The wildest facts about the "godfather of soul" James Brown, which may shock
legendary James Brown will always be remembered as the godfather of soul and one of the greatest musicians of his time. His musical innovations paved the way for new genres and made him one of the world's most legendary performers. twentieth century…Brown was born in May 1933 years, and his long musical career had an irreversible impact on this world! Without this man, we wouldn't have funk music as we know it today... The amazing James Brown continued to perform and record music until his death in 2006 year from heart failure. The pioneering artist grew up poor but worked tirelessly until he could afford jeweled capes and sparkly costumes! However, his story is far from idyllic. Brown was one of many celebrities involved in family disputes, and throughout his career, he struggled with severe addictions ... But in stories about "godfather of soul" there is no shortage: the facts below form an incredibly deep and detailed portrait of the brilliant music icon...
His third marriage was insane
At James Brown had a stormy and sometimes just crazy relationship with his third wife named Adrienne Rodriguez! The woman was working as a hairdresser when she met the soul superstar. The couple quickly married, but illegal substances became an important part of their relationship ... It was the substances that contributed to their dependence on each other to a ridiculous degree. One of the musician's kitchen staff even claimed that Rodriguez sometimes added them to ice cream or coffee with cream, which were intended for Brown ...
The couple eventually divorced due to the singer's cruelty. In one particularly bizarre incident, Brown took Rodriguez's mink coat and punched bullet holes in it...
He fined his backup musicians if their stage costumes were wrinkled.
James Brown meticulously approached his stage production. His bright suits and capes were always stylish and impeccably pressed... Accordingly, he expected the same "aesthetic idealism" from his musicians. So, according to the saxophonist Pee Wee Ellis, Brown "intimidated people":
“It all looked absurd! We had fines according to the dress code! For example, shoes had to have a certain sheen. There were even special rules for wearing our uniform!”
Thus, Brown punished his musicians financially if their outfits were slightly wrinkled...
He was a copycat of Little Richard
Before the name James Brown became a household name, he relied on Little Richard! Agree: these two are not very similar to each other ... However, Brown several times portrayed a famous singer! Sometimes he even accepted money that actually belonged to Richard…
At one concert, the audience immediately realized that Brown was a fraud, but people still stayed to watch his show, because "Godfather of Soul" was very talented!
He got 16 years in prison when he was only 15
In adolescence James Brown had virtually no supervision. No wonder he stole to supplement his income... So, at the age of 15 he was arrested for stealing parked cars. For this crime, Brown received from 8 to 16 years in prison. But thanks to his talent, he was released after just three years! Everyone loved his singing - both the warden and the parole board ... Young Brown struck everyone on the spot with his amazing voice, which is why he even got the nickname "music Box"!
He promoted his aunt's moonshine business
James Brown settled with his aunt Honeywhen he was 6 years old. So, Hani replaced his biological mother after the latter abandoned her son, as soon as he was 4 years old ... It is worth noting that the legends about Brown begin with his birth! So, there are rumors that the singer was born without breathing, and one of his aunts brought him back to life ... But back to the topic.
Although Honey loved her nephew, she also ran a cafeteria and sold moonshine to make ends meet... Nevertheless, Honey brought her young ward to church, so Brown received a formal musical education from an early age! He also helped his aunt promote her moonshine business.
He fought a bitter war with Joe Tex
The path to the top of the charts is difficult and usually littered with collateral damage from fierce rivalry ... So, one of the first and most hated enemies James Brown became an R&B singer Joe Tex. Both musicians were signed to King Records, because of which they had to compete for the time of the performance and sale ... But over time, their hostility moved from professional to personal.
It all started with the Tex, и Brown made covers of the same songs (including "Baby You're Right"), and later a rumor ran that Brown allegedly "stole" Tex's ex-wife! This led to Tex releasing a diss album You Keep Herin which he called Brown by name. IN 1963 year, the situation reached its climax: it happened in one of the clubs in Georgia ...
All evening Tex teased Brown about his trademark cape, and later made fun of his performance... Without thinking twice, the godfather of soul took out a shotgun and opened fire on his opponent, allegedly injuring about six or seven more people! It's a miracle no one died... Brown flew away, while members of his security team remained behind to distribute hundred dollar bills to the wounded for their silence. Brown was never held accountable for his actions, which often crossed the line of the law ...
He set up a chase with the police
James Brown was on probation when September 24, 1988 accidentally got to the insurance seminar in Augusta, Georgia. He did not go there to learn about insurance, and he did not have a share in any of the companies there ... However, the musician was under the substances, and had a shotgun and a pistol with him. Not particularly sober, Brown ordered everyone to leave the seminar, and then left the scene in his pickup truck ... Of course, the police followed him.
After chasing Brown through South Carolinaand then back to Georgia, the police said they shot him in the tires to stop him. Brown, however, said that he turned himself in to the officer when a group of police officers arrived and smashed the windows of his car... He then fled for his life when they opened fire. Be that as it may, he was sentenced to six years and six months in prison.
He was a close friend of Elvis Presley
James Brown and Elvis Presley were contemporaries and fierce rivals. Both were vying for the top spot in soul music, but from public records, they respected each other.
In fact, Brown considered Presley the only person worthy of being his competitor ... They were friends, and after the death of the king of rock and roll, Brown said:
“I was not just a fan, I was his brother. He said I was good as a singer and I said he was good… We never argued about it!”
