James Brown biography
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[h3]“The Father of Soul” won his audience with his musical genius and onstage histrionics. Shrieking, ‘Wow’ing and ‘Yeh’ing through four decades, James Brown is not only a brilliant musician and song writer, as a band leader he has fostered the careers of many other influential musicians. [/h3]
His innovative funk has provided the foundation for break dancing and rap, and his sound continues to be sampled in rap songs and electronic music.
Brown picked up the keyboard, drums and bass at a young age. From a poor family, he left school in the 7th Grade, to earn a living on the streets of Augusta, Georgia shining shoes, dancing for pennies, picking cotton and stealing.
Sent down for armed robbery at 16, Brown languished in prison until he met Bobby Byrd, who came with his gospel group to perform for the inmates. Byrd’s family helped to get Brown released by giving him a home and a job.
While performing with the gospel group, Brown tried to become a pro boxer and then a baseball pitcher, but a leg injury wrecked his chances of fame on the field.
Byrd and Brown sang duets together in church, until they saw a rock and roll show featuring Hank Ballard and the Midnighters. The duo quit gospel to form the Flames. With Brown on the piano and the drums, and Byrd on keyboard and vocals, they stuck together for the next three decades.
On tour in the South , The Flames played to Ralph Bass, head of Federal Records and he signed them in 1956. 'Please, Please Please', their first single, was a big hit regionally, and eventually sold a million copies. More singles in the same gospel influenced, yet distinctly rougher R&B style, made Brown a regional star, and then 'Try Me' became a national hit in 1958.
The group now added Famous to their Flames name, and Brown created the James Brown Revue, a carefully choreographed show with Brown pumping his hips and doing the splits, while the troupe performed an intricate dance behind him. Sweating off seven pounds a night, and breaking box office records in every major black venue in America, Brown was nicknamed "Mr. Dynamite" and was called "The Hardest Working Man in Show Business".
Brown's 'Live at the Apollo', recorded in Harlem in 1962, sold a million copies, unprecedented for a black music album. His success continued with a string of singles that defined funk music. He used simple rifts on horn and guitar locked into a tight tune by a bass guitar, in songs like 'Say It Loud (I'm Black and I'm Proud)', and he used his lyrics to make socio-political comment.
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During the mid-1960s, two of Brown's signature tunes "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" and "I Got You (I Feel Good)", both from 1965, were his first Top 10 pop hits, as well as major number 1 R&B hits, with each remaining the top-selling singles in black venues for over a month. In 1966, Brown's "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" won the Grammy for Best Rhythm & Blues Recording.
By the mid-seventies the hits dried up, the wearing effect of Brown's ego caused key musicians to leave the band, and his singles became poor imitations of his earlier records.
Despite this, Brown experienced something of a resurgence during the 1980s, effectively crossing over to a broader, more mainstream audience. He appeared in the feature films The Blues Brothers, Doctor Detroit and Rocky IV, as well as guest starring in the Miami Vice episode "Missing Hours" (1988). He also recorded Gravity, a crossover album released on his new host label Scotti Bros., and the top 10 hit 1985 single "Living in America," which was featured prominently in the Rocky film.
In 1987, Brown won the Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for "Living in America." Acknowledging his influence on modern hip-hop and R&B music, Brown collaborated with hip-hop artist Afrika Bambaataa on the single "Unity."
In 1988, he was arrested following a high-speed car chase through the streets of Augusta. Imprisoned for firearms and drugs offences, as well as for the repercussions of his flight, he was released in 1991.
Throughout the 1990s Brown continued to perform and release new material like Love Over-Due (1991), Universal James (1992), and I'm Back (1998). While none of these recordings could be considered as important as his earlier work and did little to increase his popularity, his classic catalog became more popular in the American mainstream during this time than it had been since the '70s, and not just among young rappers and samplers.
In 2004, Brown was diagnosed with prostate cancer but successfully fought the disease. By 2006, it was in remission and Brown, then 73, began a global tour. Late in the year the singer was diagnosed with pneumonia. He was admitted to the hospital for treatment but died of heart failure a few days later on 25th December 2006.
James Brown biography
In 1988 Brown was arrested, following a high speed car chase through the streets of Augusta. Imprisoned for firearms and drugs offences, as well as the repercussions of his flight, he was released three years later to find the sampled rhythms and drum beats from his records almost ubiquitous in rap music, a 20 second drum solo near the end of the song 'Funky Drummer' is perhaps the single most sampled piece of music in history.
James Brown biography
James Brown biography
James Brown Discography - 1950s/60s James Brown Albums & James Brown CDs
1959 Try Me! Polygram
1959 Please Please Please Polydor
1960 Think Polydor
1961 James Browns Presents His Band & Five Other... King
1961 The Amazing James Brown King
1961 Night Train King
1962 Shout & Shimmy King
1962 Tours the U.S.A. King
1962 Jump Around King
1963 Prisoner of Love Polydor
1964 Showtime Smash
1964 Out of Sight Polygram
1964 Grits & Soul Smash
1965 Papa's Got a Brand New Bag Special Music
1965 James Brown Plays James Brown: Yesterday and... Smash
1965 Papa's Got a Brand New Bag King
1966 I Got You (I Feel Good) King
1966 James Brown Plays New Breed Smash
1966 It's a Man's Man's Man's World King
1966 Handful of Soul Smash
1966 Mighty Instrumentals King
1966 James Brown Sings Christmas Songs King
1967 Sings Raw Soul Polygram
1967 James Brown Plays the Real Thing Smash
1967 Cold Sweat
1968 I Can't Stand Myself When You Touch Me Japanese
1968 I Got the Feelin' Polydor
1968 James Brown Plays Nothing But Soul King
1968 James Brown Sings out of Sight Polydor
1968 James Brown Presents His Show of Tomorrow King
1968 Soul Party Polydor
1968 A Soulful Christmas King
1968 A Thinking About Little Willie/A Few Nice... King
1969 Say It Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud Japanese
1969 Gettin' Down to It Polydor
1969 It's a Mother Polydor
1969 The Popcorn Polydor
James Brown Discography - 1970s James Brown Albums & James Brown CDs
1970 Ain't It Funky King
1970 Soul on Top King
1970 It's a New Day -- So Let a Man Come In Polydor
1970 Hey America King
1971 Sho Is Funky Down Here King
1971 Hot Pants Polygram
1971 Soul Brother No. 1 Polydor
1972 There It Is Polydor
1972 Get on the Good Foot Polydor
1973 Black Caesar Polydor
1973 Slaughter's Big Rip-Off P-Vine Japan
1973 The Payback Polydor
1974 Hell Polydor
1974 Reality Polygram
1975 Sex Machine Today Polydor
1975 Everybody's Doin' the Hustle & Dead on the... Polydor
1976 Get up Offa That Thing Polydor
1976 Bodyheat Polydor
1976 Hot Polydor
1977 Mutha's Nature Polydor
1977 Strangers Polydor
1978 Jam/1980's Polydor
1978 Take a Look at Those Cakes Polydor
1979 The Original Disco Man Polydor
James Brown Discography - 1980s James Brown Albums & James Brown CDs
1980 People Polydor
1980 Soul Syndrome TK
1981 Nonstop! Polydor
1981 The Third Coming Polydor
1981 Special Polydor
1983 Bring It On! Churchill/Augu
1986 Gravity Scotti Bros.
1988 I'm Real Scotti Bros.
James Brown Discography - 1990s/00s James Brown Albums & James Brown CDs
1991 Love Over-Due Scotti Bros.
1992 Universal James Scotti Bros.
1998 I'm Back Crash
1999 The Merry Christmas Album Waxworks
James Brown Discography - 1960s Live James Brown Albums & James Brown CDs
1963 Live at the Apollo King
1964 Pure Dynamite! Live at the Royal King
1967 Live at the Garden King
1968 Live at the Apollo Polydor
James Brown Discography - 1970s Live James Brown Albums & James Brown CDs
1970 Sex Machine
1971 Revolution of the Mind Polydor
1971 Super Bad King
James Brown Discography - 1980s/90s Live James Brown Albums & James Brown CDs
1980 Hot on the One Import
1980 Live and Lowdown at the Apollo, Vol. 1 Solid Smoke
1981 Live in New York Audio Fidelity
1982 Mean on the Scene Audio Fidelity
1985 Live at the Apollo, Vol. II, Pt. 1 Rhino
1985 Live at the Apollo, Vol. II, Pt. 2 Rhino
1989 Soul Session Live Scotti Bros.
1985 Live in Concert Sugar Hill
1991 Greatest Hits Live Huub
1991 Original Showman Live Onyx Classix
1992 Love Power Peace Polydor
1995 Live at the Apollo 1995 DBR
1995 Live Import
1995 Best of Live Excelsior
1995 Best of Live [#2] Excelsior
1995 Live in Concert Tring
1997 James Brown Live: Roots of Rock n' Roll... Columbia River
1997 The Masters EDM
1998 Say It Live & Loud: Live in Dallas 1968 Polygram
1998 Godfather of Soul Live Mastertone
1999 Masters Cleopatra
1999 Soul Live: Papa's Got a Brand New Bag Delta
1999 On Stage Charly
James Brown Discography - 2000s Live James Brown Albums & James Brown CDs
2000 Great James Brown
2000 Papa's Got a Brand New Bag St. Clair
2000 Center Stage: Live Direct Source
2001 Live at the Apollo, Vol. II Universal
2001 James Brown Live Delta
2003 Great James Brown Rajon
2003 Hall of Fame Laser Light
2003 It's Too Funky in Here Dynamic
2001 Get up Offa That Thing Bianco
2002 Super Bad: Live Orpheus
2002 Startime Live Universal
2002 In Concert BCI Eclipse
2004 Music Legends: James Brown Live in Concert Brentwood
2004 Live at the Apollo 1962 Polydor
James Brown Discography - 1960s/70s Compilation James Brown Albums & James Brown CDs
1964 Unbeatable James Brown King
1967 Presenting the James Brown Show Smash
1972 Soul Classics Polydor
1973 Soul Classics, Vol. 2 Polydor
1975 Soul Classics, Vol. 3 Polydor
1977 Solid Gold: 30 Golden Hits Polydor
1978 Fabulous James Brown HRB
James Brown Discography - 1980s Compilation James Brown Albums & James Brown CDs
1981 Can Your Heart Stand It! Solid Smoke
1981 The Best of James Brown Polydor
1982 James Brown Polydor
1984 The Federal Years, Pt. 1 Solid Smoke
1984 The Federal Years, Pt. 2 Solid Smoke
1984 Ain't That a Groove 1966-1969 Polydor
1984 Roots of a Revolution Polydor
1984 Doing It to Death 1970-1973 Polydor
1985 The CD of JB Polygram
1985 Dead on the Heavy Funk (74-76) Polydor
1985 Greatest Hits Rhino
1986 In the Jungle Groove Polydor
1986 James Brown's Funky People Polydor
1987 The CD of JB II Polygram
1988 James Brown's Funky People, Pt. 2 Polydor
1988 Motherlode Polygram
1988 Santa's Got a Brand New Bag Rhino
1989 Tribute Scotti Bros.
James Brown Discography - 1990s Compilation James Brown Albums & James Brown CDs
1990 Messing with the Blues Polydor
1990 Soul Jubilee Columbia River
1991 Star Time Polydor
1991 20 All-Time Greatest Hits! Polydor
1991 Soul's Alive Koch
1992 The Greatest Hits of the Fourth Decade Scotti Bros.
1992 The Greatest Hits of the Fourth Decade Scotti Bros.
1992 Spank Special Music
1992 Is Back Hollywood
1993 Soul Pride: The Instrumentals (1960-69) Polydor
1994 At Studio 54 Charly
1994 Turn It Loose Drive Archive
1995 Tell Me What You're Gonna Do Ember
1995 70's Funk Classics PolyGram
1995 Christmas PGD Special
1995 The Best of James Brown Prime Cuts
1995 Soul Machine Back Biter
1995 Living in America Scotti Bros.
1995 James Brown's Funky Christmas Polygram
1996 Golden Hits Intercontinent
1996 Foundations of Funk: A Brand New... Polydor
1996 Funk Power 1970: A Brand New Thang Polydor
1996 Make It Funky -- The Big Payback: 1971-1975 Polydor
1996 Hooked on Brown Scotti Bros.
1996 JB40: 40th Anniversary Collection Polydor
1997 James Brown's Golden Classics Intercontinent
1997 Golden Hits Galaxy
1998 Funky Goodtime Prism
1998 Greatest Hits PGD Special
1998 Dead on the Heavy Funk, 1975-1983 Polydor
1998 The Very Best of James Brown Polygram
1998 Gold Collection Fine Tune
1998 Brand New Album Import
1998 Godfather of Soul Spectrum
1998 Sex Machine Intercontinent
1999 Prisoner of Love Madacy
1999 20th Century Masters - The Millennium... Polygram
1999 Cold Sweat Hallmark
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