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James Brown was an American musician born on May 3, 1933. He is regarded as the root of funk music and he has many nicknames. Some of the nicknames are Hardest-Working Man in Show Business”, “Godfather of Soul”, “Mr. Dynamite”, and “Soul Brother No. 1”. He Is known to have influenced several music genres and his music career lasted for about 5 decades.
James Brown was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at its inaugural induction in New York on January 23, 1986. James Brown started off as a gospel singer in Toccoa, Georgia and became very famous in the 1950s. He was then the lead singer the Famous Flames, a rhythm and blues vocal group founded by Bobby Byrd.
He was a dynamic live performer and had hit ballads such as “Please, Please, Please” and “Try Me”. James Brown became extremely popular in the 1960s with the album Live at the Apollo and hit singles such as “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag”, “I Got You (I Feel Good)” and “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World”.
James Brown solidified the funk sound in the early 1970s after the formation of the J.B.s They had songs like “Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine” and “The Payback. It must be noted that he recorded and released 17 singles. These 17 singles were each ranked number one on the Billboard R&B charts and he has the most singles listed on the Billboard Hot 100 chart that did not reach No. 1.
After his death, James Brown was inducted into the first class of the Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame in 2013 as an artist and then in 2017 as a songwriter. He has many awards and honors to his credit.
James Brown Cause of Death
James Brown became ill on December 23, 2006, and he had to visit his dentist for dental implant work. He looked weak and dazed. His dentist advised him to see a doctor because of the nature of his condition.
James Brown went to the Emory Crawford Long Memorial Hospital for treatment. He was hospitalized. Unfortunately, on Christmas Day 2006, James Brown died at the age of 73. The cause of his death was congestive heart failure, resulting from complications of pneumonia.
Family
James Brown was born to 16-year-old Susie (née Behling; 1917–2004) and 21-year-old Joseph Gardner Brown (1912–1993). His family was poor and lived in Elko, South Carolina but later moved to Augusta, Georgia.
James Brown left the family and relocated to New York. As a child, James Brown performed at different places and events. He learned to play the piano, guitar, and harmonica and he was poised to become an entertainer after hearing “Caldonia” by Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five.
