience with the Godfather (interview). The Hour. Retrieved January 9, 2007.
^ White, Charles. (2003). The Life and Times of Little Richard: The Authorised Biography. Omnibus Press. P. 231.
^ 1986 Inductees: Little Richard, performer. (2005). The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc. Retrieved October 28, 2006.
^ Merlis, Bob; Seay, Davin; James, Etta (1997), p. foreword. Heart and Soul – A Celebration of Black Music Style inAmerica 1930–1975. Stewart Tabori & Chang.
^ White, Cliff (1991). Discography. In Star Time (p. 55) [CD liner notes]. London: Polydor Records.
^ List of number-one rhythm and blues hits (United States)#1948
^ 1986 Inductees: James Brown, performer. (2005). The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc. Retrieved January 9, 2007.
^ Nat Kendrick & The Swans. Henry Stone Music, Inc. Retrieved January 28, 2007.
^ Guralnick, P. (1986). Sweet Soul Music: Rhythm and Blues and the Southern Dream of Freedom, 235. New York: Back Bay Books. ISBN 0-452-26697-1.
^ James Brown. The History of Rock 'n' Roll: The Golden Decade 1954–1963. Retrieved February 25, 2007.
^ James Brown: Biography. (2006). All Media Guide. Retrieved November 22, 2006.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e James Brown interviewed on the Pop Chronicles (1969).
^ George, N. (1988). The Death of Rhythm & Blues, 101. New York: Pantheon Books. ISBN 0-394-55238-5.
^ Vincent, R. & Clinton, G. (1996). Funk: The Music, The People, and The Rhythm of The One, 123. New York: St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN 0-312-13499-1.
^ Slutsky, Allan, Chuck Silverman (1997). The Funkmasters-the Great James Brown Rhythm Sections. ISBN-10: 1576234436
^ Stewart, Alexander (2000: 306). "Funky Drummer: New Orleans, James Brown and the Rhythmic Transformation of American Popular Music." Popular Music, v. 19, n. 3. Oct., 2000), p. 293-318.
^ Stewart (2000: 306).
^ "James Brown's Sample-Based Music and Cover Songs". WhoSampled. http://www.whosampled.com/artist/James%20Brown/. Retrieved September 19, 2009.
^ Most sampled songs and Most sampled artists. The-Breaks.com. Retrieved December 30, 2006.
^ "James Brown – Soul Survivor | American Masters". PBS. October 29, 2003. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/james-brown/soul-survivor/532/. Retrieved October 28, 2011.
^ The Whole Note: Under the Radar in '06. (2006). All Media Guide. Retrieved January 9, 2007.
^ Liner notes – Kurtis Blow presents: The History of Rap, Vol. 1. Rhino Records. Retrieved January 9, 2007.
^ Beat the Devil. (2002). Internet Movie Database Inc. (IMDb). Retrieved January 9, 2007.
^ Full cast and crew for The Tuxedo. (2002). Internet Movie Database Inc. (IMDb). Retrieved January 9, 2007.
^ ^a ^b Gross, T. (2005, February 22). James Brown (Fresh Air WHYY-FM audio interview). National Public Radio. Retrieved January 22, 2007.
^ Guralnick, 231.
^ Page, C. (January 2, 2007). Godfather's soul transcended racial, musical barriers. The Record. Retrieved June 17, 2007.
^ Loverro, T. (December 28, 2006). Soul Brother had sports roots. The Washington Times. Retrieved January 13, 2007.
^ Tangari, J. (2007, January 3). James Brown, 1928–2006. Pitchforkmedia, Inc. Retrieved January 21, 2007.
^ Gross, T. (1989). Musician Maceo Parker (Fresh Air WHYY-FM audio interview). National Public Radio. Retrieved January 22, 2007.
^ Gottschild, B.D. (2000, August). James Brown: Godfather of dance. Dance Magazine, 74(8), p. 54 (Document no. A63735725). Retrieved January 11, 2007 from the Biography Resource Center database.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e The Night James Brown Saved Boston. VH1 rockDocs.
^ "Singer James Brown prostate cancer surgery successful". (December 16, 2004). Medical News Today. Retrieved January 10, 2007.
^ ^a ^b ^c A Home coming celebration for Augusta's own native son: James Brown. (2006, December 30). The James Arena, Augusta, Georgia (obituary program for the public memorial service of James Brown). Retrieved January 12, 2007 (Microsoft PowerPoint viewer/program required for viewing)
^ Goodman, Brenda (November 8, 2007). ""Keeping Track of James Brown and The Big Payback" Brenda Goodman, Nov. 8, 2007". Thelede.blogs.nytimes.com. http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/11/08/keeping-track-of-james-brown-and-the-big-payback/. Retrieved July 31, 2009.
^ Stritof, S. & Stritof, B. (2006). The marriages of James Brown. About.com: Marriage. Retrieved January 8, 2007.
^ Elsworth, C. (August 22, 2007) James Brown's secret children emerge. The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved July 5, 2009.
^ ^a ^b Martin, J. (January 4, 2007). Tomi Rae defends her relationship with James Brown. WRDW-TV (Augusta, Georgia). Retrieved January 9, 2007.
^ Gardner,L. (December 26, 2006). Tomi Rae Hynie: "It's a blatant lie". WRDW-TV (Augusta, Georgia). Retrieved January 8, 2007.
^ ^a ^b Anderson, V. (January 5, 2007). Probate hearing may determine whether Hynie is James Brown's widow. The Atlanta-Journal Constitution. Retrieved January 8, 2007.
^ Singer James Brown files for annulment. Jet Magazine, 105(8), p. 18. Retrieved January 11, 2007 from the Biography Resource Center database.
^ Brown widow: I've been locked out. (2006). CNN Entertainment News. Retrieved January 8, 2007.
^ Public announcement of annulment in Variety Magazine. (July 22, 2003). The Smoking Gun. Retrieved January 8, 2007.
^ Stritof, S. & Stritof, B. (2007). James Brown and Tomi Rae Hynie timeline: The puzzle of a complicated marriage relationship. About.com: Marriage. Retrieved January 14, 2002.
^ "Brown wanted paternity test". The Herald Sun (Australia). January 8, 2007. http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21026466-5006024,00.html. Retrieved January 8, 2007.
^ "James Brown's partner selects guardian". The Washington Post. April 4, 2007. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040400490.html. Retrieved April 11, 2007.
^ In the Matter of James Joseph Brown, File No. SV-44B-3846. (1989). Criminal Investigative Division, Civil Rights Unit. U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved on June 3, 2007 (Abobe Acrobat Reader required for viewing).
^ Stephens, J. (April 3, 2007). FBI file recounts James Brown's side Of '88 police chase. The Washington Post. Retrieved June 4, 2007.
^ Aiken County Sheriff's Office Incident Report, Case No. 0000030719. (July 3, 2000). The Smoking Gun. Retrieved January 8, 2007.
^ South Carolina pardons James Brown for past crimes. (June 9, 2003). Jet Magazine, 36. Retrieved January 14, 2007 from the Lexis-Nexis Academic database.
^ James Brown pleads to domestic violence. (2004). The Smoking Gun. Retrieved January 8, 2007.
^ "James Brown rape case dismissed.". BBC News. April 3, 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6520959.stm. Retrieved August 20, 2009.
^ ^a ^b James Brown hospitalized with pneumonia. (December 24, 2006). CNN Entertainment News. Retrieved January 9, 2007.
^ Soul "godfather" James Brown dies. (December 25, 2006). CNN Entertainment News. Retrieved January 9, 2007.
^ Old friend and original Famous Flames founder Bobby Byrd was also present. Mourners pay respects to James Brown at Apollo Theater public viewing. (December 28, 2006). Fox News. Retrieved March 16, 2007.
^ Private ceremony held Friday for friends and family of James Brown. (December 29, 2006). Fox News. Retrieved March 16, 2007.
^ Michael Jackson attends James Brown funeral. (2006, December 30). Access Hollywood. Retrieved March 21, 2007.
^ Anderson, V. (2006, December 30). Michael Jackson, McCartney had private viewing. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved March 23, 2007.
^ James Brown eulogized for impact on word: Family and friends attend a private South Carolina ceremony for the "Godfather of Soul". (2006, December 29). CBS News: The Show Buzz. Retrieved March 10, 2007.
^ NYC & Ga. farewell for Godfather of Soul: Funeral procession and wake in Harlem; funeral in Georgia. (2006, December 28). CBS News: The Show Buzz. Retrieved March 10, 2007.
^ Christensen, J. (2006, December 28). Picture of horse drawn carriage carrying James Brown's body in gold casket to the Apollo Theater in Harlem. Rolling Stone Magazine. Retrieved March 21, 2007.
^ Altaffer, M. (2006, December 28). Picture of pallbearers carrying James Brown's casket to Apollo Theater memorial service. Rolling Stone Magazine. Retrieved March 21, 2007.
^ Mourners pay respects to James Brown at Apollo Theater public viewing. (2006, December 28). Fox News. Retrieved March 16, 2007.
^ Private ceremony held Friday for friends and family of James Brown. (2006, December 29). Fox News. Retrieved March 16, 2007.
^ Farewell tour to James Brown ends with hometown memorial. (2006, December 30). Fox News. Retrieved March 21, 2007.
^ Barnett, R. (2006, December 30). Farewell tour to James Brown ends. USA Today. Retrieved March 16, 2007.
^ Wynn, M. & Edwards, J. (December 31, 2006). [1] Article "Hardest Work Is Done, Publication: Augusta Chronicle. Retrieved February 1, 2009.
^ ^a ^b James Brown Jr. not included in will. WRDW-TV News (Augusta, Georgia). Retrieved January 12, 2007.
^ James Brown's road to wealth was rocky: Financial turmoil part of "Godfather" legend. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved March 21, 2007.
^ James Brown's widow "not in will". BBC News (UK). Retrieved January 12, 2007.
^ Finn, N. (2007, January 18). James Brown's estate wills more drama. E!News. Retrieved March 21, 2007.
^ James Brown's children request trustees be removed. (2007, January 26). Star Pulse. Retrieved January 28, 2007.
^ Emergency petition for termination of appointment and removal of personal representatives and for emergency order restraining all personal representatives. In the matter of James Brown, a/k/a James Joseph Brown. Case/Estate No. 2007-ES02-0056 (S.C. Probate Ct., filed January 24, 2007). Retrieved January 28, 2007 (Adobe Acrobat Reader required for viewing).
^ Emergency petition for appointment of special administrator. In re estate of James Brown a/k/a James Joseph Brown, deceased, Case No. 2007-CP-02-0122 (S.C. Cir. Ct., filed January 31, 2007). FindLaw. Retrieved March 21, 2007.
^ Deal reached on James Brown's burial place: Judge appoints administrator to oversee "Godfather of Soul's" property and trust. (2007, February 20). CBS News: The Show Buzz. Retrieved March 10, 2007.
^ ^a ^b ^c Grossberg, J. (2007, March 13). Brown laid to rest (finally). E! Online. Retrieved April 14, 2007.
^ James Brown laid to rest in temporary tomb. (2007, March 10). CNN Entertainment News. Retrieved March 10, 2007.
^ Godfather of Soul's body moved from home. CBC (Iraq). Retrieved January 21, 2007.
^ Goggins, K.A. (2007, March 11). James Brown placed in daughter's crypt, for now. The Washington Post, p. D03. Retrieved March 14, 2007.
^ Crowl, D. (2002, June 29). The godfather's bridge: James Brown snatched a piece of steamboat history nine years ago. Steamboat Pilot & Today. Retrieved January 12, 2007.
^ The String Cheese Independence Incident returns to Steamboat: Earl Scruggs and Family and Friends, Yonder Mountain String Band, James Brown & Corey Harris round out music acts. (2002, June 26). Steamboat Ski Two, U.S.A. Retrieved January 29, 2007.
^ "The Famous Flames". Future Rock Legends. http://www.futurerocklegends.com/artist.php?artist_id=The_Famous_Flames. Retrieved 2012-05-04.
^ "The Famous Flames Biography | The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum". Rockhall.com. http://rockhall.com/inductees/the-famous-flames/bio/. Retrieved 2012-05-04.
^ Redferns. "The Famous Flames: James Brown was their leader, but they were R&B legends, too (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2012)". cleveland.com. http://www.cleveland.com/rockhall/index.ssf/2012/04/the_famous_flames_james_brown.html. Retrieved 2012-05-04.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f The James Brown review. (2006, December 30). The Augusta Chronicle. Retrieved January 12, 2007.
^ "BMI Celebrates Urban Music at 2002 Awards Ceremony". bmi.com. http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/233151. Retrieved September 27, 2010.
^ UK Music Hall of Fame 2006. (2006, March 11). Endemol UK Plc. Retrieved January 12, 2007.
^ Rubin, R. (2004, April 15). The Immortals: The first fifty – 7) James Brown. Rolling Stone Magazine (issue 946). Retrieved January 10, 2007.
^ Christgau, Robert. The Genius: James Brown. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on June 17, 2010.
^ James Brown's legal troubles delay statue unveiling. (2004, May 1). The Augusta Chronicle. Retrieved January 14, 2007 from the Lexis-Nexis Academic database.
^ Remembering James Brown: Augusta memorial memorable. WKBF-TV (Augusta, Georgia). Retrieved January 10, 2007.
^ James Brown receives posthumous degree. (2007, January 2). Diverse: Issues In Higher Education. Retrieved March 16, 2007.
^ Hasty, J. (2007, February 12). Grammy performances look forward and back. Billboard Magazine. Retrieved February 12, 2007.
^ Rolling Stones show they are still greatest rock band. (2007, August 22). The Arizona Republic. Retrieved August 24, 2007.
^ Ross Bennett. Jimmy Page: "The Records That Changed My Life!" #10. Mojo. Retrieved December 31, 2010.
^ Tunis, W. (2007, December 21). Feel good again: Show to pay tribute to the Godfather of Soul, a year after his death. Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved December 23, 2005.
^ The RS 500 greatest albums of all time. (2003, November). Rolling Stone Magazine. Retrieved January 27, 2007.
^ The 100 greatest albums: Results. Channel 4 (UK). Retrieved January 30, 2007.
^ The RS 500 greatest songs of all time. (2004, November). Rolling Stone Magazine. Retrieved January 27, 2007.
^ "Bronjahm – NPC – World of Warcraft". Wowhead.com. http://www.wowhead.com/npc=36497/bronjahm. Retrieved July 6, 2011.

Other references

Sussman, M. (producer). (2006, December 25). Arts: Soul classics by James Brown (multimedia presentation). The New York Times. Retrieved January 9, 2007.
Slide show: James Brown through the years. (2006, December 25). The New York Times. Retrieved January 9, 2007.
Lethem, J. (2006, June 12). Being James Brown. Rolling Stone Magazine. Retrieved January 14, 2007.
Rolling Stone Magazine audio interview with Jonathan Lethem about James Brown and his music. Rolling Stone Magazine. Retrieved January 9, 2007.
Sullivan, James (2008). The Hardest Working Man: How James Brown Saved the Soul of America. New York: Gotham Books. ISBN 978-1-59240-390-5. http://www.amazon.com/Hardest-Working-Man-James-America/dp/1592403905/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qisbn=1224096080&sr=1-2.

External links [link]

	Book: James Brown
Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print.

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: James Brown

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: James Brown

James Brown at Find-a-Grave
Celebrities share memories of James Brown
Profile of James Brown at Soul Evolution
The Times Obituary for James Brown
James Brown at the Internet Movie Database
James Brown discography at MusicBrainz
James Brown at Allmusic
James Brown at the Open Directory Project
James Brown, 1928–2006. News and multimedia archive from The Augusta Chronicle
James Brown's Musicians Reflect On His Legacy – article from Down Beat Magazine
Biography: James Brown and the Black Arts movement of the 1960s and 1970s (biography at Funky-Stuff.com).
James Brown biography and concert review in cosmopolis.ch
RBMA Radio On Demand – Across 135th Street – Volume 7 – Tribute to James Brown – Chairman Mao (RBMA, Egotrip)
1980 Interview with James Brown and the Rev. Al Sharpton by Jon Alpert on Democracy Now!
James Brown concert and interviews on NPR Music
James Brown radiostream
James Brown funeral program Digital Library of Georgia
The James Brown SuperFan Club

v t e James Brown albums

Studio albums	Please Please Please Try Me Think! The Amazing James Brown James Brown Presents His Band/Night Train Shout and Shimmy James Brown and His Famous Flames Tour the USA Prisoner of Love Excitement - Mr. Dynamite Showtime The Unbeatable James Brown Grits and Soul Out of Sight Papa's Got a Brand New Bag I Got You (I Feel Good) James Brown Plays James Brown Today and Yesterday Mighty Instrumentals James Brown Plays New Breed (The Boo-Ga-Loo) It's a Man's Man's Man's World James Brown Sings Christmas Songs Handful of Soul Sings Raw Soul James Brown Plays the Real Thing Cold Sweat I Can't Stand Myself I Got the Feeling James Brown Sings Out of Sight Thinking About Little Willie John and a Few Nice Things A Soulful Christmas Say It Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud Gettin' Down to It The Popcorn It's a Mother Ain't It Funky Soul on Top It's a New Day - Let a Man Come In Hey America Super Bad Sho' Is Funky Down Here Hot Pants There It Is Get on the Good Foot Black Caesar Slaughter's Big Rip-Off The Payback Hell Reality Sex Machine Today Everybody's Doin' the Hustle and Dead on the Double Bump Hot Get Up Offa That Thing Bodyheat Mutha's Nature Jam 1980's Take a Look at Those Cakes The Original Disco Man People Nonstop! Soul Syndrome Bring It On Gravity I'm Real Love Overdue Universal James I'm Back The Merry Christmas Album The Next Step

Live albums	Live at the Apollo Pure Dynamite! Live at the Royal The James Brown Show Live at the Garden Live at the Apollo, Volume II Sex Machine Revolution of the Mind: Live at the Apollo, Volume III Hot on the One James Brown and Friends: Soul Session Live Love Power Peace Live at the Apollo 1995 Say It Live & Loud: Live in Dallas 08.26.68

Compilation albums	Soul Classics Soul Classics, Volume 2 Solid Gold: 30 Golden Hits The Fabulous James Brown Can Your Heart Stand It? The Best of James Brown The Federal Years, Part 1 The Federal Years, Part 2 Roots of a Revolution - The James Brown Story 1956-1965 Ain't That a Groove - The James Brown Story 1966-1969 Doing It to Death - The James Brown Story 1970-1973 Dead on the Heavy Funk 1974-1976 The CD of JB: Sex Machine and Other Soul Classics The LP of JB In the Jungle Groove The CD of JB II: Cold Sweat and Other Soul Classics Motherlode Messin' With the Blues Star Time 20 All-Time Greatest Hits! Roots of a Revolution JB40: 40th Anniversary Collection Foundations of Funk – A Brand New Bag: 1964-1969 Funk Power 1970: A Brand New Thang Make It Funky – The Big Payback: 1971-1975 Dead On The Heavy Funk: 1975-1983 Classic James Brown - The Universal Masters Collection The Godfather - The Very Best of James Brown Classic James Brown Vol. 2 - The Universal Masters Collection 50th Anniversary Collection The Singles, Volume One: The Federal Years: 1956–1960 The Singles, Volume Two: 1960–1963 The Singles, Volume Three: 1964–1965 A Family Affair Dynamite X The Singles, Volume Four: 1966–1967 The Singles, Volume Five: 1967-1969 The Singles, Volume Six: 1969-1970 The Singles, Volume 7: 1970-1972 The Singles, Volume 8: 1972-1973 The Singles, Volume 9: 1973-1975 Icon The James Brown Complete Christmas The Singles, Volume 10: 1975-1979 The Singles, Volume 11: 1979-1981

Notable singles	"Please, Please, Please" "Try Me" "I'll Go Crazy" "Think" "Bewildered" "I Don't Mind" "Lost Someone" "Night Train" "Shout and Shimmy" "Prisoner of Love" "These Foolish Things" "Have Mercy Baby" "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" "I Got You (I Feel Good)" "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" "Cold Sweat" "I Got the Feelin'" "Licking Stick – Licking Stick" "Say It Loud – I'm Black and I'm Proud" "Funky Drummer" "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine" "Super Bad" "Caldonia" "Out of Sight" "Hot Pants" "Make It Funky" "Talkin' Loud and Sayin' Nothing" "Get on the Good Foot" "The Payback" "My Thang" "Papa Don't Take No Mess" "Funky President" "Get Up Offa That Thing" "Night Time Is the Right Time" "Unity" "Living in America"

Band members	Clyde Stubblefield

Associated acts	The Famous Flames The J.B.'s

Related articles	Discography Tomi Rae Hynie (Do the) Mashed Potatoes Record labels owned by James Brown

v t e Kennedy Center Honorees (2000s)

2000	Mikhail Baryshnikov Chuck Berry Plácido Domingo Clint Eastwood Angela Lansbury

2001	Julie Andrews Van Cliburn Quincy Jones Jack Nicholson Luciano Pavarotti

2002	James Earl Jones James Levine Chita Rivera Paul Simon Elizabeth Taylor

2003	James Brown Carol Burnett Loretta Lynn Mike Nichols Itzhak Perlman

2004	Warren Beatty Ossie Davis & Ruby Dee Elton John Joan Sutherland John Williams

2005	Tony Bennett Suzanne Farrell Julie Harris Robert Redford Tina Turner

2006	Zubin Mehta Dolly Parton Smokey Robinson Steven Spielberg Andrew Lloyd Webber

2007	Leon Fleisher Steve Martin Diana Ross Martin Scorsese Brian Wilson

2008	Morgan Freeman George Jones Barbra Streisand Twyla Tharp Pete Townshend & Roger Daltrey

2009	Mel Brooks Dave Brubeck Grace Bumbry Robert De Niro Bruce Springsteen

complete list 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s

Authority control: LCCN: n85266946 | WorldCat

Persondata
Name	Brown, James Joseph, Jr.
Alternative names	Godfather of Soul
Short description	Singer, songwriter, record producer, dope dealer
Date of birth	May 3, 1928
Place of birth	Barnwell, South Carolina, United States
Date of death	December 25, 2006
Place of death	Atlanta, Georgia, United States

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Luciano Pavarotti performing at the opening of the Constantine Palace in Strelna, 31 May 2003. The concert was part of the celebrations for the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg.

Luciano Pavarotti, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI (12 October 1935 – 6 September 2007) was an Italian operatic tenor, who also crossed over into popular music, eventually becoming one of the most commercially successful tenors of all time. He made numerous recordings of complete operas and individual arias, and established himself as one of the finest tenors of the 20th century.^[1] He was one of The Three Tenors and became well known for his televised concerts and media appearances. Pavarotti was also noted for his charity work on behalf of refugees and the Red Cross, amongst others.

Pavarotti began his professional career as a tenor in 1961 in Italy. That same year, he made his first international appearance in La traviata in Belgrade, Yugoslavia.^[2] He sang in opera houses in addition to Italy, in the Netherlands, Vienna, London, Ankara, Budapest and Barcelona. The young tenor earned valuable experience and recognition while touring Australia at the invitation of soprano Joan Sutherland in 1965. He made his United States debut in Miami soon afterwards, also on Sutherland's recommendation. His position as a leading lyric tenor was consolidated in the years between 1966 and 1972, during which time he first appeared at Milan's La Scala and other major European houses. In 1968, he debuted at New York City's Metropolitan Opera as Rodolfo in Puccini's La bohème. At the Met in 1972, in the role of Tonio in Donizetti's La fille du régiment he earned the title "King of the high Cs" when he sang the aria "Ah mes amis ... pour mon âme". He gained worldwide fame for the brilliance and beauty of his tone, especially into the upper register.^[3] He was at his best in bel canto operas, pre-Aida Verdi roles and Puccini works such as La bohème, Tosca and Madama Butterfly. The late 1970s and 1980s saw Pavarotti continue to make significant appearances in the world's foremost opera houses.

Celebrity beyond the world of opera came to Pavarotti at the 1990 World Cup in Italy with performances of Puccini's "Nessun dorma", sample (help·info) from Turandot, and as one of The Three Tenors in their famed first concert held on the eve of the tournament's final match. He sang on that occasion with fellow star tenors Plácido Domingo and José Carreras, bringing opera highlights to a wider audience. Appearances in advertisements and with pop icons in concerts furthered his international celebrity.

His final performance in an opera was at the Metropolitan Opera in March 2004. Later that year, the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) inducted him into its Italian American Hall of Fame in recognition of his lifetime of work. During a ceremony held at the Foundation's Anniversary Gala just four days after his 69th birthday, singer Faith Hill presented Pavarotti with a birthday cake and sang "Happy Birthday" to the opera legend.

The 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, saw Pavarotti on stage for the last time, where he performed "Nessun dorma", with the crowd serving as the aria's chorus, and he received a thunderous standing ovation.^[4]

He died from pancreatic cancer on 6 September 2007.

1 Earlier life and musical training
2 Career
3 Other work
- 3.1 Film and television
- 3.2 Humanitarianism
4 Death
5 Personal life
- 5.1 Settlement of estate
6 See also
7 Notes and references
8 External links

Earlier life and musical training [link]

Luciano Pavarotti was born in 1935 on the outskirts of Modena in Northern Italy, the son of Fernando Pavarotti, a baker and amateur tenor, and Adele Venturi, a cigar factory worker.^[5] Although he spoke fondly of his childhood, the family had little money; its four members were crowded into a two-room apartment. According to Pavarotti, his father had a fine tenor voice but rejected the possibility of a singing career because of nervousness. World War II forced the family out of the city in 1943. For the following year they rented a single room from a farmer in the neighbouring countryside, where the young Pavarotti developed an interest in farming.

After abandoning the dream of becoming a football goalkeeper, Pavarotti spent seven years in vocal training. Pavarotti's earliest musical influences were his father's recordings, most of them featuring the popular tenors of the day - Beniamino Gigli, Giovanni Martinelli, Tito Schipa and Enrico Caruso. Pavarotti's favourite tenor and idol was Giuseppe Di Stefano.^[6] He was also deeply influenced by Mario Lanza, saying, "In my teens I used to go to Mario Lanza movies and then come home and imitate him in the mirror".^[7] At around the age of nine he began singing with his father in a small local church choir.

After what appears to have been a normal childhood with a typical interest in sports — in Pavarotti's case football above all, he graduated from the Scuola Magistrale and faced the dilemma of a career choice. He was interested in pursuing a career as a professional football goalkeeper, but his mother convinced him to train as a teacher. He subsequently taught in an elementary school for two years but finally allowed his interest in music to win out. Recognising the risk involved, his father gave his consent only reluctantly.

Pavarotti began the serious study of music in 1954 at the age of 19 with Arrigo Pola, a respected teacher and professional tenor in Modena who offered to teach him without remuneration. Not until he began these studies was Pavarotti aware that he had perfect pitch.^{[citation needed]}

In 1955, he experienced his first singing success when he was a member of the Corale Rossini, a male voice choir from Modena that also included his father, which won first prize at the International Eisteddfod in Llangollen, Wales. He later said that this was the most important experience of his life, and that it inspired him to become a professional singer.^[8] At about this time Pavarotti first met Adua Veroni. They married in 1961.

When his teacher Arrigo Pola moved to Japan, Pavarotti became a student of Ettore Campogalliani, who at that time was also teaching Pavarotti's childhood friend, Mirella Freni, whose mother worked with Luciano's mother in the cigar factory. Like Pavarotti, Freni was destined to operatic greatness; they were to share the stage many times and make memorable recordings together.

During his years of musical study, Pavarotti held part time jobs in order to sustain himself – first as an elementary school teacher and then as an insurance salesman. The first six years of study resulted in only a few recitals, all in small towns and without pay. When a nodule developed on his vocal cords, causing a "disastrous" concert in Ferrara, he decided to give up singing. Pavarotti attributed his immediate improvement to the psychological release connected with this decision. Whatever the reason, the nodule not only disappeared but, as he related in his autobiography, "Everything I had learned came together with my natural voice to make the sound I had been struggling so hard to achieve".

Career [link]

1960s–1970s [link]

Pavarotti began his career as a tenor in smaller regional Italian opera houses, making his debut as Rodolfo in La Bohème at the Teatro Municipale in Reggio Emilia in April 1961.

Very early in his career, on 23 February 1963, he debuted at the Vienna State Opera with the same role. In March and April 1963 Vienna saw Pavarotti again as Rodolfo and as Duca di Mantova in Rigoletto. The same year saw his Royal Opera House debut, where he replaced an indisposed Giuseppe di Stefano as Rodolfo.^[9]

While generally successful, Pavarotti's early roles did not immediately propel him into the stardom that he would later enjoy. An early coup involved his connection with Joan Sutherland (and her conductor husband, Richard Bonynge), who in 1963 had sought a young tenor taller than herself to take along on her tour to Australia.^[10] With his commanding physical presence, Pavarotti proved ideal.^[11] The two sang some forty performances over two months, and Pavarotti later credited Sutherland for the breathing technique that would sustain him over his career.^[12]

Pavarotti made his American début with the Greater Miami Opera in February 1965, singing in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor opposite Joan Sutherland on the stage of the Miami-Dade County Auditorium in Miami. The tenor scheduled to perform that night became ill with no understudy. As Sutherland was traveling with him on tour, she recommended the young Pavarotti as he was well acquainted with the role.

Shortly after, on 28 April, Pavarotti made his La Scala debut in the revival of the famous Franco Zeffirelli production of La Bohème, with his childhood friend Mirella Freni singing Mimi and Herbert von Karajan conducting. Karajan had requested the singer's engagement. After an extended Australian tour, he returned to La Scala, where he added Tebaldo from I Capuleti e i Montecchi to his repertoire on 26 March 1966, with Giacomo Aragall as Romeo. His first appearance as Tonio in Donizetti's La Fille du Régiment took place at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, on 2 June of that year. It was his performances of this role that would earn him the title of "King of the High Cs".

He scored another major triumph in Rome on 20 November 1969 when he sang in I Lombardi opposite Renata Scotto. This was recorded on a private label and widely distributed, as were various recordings of his I Capuleti e i Montecchi, usually with Aragall. Early commercial recordings included a recital of Donizetti (the aria from Don Sebastiano were particularly highly regarded) and Verdi arias, as well as a complete L'Elisir d'Amore with Sutherland.

His major breakthrough in the United States came on 17 February 1972, in a production of La Fille du Régiment at New York's Metropolitan Opera, in which he drove the crowd into a frenzy with his nine effortless high Cs in the signature aria. He achieved a record seventeen curtain calls.

Pavarotti sang his international recital début at William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri, on 1 February 1973, as part of the college's Fine Arts Program, now known as the Harriman-Jewell Series. Perspiring due to nerves and a lingering cold, the tenor clutched a handkerchief throughout the début. The prop became a signature part of his solo performances.

He began to give frequent television performances, starting with his performances as Rodolfo (La Bohème) in the first Live from the Met telecast in March 1977, which attracted one of the largest audiences ever for a televised opera. He won many Grammy awards and platinum and gold discs for his performances. In addition to the previously listed titles, his La Favorita with Fiorenza Cossotto and his I Puritani (1975) with Sutherland stand out.

In 1976, Pavarotti debuted at the Salzburg Festival, appearing in a solo recital on 31 July, accompanied by pianist Leone Magiera. Pavarotti returned to the festival in 1978 with a recital and as the Italian singer in Der Rosenkavalier in 1983 with Idomeneo, and both in 1985 and 1988 with solo recitals.

In 1979, he was profiled in a cover story in the weekly magazine Time.^[13] That same year saw Pavarotti's return to the Vienna State Opera after an absence of fourteen years. With Herbert von Karajan conducting, Pavarotti sang Manrico in Il Trovatore. In 1978, he appeared in a solo recital on Live from Lincoln Center.

1980s–1990s [link]

At the beginning of the 1980s, he set up The Pavarotti International Voice Competition for young singers, performing with the winners in 1982 in excerpts of La Bohème and L'Elisir d'Amore. The second competition, in 1986, staged excerpts of La Bohème and Un Ballo in Maschera. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of his career, he brought the winners of the competition to Italy for gala performances of La Bohème in Modena and Genoa, and then to China where they staged performances of La Bohème in Beijing (Peking). To conclude the visit, Pavarotti performed the first ever concert in the Great Hall of the People before 10,000 people, receiving a standing ovation for nine effortless high Cs. The third competition in 1989 again staged performances of L'Elisir d'Amore and Un ballo in Maschera. The winners of the fifth competition accompanied Pavarotti in performances in Philadelphia in 1997.

In the mid-1980s, Pavarotti returned to two opera houses that had provided him with important breakthroughs, the Vienna State Opera and La Scala. Vienna saw Pavarotti as Rodolfo in La Bohème with Carlos Kleiber conducting and again Mirella Freni was Mimi; as Nemorino in L'Elisir d'Amore; as Radames in Aïda conducted by Lorin Maazel; as Rodolfo in Luisa Miller; and as Gustavo in Un Ballo in Maschera conducted by Claudio Abbado. In 1996, Pavarotti appeared for the last time at the Staatsoper in Andrea Chenier.

In 1985, Pavarotti sang Radames at La Scala opposite Maria Chiara in a Luca Ronconi production conducted by Maazel, recorded on video. His performance of the aria "Celeste Aïda" received a two-minute ovation on the opening night. He was reunited with Mirella Freni for the San Francisco Opera production of La Bohème in 1988, also recorded on video. In 1992, La Scala saw Pavarotti in a new Zeffirelli production of Don Carlo, conducted by Riccardo Muti. Pavarotti's performance was heavily criticized by some observers and booed by parts of the audience.

Pavarotti became even better known throughout the world in 1990 when his rendition of Giacomo Puccini's aria, "Nessun Dorma" from Turandot was taken as the theme song of BBC's TV coverage of the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy. The aria achieved pop status and remained his trademark song. This was followed by the hugely successful Three Tenors concert, held on the eve of the World Cup final at the ancient Baths of Caracalla in Rome with fellow tenors Plácido Domingo and José Carreras and conductor Zubin Mehta, which became the biggest selling classical record of all time. A highlight of the concert, in which Pavarotti hammed up a famous portion of di Capua's "O Sole Mio" and was mimicked by Domingo and Carreras to the delight of the audience, became one of the most memorable moments in contemporary operatic history. Throughout the 1990s, Pavarotti appeared in many well-attended outdoor concerts, including his televised concert in London's Hyde Park, which drew a record attendance of 150,000. In June 1993, more than 500,000 listeners gathered for his free performance on the Great Lawn of New York's Central Park, while millions more around the world watched on television. The following September, in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, he sang for an estimated crowd of 300,000. Following on from the original 1990 concert, the Three Tenors concerts were held during the Football World Cups: in Los Angeles in 1994, in Paris in 1998, and in Yokohama in 2002.

In 1995, Pavarotti's friends, the singer Lara Saint Paul (as Lara Cariaggi) and her husband showman Pier Quinto Cariaggi, who had produced and organised Pavarotti's 1990 FIFA World Cup Celebration Concert at the PalaTrussardi in Milan,^[14] produced and wrote the television documentary The Best is Yet to Come, an extensive biography about the life of Pavarotti.^[15] Lara Saint Paul was the interviewer for the documentary with Pavarotti, who spoke candidly about his life and career.^[16]

Pavarotti's rise to stardom was not without occasional difficulties, however. He earned a reputation as "The King of Cancellations" by frequently backing out of performances, and his unreliable nature led to poor relationships with some opera houses. This was brought into focus in 1989 when Ardis Krainik of the Lyric Opera of Chicago severed the house's 15-year relationship with the tenor.^[17] Over an eight-year period, Pavarotti had cancelled 26 out of 41 scheduled appearances at the Lyric, and the decisive move by Krainik to ban him for life was well-noted throughout the opera world, after the performer walked away from a season premiere less than two weeks before rehearsals began, saying pain from a sciatic nerve required two months of treatment.

On 12 December 1998, he became the first (and, to date, only) opera singer to perform on Saturday Night Live, singing alongside Vanessa L. Williams. He also sang with U2, in the band's 1995 song "Miss Sarajevo", and with Mercedes Sosa in a big concert at the Boca Juniors arena La Bombonera in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1999.

In 1998, Pavarotti was presented with the Grammy Legend Award. Given only on special occasions, as of 2007 it has been awarded only 15 times since its first presentation in 1990.

2000s [link]

Luciano Pavarotti performing on 15 June 2002 at a concert in the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille

In 2004, one of Pavarotti's former managers, Herbert Breslin, published a book, The King & I.^[17] Seen by many as bitter and sensationalistic, it is critical of the singer's acting (in opera), his inability to read music well and learn parts, and of his personal conduct, although acknowledging their mutual success. In an interview in 2005 with Jeremy Paxman on the BBC, Pavarotti rejected the allegation that he could not read music, although he acknowledged he did not read orchestral scores.

He received an enormous number of awards and honours, including Kennedy Center Honors in 2001. He also holds two Guinness World Records: one for receiving the most curtain calls (165)^[18] and another for the best-selling classical album (In Concert by The Three Tenors). (The latter record is thus shared by fellow tenors Plácido Domingo and José Carreras.)

In late 2003, he released his final compilation - and his first and only "crossover" album, Ti Adoro. Most of the 13 songs were written and produced by the Michele Centonze who had already helped produce the "Pavarotti & Friends" concerts between 1998 and 2000.^[19] The tenor described the album as a wedding gift to Nicoletta Mantovani.

Pavarotti began his farewell tour in 2004, at the age of 69, performing one last time in old and new locations, after more than four decades on the stage. Pavarotti gave his last performance in an opera at the New York Metropolitan Opera on 13 March 2004, for which he received a long standing ovation for his role as the painter Mario Cavaradossi in Giacomo Puccini's Tosca. On 1 December 2004, he announced a 40-city farewell tour. Pavarotti and his manager, Terri Robson, commissioned impresario Harvey Goldsmith to produce the Worldwide Farewell Tour. His last full-scale performance was at the end of a two-month Australasian tour in Taiwan, in December 2005.

In March 2005, Pavarotti underwent neck surgery to repair two vertebrae. In early 2006, he underwent further back surgery and contracted an infection while in the hospital in New York, forcing cancellation of concerts in the U.S., Canada and the UK.^[20]

On 10 February 2006, Pavarotti sang "Nessun Dorma" at the 2006 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Turin, Italy, at his final performance. In the last act of the opening ceremony, his performance received the longest and loudest ovation of the night from the international crowd. Leone Magiera, who directed the performance, revealed in his 2008 memoirs, Pavarotti Visto da Vicino, that the performance was prerecorded weeks earlier.^[21] "The orchestra pretended to play for the audience, I pretended to conduct and Luciano pretended to sing. The effect was wonderful," he wrote. Pavarotti's manager, Terri Robson, said that the tenor had turned the Winter Olympic Committee's invitation down several times because it would have been impossible to sing late at night in the sub-zero conditions of Turin in February. The committee eventually persuaded him to take part by pre-recording the song.

Other work [link]

Film and television [link]

Pavarotti's one venture into film, a romantic comedy called Yes, Giorgio (1982), was roundly panned by the critics. He can be seen to better advantage in Jean-Pierre Ponnelle's adaptation of Rigoletto for television, released that same year, or in his more than 20 live opera performances taped for television between 1978 and 1994, most of them with the Metropolitan Opera, and most available on DVD.

Humanitarianism [link]

Pavarotti annually hosted the "Pavarotti and Friends" charity concerts in his home town of Modena in Italy, joining with singers from all parts of the music industry, including Andrea Bocelli, Jon Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams, Bono, James Brown, Mariah Carey, Eric Clapton, Sheryl Crow, Céline Dion, Elton John, Deep Purple, Meat Loaf, Queen, George Michael, Sting and the Spice Girls, to raise money for several UN causes. Concerts were held for War Child, and victims of war and civil unrest in Bosnia, Guatemala, Kosovo and Iraq. After the war in Bosnia, he financed and established the Pavarotti Music Centre in the southern city of Mostar to offer Bosnia's artists the opportunity to develop their skills. For these contributions, the city of Sarajevo named him an honorary citizen in 2006.^[22]

He performed at benefit concerts to raise money for victims of tragedies such as the Spitak earthquake that killed 25,000 people in northern Armenia in December 1988,^[23] and sang Gounod's Ave Maria with legendary French pop music star and ethnic Armenian Charles Aznavour.

He was a close friend of Diana, Princess of Wales. They raised money for the elimination of land mines worldwide. He was invited to sing at her funeral service, but declined to sing, as he felt he could not sing well "with his grief in his throat". Nonetheless, he attended the service.

In 1998, he was appointed the United Nations Messenger of Peace, using his fame to raise awareness of UN issues, including the Millennium Development Goals, HIV/AIDS, child rights, urban slums and poverty.^[24]

In 1999, Pavarotti performed a charity benefit concert in Beirut, to mark Lebanon's reemergence on the world stage after a brutal 15 year civil war. The largest concert held in Beirut since the end of the war, it was attended by 20,000 people who travelled from countries as distant as Saudi Arabia and Bulgaria.^[25]

In 2001, Pavarotti received the Nansen Medal from the UN High Commission for Refugees for his efforts raising money on behalf of refugees worldwide. Through benefit concerts and volunteer work, he has raised more than any other individual.^[26]

Other honours he received include the "Freedom of London Award" and The Red Cross "Award for Services to Humanity", for his work in raising money for that organization, and the 1998 "MusiCares Person of the Year", given to humanitarian heroes by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.^[27]^[28]

He was a National Patron of Delta Omicron, an international professional music fraternity.^[29]

Death [link]

Wikinews has related news: Opera singer Luciano Pavarotti dies at age 71

While undertaking an international "farewell tour," Pavarotti was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in July 2006. The tenor fought back against the implications of this diagnosis, undergoing major abdominal surgery and making plans for the resumption and conclusion of his singing commitments.^[30] He died at his home in Modena on 6 September 2007. Within hours of his death, his manager, Terri Robson, noted in an e-mail statement, "The Maestro fought a long, tough battle against the pancreatic cancer which eventually took his life. In fitting with the approach that characterized his life and work, he remained positive until finally succumbing to the last stages of his illness".^[31]^[32]^[33]

Pavarotti's funeral was held in Modena Cathedral. Romano Prodi and Kofi Annan attended.^[34] The Frecce Tricolori, the aerobatic demonstration team of the Italian Air Force, flew overhead, leaving green-white-red smoke trails. After a funeral procession through the centre of Modena, Pavarotti's coffin was taken the final ten kilometres to Montale Rangone, a village part of Castelnuovo Rangone, and was buried near his parents' grave. The funeral, in its entirety, was also telecast live on CNN. The Vienna State Opera and the Salzburg Festival Hall flew black flags in mourning.^[35] Tributes were published by many opera houses, such as London's Royal Opera House.^[36] The Italian football giant Juventus F.C., of which Pavarotti was a lifelong fan, was represented at the funeral and posted a farewell message on its website which said: "Ciao Luciano, black-and-white heart" referring to the team's famous stripes when they play on their home ground.

Personal life [link]

On 13 December 2003, he married his former personal assistant, Nicoletta Mantovani (born 1969), with whom he already had a daughter, Alice. A second child, Riccardo, did not survive, because of complications at the time of birth in January 2003. Pavarotti is also survived by three other daughters by his first wife Adua, to whom he was married for 34 years: Lorenza, Cristina, and Giuliana. At the time of his death, he had one granddaughter.

Settlement of estate [link]

His first will was opened the day after his death and a second will, within the same month of September.^[37] He left an estate outside his native Modena, a villa in Pesaro, a flat in Monte Carlo, and three flats in New York City.^[38]

Pavarotti's widow's lawyers Giorgio Bernini, Anna Maria Bernini, and manager Terri Robson announced on 30 June 2008 that his family amicably settled his estate – 300 million euros ($ 474.2 million, including $15 million in U.S. assets). Pavarotti drafted two wills before his death: one divided his assets by Italian law, giving half to his second wife, Nicoletta Mantovani, and half to his four daughters; the second gave his U.S. holdings to Mantovani. The judge confirmed the compromise by the end of July 2008. However, a Pesaro public prosecutor, Massimo di Patria, investigated allegations that Pavarotti was not of sound mind when he signed the will.^[39]^[40]^[41] Pavarotti's estate has been settled "fairly", a lawyer for Pavarotti's widow, Nicoletta Mantovani, said in statements after reports of a dispute between Ms. Mantovani and his three daughters from his first marriage.^[42]

Notes and references [link]

^ The Times Obituary: Luciano Pavarotti, 6 September 2007
^ [1]^{[dead link]}
^ Warrack, John and Ewan West (1996). "Luciano Pavarotti." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Opera. (3rd Ed.), ... an excellent technique, and a conquering personality.")
^ Kington, Tom (7 April 2008). "Pavarotti mimed at final performance". The Guardian (London). http://music.guardian.co.uk/classical/story/0,,2271470,00.html. Retrieved 2008-04-07.
^ Luciano Pavarotti Biography (1935-2007)
^ YouTube - Luciano Pavarotti talks about his idol Giuseppe di Stefano
^ http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=5e2_1189060061 Originally from MSNBC article at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20607839/
^ "Pavarotti eisteddfod career start". BBC Online. 6 September 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/north_east/6981188.stm. Retrieved 2007-09-07.
^ Paul Arendt, "It Was All About the Voice," The Guardian,(Italy), 7 September 2007
^ Joan Sutherland quoted in Paul Arendt, "It Was All About the Voice," The Guardian, (London), 7 September 2007: "The young Pavarotti was a revelation to the opera world. He made his debut in the United States with us in Miami in 1965. He then came as part of our company to Australia, where he sang three times a week for 14 weeks, and we went on to make countless recordings together.
^ Richard Dyer, "Opera star Luciano Pavarotti dies: Epic career spanned 40 years, The Boston Globe, 6 September 2007
^ Ariel David, "World Mourns Italian Tenor Pavarotti," WTOPnews.com, 6 September 2007
^ Time Cover Archive, Sept 24th, 1979
^ Pavarotti, Luciano: The Event, The World Cup Celebration Concert (1990) Pavarotti, Luciano
^ The New York Public Library: Luciano Pavarotti, The Best is Yet to Come Pavarotti: The Best is Yet to Come: LEO - the New York Public Library Catalogue^{[dead link]}
^ The Best is Yet to Come Pavarotti: The Best is Yet to Come, Interviewed by Lara Saint Paul: Penrith City Library Catalogue
^ ^a ^b Herbert H. Breslin, The King and I: The Uncensored Tale of Luciano Pavarotti's Rise to Fame by His Manager, Friend and Sometime Adversary, New York: Doubleday Publishing, 2004 ISBN 978-0-385-50972-5 ISBN 0-385-50972-3
^ Block, Mervin (15 October 2004). "'60 Minutes' Story About Singer Hits False Note". Poynter Online. http://www.mervinblock.com/?q=node/34. Retrieved 2009-09-28.
^ Pavarotti & Friends concert series at Amazon.com
^ "Pavarotti 'will return to stage'". BBC News Online. 25 July 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/5212832.stm. Retrieved 2007-09-05.
^ Kington, Tom (7 April 2008). "Pavarotti mimed at final performance". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/apr/07/classicalmusicandopera.italy. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
^ "Sarajevo authorities name Pavarotti honorary citizen", Deseret News (Salt Lake City), 22 February 2006; retrieved on 2007-09-06
^ Alessandra Rizzo, "Italian tenor Pavarotti dies at age 71" on yahoo.com^{[dead link]}; retrieved on 2007-09-06
^ "Luciano Pavarotti to Promote UN Causes During Series of Concerts, 2005 - 2006", U.N. Press release, 5/4/2005, retrieved on 6 September 2007
^ Pavarotti breaks a different kind of sound barrier; 14 June 1999; retrieved on 2007-10-12
^ Crossette, Barbara (30 May 2001). "United Nations: Honor For Tenor With Midas Touch". The New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990DE5D8133CF933A05756C0A9679C8B63. Retrieved 2007-09-06.
^ "Freedom of London for Pavarotti". Entertainment (BBC News). 13 September 2005. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/entertainment/4236980.stm. Retrieved 2007-09-06.
^ Parker, Lyndsey (31 February 1997). "Pavarotti Is The Person". Yahoo! Music News (Yahoo!). http://music.yahoo.com/read/news/12044059. Retrieved 2007-09-06.
^ Delta Omicron
^ "Singer Luciano Pavarotti recovering from pancreatic cancer surgery". Fox News. 7 July 2006. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,202530,00.html. Retrieved 2007-09-05.
^ "Tenor Luciano Pavarotti dead at 71" on cnn.com, 6 September 2007; retrieved on 2007-09-06
^ Pavarotti dead at 71: manager; retrieved on 2007-09-06
^ "Pavarotti Dead At Age 71". CBS News. 7 September 2007. http://www.webcastr.com/videos/news/pavarotti-dead-at-age-71.html.
^ People gather at Modena Cathedral to say farewell to Pavarotti|
^ "Black flag flies over Vienna Opera House for Pavarotti". Agence France-Presse. 2007-09-06. http://www.focus-fen.net/index.php?id=n121376. Retrieved 2007-09-06.
^ Castonguay, Gilles (2007-09-06). "Luciano Pavarotti dead at 71". Reuters. http://www.canada.com/topics/entertainment/story.html?id=24dd10ff-8048-45bb-9fde-b362693e5ac8&k=84681&p=1. Retrieved 2007-09-06.
^ Hooper, John (19 September 2007). "Pavarotti's will leaves US property to his second wife". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/italy/story/0,,2172193,00.html. Retrieved 2007-10-06.
^ Owen, Richard (11 September 2007). "Pavarotti's manager on his last days". The Times (London). http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article2433004.ece. Retrieved 2007-10-14.
^ ap.google.com, Pavarotti widow, daughters agree on inheritance^{[dead link]}
^ uk.reuters.com, Pavarotti's widow and daughters reach inheritance deal
^ independent.co.uk, Widow settles dispute with Pavarotti's daughters over will
^ Lee, Felicia R. (1 July 2008). "Pavarotti's Daughters and Widow Reach Deal". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/01/arts/01arts-PAVAROTTISDA_BRF.html. Retrieved 5 April 2010.

External links [link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Luciano Pavarotti

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Luciano Pavarotti

Official website
Luciano Pavarotti at the Internet Movie Database
Discography (Capon's Lists of Opera Recordings)
Luciano Pavarotti discography at MusicBrainz
The Times obituary
Review of The King and I at theage.com.au
The Pavarotti Story Decca Records
Pavarotti Video Biography by National Italian American Foundation NIAF
History of the Tenor - Sound Clips and Narration
Funeral Mass of Luciano Pavarotti

v t e Kennedy Center Honorees (2000s)

2000	Mikhail Baryshnikov Chuck Berry Plácido Domingo Clint Eastwood Angela Lansbury

2001	Julie Andrews Van Cliburn Quincy Jones Jack Nicholson Luciano Pavarotti

2002	James Earl Jones James Levine Chita Rivera Paul Simon Elizabeth Taylor

2003	James Brown Carol Burnett Loretta Lynn Mike Nichols Itzhak Perlman

2004	Warren Beatty Ossie Davis & Ruby Dee Elton John Joan Sutherland John Williams

2005	Tony Bennett Suzanne Farrell Julie Harris Robert Redford Tina Turner

2006	Zubin Mehta Dolly Parton Smokey Robinson Steven Spielberg Andrew Lloyd Webber

2007	Leon Fleisher Steve Martin Diana Ross Martin Scorsese Brian Wilson

2008	Morgan Freeman George Jones Barbra Streisand Twyla Tharp Pete Townshend & Roger Daltrey

2009	Mel Brooks Dave Brubeck Grace Bumbry Robert De Niro Bruce Springsteen

complete list 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s

Persondata
Name	Pavarotti, Luciano
Alternative names
Short description	Opera singer
Date of birth	12 October 1935
Place of birth	Modena, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Date of death	6 September 2007
Place of death	Modena, Emilia-Romagna, Italy

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