Overview
James Brown
Known For
Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music
Untold stories behind the culture-defining and newsmaking musical performances, sketches...
Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues
An intimate and revealing look at the world-changing musician, presented...
Nueva York: A Musical History of Latin New York
When the film West Side Story was released in 1961,...
The Making of 'Rocky vs. Drago'
Fight alongside Sylvester Stallone as he creates a brand-new director's...
Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage
Explore Woodstock 99, a three-day music festival promoted to echo...
Best of the 60s: The Story of Ready, Steady, Go!
Best of the 60s is a documentary and a compilation...
Biography
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 show business". Brown began his professional music career in 1956 and rose to fame during the late 1950s and early 1960s on the strength of his thrilling live performances and string of smash hits. In spite of various personal problems and setbacks he continued to score hits in every decade through the 1980s. In addition to his acclaim in music, Brown was also a presence in American political affairs during the 1960s and 1970s.