Heaven Gets A Brand New Bag: The Godfather Of Soul Shuffles Off This Mortal Coil
1fastdog.
Posted to Music on Mon Dec 25, 2006 at 01:09:47 PM EST (promoted by port1080). RSS.
James Brown, the man known as Soul Brother Number One (among many other self-given titles), has died of pneumonia on Christmas day at the age of 73.
The Rock -n- Roll Hall Of Fame inductee was one of the most influential musicians ever to put rhythms to wax and was also one of pop music's most recognized icons. From his signature pompadour hairstyle, to his brash vocal grunts, to his electrifying dance moves, James Brown was a mover and a shaker of inestimable significance to popular culture.
Mr. Brown is a three-figure hitmaker with 114 total entries on Billboard's R&B singles charts and 94 that made the Hot 100 singles chart. Seventeen of these hits reached number one, a feat topped only by Stevie Wonder and Louis Jordan.Mr. James Brown's dynamic showmanship remains timeless. His style has been celebrated throughout generations. As one of the most sampled artists to date, he has more honors attached to his name than any other performer in music history.
The Hardest Working Man In Show Business wasn't without his dark side, as problems with the IRS, and charges for drug possession, assault and spousal abuse are among many things that tarnished his reputation in his later years.
Clearly though, Brown's influence on music and pop-culture was more than enough to override the darker, erratic - and often illegal - behaviour of his later years. The styles of music he influenced along with those who perform are almost too enveloping to list; suffice to say that the man known Mr. Dynamite will be missed by a huge number of people all over the globe.
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