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James Brown

File:James_Brown_1996_(HQ).jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

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James Brown

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Also known as The Godfather of Soul, Mr. Dynamite, James Joseph Brown, Jr., Soul Brother #1ffff

American musician (1933–2006)

AI overview

James Brown was an American musician who lived from 1933 to 2006 and became one of the most influential figures in music history. He is widely considered the "Godfather of Soul" for pioneering funk and soul music styles that fundamentally shaped popular music and culture.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Film & TV

Barnwell, South Carolina, USA

James Brown (May 3, 1933 - December 25, 2006) was an American singer and songwriter, eventually referred to as "The Godfather of Soul"(GFOS). Brown started singing in gospel groups and worked his way on up. He has been recognized as one of the most iconic figures in the 20th century popular music and was renowned for his vocals and feverish dancing. He was also called "the hardest-working man in…

Known for

  • The Godfather of Soul — Self (archive footage)2026
  • Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music — Self (archive footage)2025
  • James Brown: Say It Loud — Self (archive footage)2024
  • Sunday Best: The Untold Story of Ed Sullivan — Self (archive footage)2023
  • Death by Fame — Self (archive footage)2023
  • Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues — Self (archive footage)2022
  • Best of the 60s: The Story of Ready, Steady, Go! — Self (archive footage)2021
  • Nueva York: A Musical History of Latin New York — Self (archive footage)2021
  • Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage — Self (archive footage)2021
  • 1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything — Self (archive footage)2021

via TMDB

Wikidata facts

Instance of
human
Given name
Joseph
Family name
Brown
Gender
male
Citizenship
United States
Place of birth
Augusta
Place of death
Atlanta
Occupation
sound designer
Languages spoken
English language
Instrument
drum kit
Record label
Philips Records
Mass
65
Official website
www.godfatherofsoul.com
Image
James Brown Live Hamburg 1973 1702730029.jpg
Height
1.68
Voice type
baritone
Convicted of
robbery
Show 18 more facts
social media followers
1210000
end of work period
2006-00-00
Commons category
James Brown
date of birth
1933-05-03
date of death
2006-12-25
manner of death
natural causes
topic's main category
Category:James Brown
Commons gallery
James Brown
cause of death
heart failure
ethnic group
African Americans
start of work period
1954-00-00
birth name
James Joseph Brown
name in native language
James Brown
different from
James Brown
on focus list of Wikimedia project
Wikipedia:Vital articles/Level/4
copyright representative
Broadcast Music, Inc.
place of burial
Beech Island
Sources (6)

via Wikidata · CC0

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Encyclopedic overview

James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, musician, and record producer. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th-century music, he is referred to by various nicknames, among them "Mr. Dynamite", "the Hardest-Working Man in Show Business", "Minister of New Super Heavy Funk", "Godfather of Soul", "King of Soul", and "Soul Brother No. 1". In a career that lasted more than 50 years, he influenced the development of several music genres. Brown was one of the first ten inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on January 23, 1986. His music has been heavily sampled by hip-hop musicians and other artists.

Brown began his career as a gospel singer in Toccoa, Georgia. He rose to prominence in the mid-1950s as the lead singer of the Famous Flames, a rhythm and blues vocal group founded by Bobby Byrd. With the hit ballads "Please, Please, Please" and "Try Me", Brown built a reputation as a dynamic live performer with the Famous Flames and his backing band, sometimes known as the James Brown Band or the James Brown Orchestra. His success peaked in the 1960s with the live album Live at the Apollo and hit singles such as "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag", "I Got You (I Feel Good)" and "It's a Man's Man's Man's World".

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “James Brown” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

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