James Brown – A Short Biography
James Brown was a well known singer, song writer and a dancer of the late 19th and 20th centuries. He was born on 3rd May 1933 in the Barnwell city of South California. Since birth, he lived in extreme poverty. The divorce of his parents in the age of five depressed him a lot and he was brought up by his aunt. He struggled a lot in his life. Once he was sent home from his school because he didn’t have proper clothes to wear and it was very hard for him to forget the incident throughout his life. He learned to play drums, guitar and piano from his neighbours and spent his time in churches listening to gospel music. He sang in his school and took part in local competitions and talent shows. However, he paid more attention to baseball and boxing than music.
At the age of 15, James Brown and his companions were sentenced to imprisonment for 16 years, but he was freed after three years. He joined a gospel group in Alto Reform School and started his career. James Brown’s first demo, “Please, Please, Please” attracted world’s attention and vended 3 million copies. He recorded about 50 albums including 100 singles which placed him on the top seller charts. He is best known for his works, “Live at the Apollo” launched in 1963 and “Pure Dynamite, Live at the Royal” in 1964.
James Brown
James Brown was honoured as “Soul Brother Number One” and his recordings “Say It Loud—I’m Black and I’m Proud”, “I Don’t Want Nobody to Give Me Nothing” and “Don’t Be a Drop-Out” encouraged the formation of Black Nationalist movements. He engaged in social activities promoting the education for children. His contributions and services rewarded him the title “The Godfather of Soul” in 1970. This great icon passed away on December 25, 2006 and it was a great loss for the world.
