 | James Brown – the "Godfather of Soul" Dies
James Brown – the "Godfather of Soul" who revolutionized R&B, invented funk and set a new standard for live performance with his fiery dancing – died early Christmas morning of heart failure.
James Brown toured right up to the end. In his prime, Mr. Brown took stage performance to a new level - jumping, doing splits and twirling. Mr. Brown died at Atlanta's Emory Crawford Long Hospital, where he was admitted Sunday for pneumonia. He also had prostate cancer that was in remission, and diabetes. He was reportedly 73 – though some historians say he was 78 and had shaved off a few years in the 1950s to seem younger.
The James Brown statue on Broad Street in his hometown was draped in an American flag and a red scarf as several dozen people gathered Tuesday to pay their respects to the late singer. The public funeral service will be held Saturday at James Brown Arena in Augusta, followed by burial later in the day, Copsidas said. Brown's body will lie in state at the Apollo Theater in New York on Thursday and again on Saturday at the Augusta arena. A private service for family and friends will be held Friday at an undisclosed location. |
