James Brown Research Paper

James Brown, the “Godfather of Soul”, was a prolific singer, songwriter and bandleaders. He was well known as one of the most iconic figures in funk and soul music from 1956 to 2006. James was born in Barnwell, South Carolina, for he worked his way to the top of the funk and R&B music earning the nickname “The Godfather of Soul”. His unique vocal and musical style influence many artists. Brown was also known for his tempestuous personal life, as well as his social activism, for both in his songwriting and supporting the benefits of educating the children. On May 3, 1933, James Brown was born in Barnwell, South Carolina, a few miles east away of the Georgia border. His parents separated when he was very young, and at the age of 4, Brown was

King and Ray Charles. The band didn’t have a repeat hit to match the success of their first song, and by the end of 1957, the Flames had returned home. In 1958, Brown moved to New York, where, working with different musicians whom je also called the Flames, and recorded “Try Me”. This song reached No.1 on the R&B charts; whereas, this was a kick start for Brown’s music career. In the 1950’s and 60’s, James Brown toured relentlessly. He performed five or six nights a week for he earned the title as “The Hardest-Working Man in Show Business”. Brown was a flashy showman, incredible dancer, and soulful singer, and his concerts were hypnotizing displays of exuberance and passion that left audiences in

Initially against by King Records because it didn’t feature any new songs, Live at the Apollo proved Brown’s greatest commercial success yet, peaking at No.2 on the pop albums chart and firmly establishing his crossover appeal. During the mid-1960’s, James Brown went on to record many of his most popular and enduring singles. Around the mid-1960’s, James Brown also began devoting more and more energy to social causes. In 1966, he recorded “Don’t Be a Dropout”, an fluent and impassioned plea to the black community to place more focus on education. Therefore, on April 5, 1968, the day after Martin Luther King Jr.’s was assassinated, a lot of riots were happening across the country. However, James Brown performed a live concert on television in Boston to prevent any riots happening over there. His effort succeeded; young Bostonians stayed home to watch the concerts on TV and the city largely avoided