James Brown Is Dead

Sadly, the song has come true: James Brown is dead.  On Christmas Day.



I would be remiss if I didn't say anything about the Godfather Of Soul.  James Brown is one of the most influential musicians and performers who ever lived.  He personally inspired me along with millions of other people of all races (but particularly black people).  His song "Say It Loud (I'm Black And I'm Proud)" literally changed how thousands of African-Americans thought about their blackness. 



His songs were legendarily funky, and served as the musical template for just about every old-school hip-hop artist including Public Enemy, Big Daddy Kane, Kool Moe Dee, and even newer artists like Nas.  Pretty much every rapper has sampled James Brown at one time or another, which is good because he can't possibly be covered (although Aerosmith did try with a surprisingly good version of Mother Popcorn).  Have you heard "Sexy M.F." by Prince?  For all intents and purposes, that's a James Brown song.



His dancing and performance skills were unparalleled and often imitated.  His band's ultra-responsiveness to his commands was a testament to the quality of his artists such as Maceo Parker and Bootsy Collins - in fact, Bootsy ended up a founding member of P-Funk.  His dancing has been emulated, adapted and duplicated by everyone from Michael Jackson to Prince to MC Hammer to Usher.  That's right - James Brown essentially founded funk, modern hip-hop and modern dance through his soul-funk fusion.

I love James Brown, which is why the Tower of Power song title bearing his name now adorns the header title of this website.  Even though he lived a long life, he died too soon for those of us who appreciated him. 

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