The Godfather of Soul : his immortal legacy

James Brown’s poly rhythmic funk earned him the accolade “Godfather of Soul,” but he was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth or ever inherited a life of privilege and opportunity: evidently, destiny was not carved out for him by a benevolent deity.

Through his resilient mental muscle and hard work, he crafted his own success story in his genesis from rags to riches and stardom.
“Funk is about the injustices, the thing that go wrong, the hungry kids going to school trying to learn. “Funky” is about what it takes to make people move,” a pundit said. Brown got a practical education on the brutal streets of the South that was historically plagued with racism, injustice amid slavery. The quest by minorities for civil rights necessitated the birth of the Civil Rights Movement that was then championed by the legendary guru, late Dr. Martin Luther King, whose legacy we celebrate in January.

Brown was born in 1933 in South Carolina a notorious sanctuary where slavery had its deep roots. And home to the Gullahs, who were seized like property and shipped as sardines from Sierra Leone to the United States. They have never abandoned their roots or culture and still speak pigeon English - Krio the lingua franca of Sierra Leone. The Gullahs have made trips to Sierra Leone, visiting sites where their ancestors were captured as cartel and brought to America in order to provide free labor. I bear deep roots to the Gullahs and probably to James Brown.
At age seven he was abandoned by his parents and forced to live on the harsh streets of Augusta Georgia. He paid his own rent by picking cotton, doing tap dancing, polishing shoes or sometimes breaking into cars. His bleak and difficult life married with assaults from his demons is a reflective caricature of what is systemically and culturally wrong in America. Harsh laws passed to curb juvenile delinquent crimes sent kids to prison, and Brown was caught up in a plethora of brushes with the Law that often landed him in penitentiary at a tender age. The root cause of his problems was simply swept under the rug, instead of being diagnosed and remedied while in the bud. Without parents or role models, the streets became Brown’s formidable teacher. His schooling that was barely seventh grade level, did not determine his education. His lifetime experiences served as a catalyst that forced him to become very conscious of society’s ills.

Despite his dismal beginning in life he emerged a visionary genius, who thrived on the philosophy of being a risk taker rather than a ticket taker. He appealed to America to open the equitable door of justice that provides opportunities, so that he could follow his dream. He believed neither in handouts nor in minorities being institutionalized into a culture of welfare. And he realized that by flouting with the law he could jeopardize his dream while on a flight for the stars. After his conversion to Christianity and involvement in the Church, he found a promising leverage. His music career took off from providence station when he met Bobby Byrd, whom he partnered with to found the Flames gospel group in the 50’s. The door was now open for him to pursue a budding passion for R&B music. He scored a hit with his song “Please, Please, Please” in 1956, and sold a million record copies. But he was not insulated against failures and other personal problems. Brown executed a “punishing work schedule” working 350 nights a year, while adopting his high energy performance. In the 60’s he had gigs at Apollo Theater in Harlem New York. His 1963 album helped to launch his career in Harlem. It was during the era of depression that was predominant in the South: and the endemic cancers of segregation cum racism, and stereotypes, consciously watered to blossom as weeds on the fertile American soil.
His 70’s hits include “Papa don’t Take no Mess.” And success generated immense wealth for Brown. He pursued the American dream to the best of his ability, owning Radio Stations, Fast Food Franchises, including private jets. Amid his impressive resume, his demons were still haunting him. His personal life suffered major setbacks. Tragedy struck when his son Teddy died in a car crash. He also had a brush with the I.R.S. A police chase for gun violence would follow years later that landed Brown in jail. As changing trends in music began to bite, disco music took a toll on his career. But he bounced back with more hits “Living in America, How do you stop and I’m real.” He was inducted into the Hall of Fame, despite his problems continued unabated. Brown received pardon in 2003 from the State of North Carolina. He got 110 entries on R&B billboard chart, and more than 90 of his singles are among the hottest 100 songs. He also earned 3 Grammy’s including a catalogue of more than 800 songs. Blushing about them, he says, “They are so many I can’t remember ‘em. “I’m a man that God made to bring people together, and that’s what I do, he would say. My style is unique….My style is so distinctive,” he added in a potent southern accent. On his flip side he intersperses anger dazed with love and was quickly dispensed in one breadth.

“He could resort into grunts and shouts – seemingly flying across the stage in spangled outfits and punctuating his dance moves with a surging fury of slips, spins and kicks,” a long time fan said. Songs like “Got you (I feel Good), Sex Machine and Hot Pants,” invigorated Brown to work overtime. I’m Black and I’m Proud became a Black power anthem that he performed at the late Richard Nixon’s initial inauguration. Even in Africa youths imitated his vogue and dance innovations to attract beautiful women on the disco floors. When enthusiasm on the floor is waning simply playing his hot music would rejuvenate everyone’s spirit. Redding said, “He made music that people loved and was n’t afraid to make political statements. He created his own sound and was a master musician: he’s up there with the best.” The true legacy of a musician is how long his music lasts, emphatically Brown’s music passes that test. The Icon’s legacy will live and resonate for ever. He’s not just an entertainer but a shrewd businessman. He redeemed his master tapes back from a White-owned record label while running his business empire at his Augusta sanctuary. As a superstar, Augusta Georgia was his home, where annually he distributed Thanksgiving turkeys to poor families. He did not forget the depths from which he once emerged.
“He was dramatic to the end – dying on Christmas Day. He’ll be all over the news…he would have it no other way,” Rev. Jesse Jackson said. He died of heart failure, although he was hospitalized for pneumonia in Atlanta Georgia at the age of 73. His homecoming took the form of a blockbuster celebration. More than 8500 fans defied the weather to jam-pack the arena that bears his name, on Saturday December 30, 2006 just to catch a glimpse of the immortal Brown. And pay their last respect to the musician cum political activist. Michael Jackson was among the sympathizers. In his eulogy he said,”When I saw his move I was mesmerized. I knew that’s what I wanted to do for the rest of my life because of James Brown. “As a child growing up my mother would wake me up regardless of the time, whenever Brown was on TV,” the Pop Star reminisced to the overwhelmed mourners. “James Brown is my greatest inspiration Michael added as he wiped his falling tears.

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