James Brown, the "Godfather of Soul," the pioneer of funk and the rhythmic backbone of hip-hop, has been swaddled in his signature bejeweled fur cape for the final time.
Brown, known for his raucous stage shows as much as his bold hits "Sex Machine," "I Got You (I Feel Good)" and "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," died Monday morning at Emory Crawford Long Hospital in Atlanta, where he had been hospitalized Sunday with pneumonia. He was 73.
"James Brown changed music," said the Rev. Al Sharpton, who was part of Brown's tour entourage in the 1970s. "He made soul music a world music. What James Brown was to music in terms of soul and hip-hop, rap, all of that, is what Bach was to classical music. This is a guy who literally changed the music industry. He put everybody on a different beat, a different style of music. He pioneered it."
Concerts from the self-proclaimed "Hardest working man in show business" are the stuff of legend -- from his multiple spins, his swiveling hips and constantly twitching feet to the traditional ending, where Brown swoons from exhaustion, only to bounce back again.
Legendary singer James Brown dies [Newsday]