It’s hard to believe that nearly 20 years ago, the world lost music icon James Brown.
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The “King of Soul” died on Dec. 25, 2006, from congestive heart failure, resulting from complications of pneumonia. He was 73 years old at the time of his death.
Born on May 3, 1933, in Barnwell, South Carolina, Brown started his music career in the early 1950s. By the mid-1950s, he was the lead singer of the rhythm-and-blues vocal group the Famous Flames. The band made it big with their well-known ballads “Please, Please, Please,” and “Try Me.”
Brown grew in popularity in the 1960s with his hit songs “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag,” “I Got You (I Feel Good),” and “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World.”
The famous singer recorded and released nearly 20 singles that hit No. 1 on the Billboard R&B charts. He also still holds the record for the most singles listed on the Billboard Hot 100 chart that did not reach No. 1.
Brown then won a total of four Grammys. He was a recipient of the American Music Awards Award of Merit, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Lifetime Achievement Award of the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters. He was also one of the first 10 inductees into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.
Along with being dubbed the “King of Soul,” Brown had other nicknames. This included “Minister of New Super Heavy Funk,” and “Godfather of Soul.”
Brown was married three times and had between nine and 13 children. He was romantically involved with backup singer Tomi Rae Hynie from 1997 until his death in 2006. She then spent more than a decade in a legal battle over Brown’s estate. She lost the legal battle in 2020.
James Brown Once Reflected on His Continously Evolving Fanbase
During one interview, James Brown spoke about how his fanbase continues to evolve, as he was able to attract more younger fans to his music.
“I get a lot of young faces these days,” he explained, per Capital Chaos TV. “Punk rock really opened up a new wave. They’re drawn to the costumes, the dance, the energy—our whole style. Songs like ‘Sex Machine’ and ‘It’s a Man’s World’ still hit, and now we’ve added ‘Living in America’ into the mix.”
Brown also once pointed out that rappers grew in popularity because of his music. “They’re borrowing from what we did in the ’60s. Rap is an evolution of the style we started.”
He then added, “It’s great to see that torch being carried forward—especially when it comes with a message.”