James "The Godfather Of Soul" Brown, R.I.P.

The Godfather Of Soul

The legendary "GODFATHER OF SOUL," JAMES BROWN, is no more. BROWN, (73), passed away at 1:45a on CHRISTMAS DAY (12/25), after being admitted to EMORY CRAWFORD LONG HOSPITAL in ATLANTA the day before, suffering from pneumonia. Manager CHARLES BOBBITT was there by BROWN's side when he died.

BROWN made his big pop break in 1963 with the release of "Live At The Apollo, Vol. 1," but had been cranking out huge R&B hits on KING RECORDS with his group the FAMOUS FLAMES, since 1956. He had over 100 hit songs that made the charts including: "It's A Man's Man's Man's World," "Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine," "Say It Loud (I'm Black And I'm Proud)," "The Payback," and his last big pop hit, "Living In America," in 1985 which he performed in "Rocky IV," which lead to his second GRAMMY AWARD.

An original member of the ROCK AND ROLL OF HALL OF FAME in 1986, BROWN was presented with the GRAMMY LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD in 1992, the RHYTHM & BLUES FOUNDATION's LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD in 1993, and the KENNEDY CENTER HONOR in 2003.

BROWN also had a dark side to his life, with numerous arrests, dating back to when he was a young man. His most infamous brush with the law came in 1988 when he was arrested on drugs and weapons charges following police chase across state lines. He served one year of a six-year prison sentence.

JAMES BROWN's longtime CALIFORNIA attorney, DEBRA OPRI, said, "It is with great sadness and sorrow that the world lost a legend and pioneer of the music world. JAMES BROWN was known to all as 'THE GODFATHER OF SOUl.' I knew him as a very good, kind, and religious man, so how befitting it is that he passed on the day CHRIST was born."

For more on JAMES BROWN's life and career, just click here.

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