James Brown dead at 73
posted at 11:21 am on December 25, 2006 by Ian
The Godfather:
James Brown, the dynamic, pompadoured “Godfather of Soul,” whose rasping vocals and revolutionary rhythms made him a giant of R&B and an inspiration for rap, funk and disco, died early Christmas morning. He was 73.
Read more about the ‘Godfather of Soul’ here.
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James Brown had his demons, but was a larger than life figure in the music world. Sad to see him pass on Christmas Day.
JammieWearingFool on December 25, 2006 at 11:25 AM
R.I.P. The world will be a lot less soulful and funktastic with him gone.
ReubenJCogburn on December 25, 2006 at 11:40 AM
Papa’s really got a brand new bag now.
Rest in peace, Mr. Brown.
doingwhatican on December 25, 2006 at 11:48 AM
The hardest working man in show business… RIP.
x95b10 on December 25, 2006 at 12:12 PM
James Brown dead…REALLY?… no kidding. Wow. Well gee, he didn’t LOOK 73…but I’m old enough to remember when he DID.
Damn. Why couldn’t it be Castro instead.
CyberCipher on December 25, 2006 at 12:12 PM
…and I was starting to think he was indestructible!
stonemeister on December 25, 2006 at 12:30 PM
I was 16 in 1961 and went to my first live concert at the Uptown theater in Philly. James was the headliner. In the years since I’ve seen them all. I owned a nightclub in New York and had many great performers play there. There is hardly any major musical artist I haven’t seen live.
To this day that show in Philadelphia stays in my memory as the greatest musical/theatrical performance I’ve ever witnessed.
In these terrible times, God must have needed his godfather.
James is playing the Big Time now. No doubt he’s the hardest working man in heaven.
harris on December 25, 2006 at 12:32 PM
The torch passses to a new generation.
James Brown was a consumatte showman and he will be missed.
This morning, I don’t feel so good.
JayHaw Phrenzie on December 25, 2006 at 12:33 PM
r.i.p.
keep it funky up there.
jummy on December 25, 2006 at 12:41 PM
All the classics are leaving us. Barry White, Sir Richard Harris, and now James Brown.
Wish there were more quality to replace them
One Angry Christian on December 25, 2006 at 1:17 PM
Too hot! In the hot tub! Gonna make me sweat!
RIP.
alflauren on December 25, 2006 at 1:23 PM
A trail blazer and work horse, he was going strong and had bookings around the globe ahead of him in the New Year…
RIP James Brown
normsrevenge on December 25, 2006 at 1:55 PM
Damn…
R.I.P.
Lonevoice on December 25, 2006 at 2:15 PM
I, I LIVE IN AMER … IN HEAAAAVEN!
Tony737 on December 25, 2006 at 3:14 PM
Get up, get on up
Get up, get on up
Stay on the scene, like a sex machine
vcferlita on December 25, 2006 at 5:40 PM
not only did he make great music, he inspired great music, Hip-hop is forever in debt to his creativity and soul, he even inspired new forms of dance (bboying), dancers got down to the break on “good foot” and it evolved from there…RIP he’ll be missed
crr6 on December 25, 2006 at 7:22 PM
I had to explain to the wife why I was playing some JB this morning when the kids came down to open presents. It just felt right. Yes, he will be missed.
SailorDave on December 25, 2006 at 7:33 PM
I remember seeing him in Rocky IV! He will be sorrily missed.
May God grant him rest.
Tim Burton on December 25, 2006 at 7:58 PM
I was just watching his BMW Film, Beat the Devil.
eerily prophetic…
Mazztek on December 25, 2006 at 8:50 PM
James Brown did a lot more than just his music or succumb to his demons. He gave Blacks a reason to be proud and helped calm them as the nation erupted into riots after Martin Luther King was assasinated.
He campaigned for Republicans and listed Strom Thurmond as his life time hero and repeatedly told Blacks that justice for them would come through education and ownership.
He was far from a perfect human, but the good he did should also be remembered.
May he rest in peace, his legendary music will live on.
LewWaters on December 25, 2006 at 10:19 PM
James Brown didn’t give blacks a reason to be proud…he reminded them that they had earned that right. And Brown didn’t “invent” R&B, he showed how to do it right. James Brown was more than a “first”, he was a communicator. And yes, he had his demons, and that’s a shame.
But since he was so effective at influencing others, he impact on us all will last a long time.
stonemeister on December 26, 2006 at 1:21 AM
I spent some months in Fort Gordon Georgia back in 1970 prior to being shipped overseas, and I recall the Georgia radio stations incessantly playing his tunes. I, being from South Texas, was not impressed at the time, but later on in life, I began to see a better quality to his music.
I disagree with some journalists I have read recenty, that James Brown heavily influenced “rap” or “hip-hop”. I suspect he may have been dissappointed at todays so-called music.
gary on December 26, 2006 at 6:31 AM
He brought funk to the funkless.
freebird on December 26, 2006 at 8:43 AM
My God, what a shame.
He truly earned the title GODFATHER OF SOUL.
He demonstrated hard work and devotion to his craft DESPITE the demons he had to deal with.
R.I.P., Cool One.
The False Dervish on December 26, 2006 at 9:15 AM
To my man James Brown — PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE don’t go!!
Ray Charles and James Brown are both gone now. People like these two should never die.
Soon we wont have any real true musical genius’ left. All we will have is the likes of PDiddy and who needs that?
Thanks James for making us ‘feel so good’. R.I.P
OBX Pete on December 26, 2006 at 10:14 AM
well considering JB is the most sampled artist for hip/hop and rap I think its safe to say he influenced both. Eric B. and Rakim sampled him heavily, many contemporary rappers still do, and will continue to, thats another way his memory will live on
crr6 on December 26, 2006 at 1:30 PM