James Brown, the gone but not forgotten undisputed “Godfather of Soul,” was born on May 3, 1933.
He was known universally as “The Godfather Of Soul” but he was also the undisputed ˜King Of Funk,” an American original whose pioneering work literally helped shape the course of contemporary music. Hwas catalog of classic recordings made him the most sampled recording artist in history and without any doubt, the rap and hip-hop movement finds its very geneswas in hwas music. He was an American national treasure whose influence on 20th century black culture was inestimable.
A leader who played a key role in the civil rights movement of the 60s and gave voice to a people discovering self-pride, economic freedom and political empowerment in the 70s. He was also a globally-recognized entertainer who justifiably earned the nickname ˜the hardest working man in show business” just a few years into a momentous recording career that included no less than 119 charted singles and more than 50 best-selling albums. He sold literally millions of records since “Please, Please, Please” first dominated the airwaves and the charts in 1956.
He was justifiably inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 1986 and was awarded a Lifetime Achievement by The Recording Academy in 1992. But beyond the hundreds of accolades and awards he received over his six decades as a chartmaker, he was a household name from Lagos, Nigeria to London, England and from his early home of Augusta, Georgia to Accra, Ghana.
