James Brown, the Godfather of Soul, dies

The GFOS cancelled Christmas and New Year's Eve performances on Earth.

 

Story i saw said he was to perform at BB King's Blues Club in new York on New Year's Eve.

He was also advertised in my parents' hometown for a gig not long after the new year.

 

As I was on my way to work today, I knew there would be a good thread about this sad event. Thanks, James Brown, and thanks, SportsJournalists.com.

Popcorn!

 

Any SJers out there know who played lead guitar in James' amazing, "Payback."

Man that was a bad-ass tune.

 

Take it to the bridge one more time!
Git on uuuuuuuuup! Git up! Git on uuuuuuuup! Git up!
The world's a much less funky place this Christmas.

 

While in Chicago on vacation, JB was playing at the House of Blues, IIRC. Wifey wouldn't go see him.

 

Sirs, Madames,

He hit it and never quit.

YHS, etc

 

Hit me!

 

My aunt's husband would play "Santa Claus go straight to the Ghetto" every year at our Christmas dinner. Every year we would rent out the dining hall at the local Y and our family would have dinner there. Monday was the first time that everyone was unable to make it. My brother-in-law and me had our wisdom teeth pulled out and we're stuck at home for Christmas.

It's great that we've been talking about the GFOS today, 'cause I'm disappointed on how little coverage there has been with most of the television media. Spending the majority of the day running the best of Larry King, Bill O'Reilly, and all of those tacky crime exposes on MSNBC has me in a foul mood. James Brown is America.

 

His influence on soul, rap and R&B is undeniable, but he had a hand in helping punk rock get off the ground too.

Just look at the MC5's page today.

http://www.mc5.org/

 

Not to throw cold water on this love fest, but wasn't JB kind of a low-life with a history of brushes with the law, including drunk driving, high-speed car chases, assaults and a couple of domestic violence incidents?

On the other hand, I heard him sing the national anthem at the McDonald's High School All-America game in Atlanta years ago and it remains the most entertaining rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner I've ever heard. He did it just like you'd imagine James Brown would do it, complete with his trademark ``Hah!'' and ``He-e-e-e-e-y!''

Don't know that I wanted to know him or hang out with him, but I liked listening.

 

Hey, da man....

Papa don't take no mess, is all.