THE GODFATHER OF SOUL GIVING
HIS AUDIENCE EVERYTHING'S HE'S GOT.
In the world of entertainment, certain words are usually bandied about when describing an entertainer. The music industry uses terms such as genius, icon and innovator with such frequency that these very words lose some of their impact as well as their meaning. However, those three words aptly describe the late James Brown. James Brown died early Christmas morning of congestive heart failure and the world of music lost one of it's giants.
Whether it's soul, R&B, rap or hip hop; all of these musical genres owes a huge debt to Brown because he was an innovator. As the Godfather of Soul, Brown definitely has earned the mantle of icon. For fifty years, he has shaped the musical landscape, even if the soul, rap, R&B and hip hop genre isn't your particular cup of musical tea. And although the word" genius" is casually tossed about whenever music critics are at a loss for the right acolade to describe a singer or musician , all one has to do is examine the man's body of work to see how the appellation fits Brown like a glove.
I must confess that as a teenager I didn't particularly care for James Browns music. I was grooving to the sounds of The Beatles, Iron Butterfly, Uriah Heap and other rock and roll bands. His brand of music didn't move me in the slightest. Then in 1973 at the age of eighteen, I witnessed a revelation . A movie called THE TA.M.I SHOW appeared on late night television and as I watched Brown performing a song called "Please. Please. Please.", his prowess as a performer almost knocked me out of my chair. His vocal style. His dance moves. When Brown had finished the song, I had a new found respect for both the man and his music. That night I realized why James Brown was called The Hardest Working Man In Show Business.
Now, after almost fifty years of wowing audiences the world over, James Brown, The Godfather of Soul will now go on to his final reward, while his legacy remains with us for generations to come. He shall now take his rightful place as one of music's Immortal Legends.
Whether it's soul, R&B, rap or hip hop; all of these musical genres owes a huge debt to Brown because he was an innovator. As the Godfather of Soul, Brown definitely has earned the mantle of icon. For fifty years, he has shaped the musical landscape, even if the soul, rap, R&B and hip hop genre isn't your particular cup of musical tea. And although the word" genius" is casually tossed about whenever music critics are at a loss for the right acolade to describe a singer or musician , all one has to do is examine the man's body of work to see how the appellation fits Brown like a glove.
I must confess that as a teenager I didn't particularly care for James Browns music. I was grooving to the sounds of The Beatles, Iron Butterfly, Uriah Heap and other rock and roll bands. His brand of music didn't move me in the slightest. Then in 1973 at the age of eighteen, I witnessed a revelation . A movie called THE TA.M.I SHOW appeared on late night television and as I watched Brown performing a song called "Please. Please. Please.", his prowess as a performer almost knocked me out of my chair. His vocal style. His dance moves. When Brown had finished the song, I had a new found respect for both the man and his music. That night I realized why James Brown was called The Hardest Working Man In Show Business.
Now, after almost fifty years of wowing audiences the world over, James Brown, The Godfather of Soul will now go on to his final reward, while his legacy remains with us for generations to come. He shall now take his rightful place as one of music's Immortal Legends.
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