After writing about the death of former Senator Stafford, I am beginning to feel a bit like the grim reaper, but I could not pass the opportunity to write about the passing of The Hardest Working Man in Show Business, James Brown.
I read in the news yesterday that Brown had a severe case of pneumonia, but his publicist said he wasn’t in intensive care, so I thought maybe it was something he could recover from, but apparently not. He died early Christmas morning of congestive heart failure as a result of the pneumonia. Brown lived what one comedian called “Sammy Davis Jr. years” – meaning he lived a very rough and turbulent life and I guess it finally caught up with his body.
James Brown was definitely one of a kind. If you ever saw him perform – even on television – it was something you could never forget. I remember seeing him on television when I couldn’t have been more than four or five years old. His attendant was trying to cover Brown, drenched in sweat, with his robe as his performance was ending, but James would always break free, return to the stage, continuing his singing and crazy dance moves. In fact, Keith Richards of the legendary Rolling Stones regretted appearing after Brown in the 1964 concert “The T.A.M.I Show,” saying that the audience was so blown away by Brown’s performance, there was nothing left for them. Producer Rick Rubin said, “You have the Rolling Stones on the same stage, all of the important rock acts of the day, doing their best — and James Brown comes out and destroys them.”
Brown started his career in the late 50s. Over the years, Brown produced a number of R&B hits including “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag,” “I Got You (I Feel Good)” and “Cold Sweat.” His last top ten hit was 1985’s “Living in America,” the theme song from the movie Rocky IV. He not only influenced R&B artists, but also Disco, Pop, Rap, and Funk artists as well. He was still a very much in demand performer until his death.
Unfortunately, Brown fought many demons in the form of violence and drugs. His wife accused him of assault and battery in the late 80s and it was shortly after that that he led police on a chase while under the influence of drugs. He was sentenced to six years in prison, serving only 15 months.
In 2003, Brown received a Kennedy Center honor. His influence on past and current artists is undeniable, he will no doubt continue to be an influence as his music, and showmanship will never be forgotten.
God bless the Godfather of Soul. The world will not be the same without him.