James Brown

James Brown

The Godfather.

Founded

May 3, 1933 in Barnwell, South Carolina

Full Name

Date of Birth

May 3, 1933 in Barnwell, South Carolina

Still Alive

Date of Death

December 25, 2006 in Atlanta, Georgia

Influenced By
James Brown performing.
James Brown performing.

About The artist

"Soul Brother Number One," "The Godfather of Soul," "The Hardest Working Man in Show Business," "Mr. Dynamite" -- James Brown had many sobriquets. He turned R&B into Soul and Soul into Funk. He could be listed as the most important artist in any of those genres. Perhaps the most influential American music artist of the latter half of the 20th century.

Did you know...

At the age of 16, Brown was arrested for stealing a car and sentenced to three years in prison. He met singer Bobby Byrd while incarcerated and, with the help of Byrd's family, he gained parole. The two formed a gospel group and later changed their focus to Rhythm and Blues.

Other Artists from this genre

The Meters

The Meters

New Orleans funk originators.

Bootsy Collins

Bootsy Collins

The first great funk bass player.

Chaka Khan

Chaka Khan

The Queen of Funk.

Earth, Wind & Fire

Earth, Wind & Fire

The elemental forces of funk.

George Clinton

George Clinton

The Maestro of P-Funk.

Rick James

Rick James

The Freaky One.

Genres from this era

Funk

Funk

All about the groove.

Disco

Disco

It went from the underground club scene to the mainstream.

R&B

R&B

Polished sound and sophisticated production.

Prince

Prince

A genre unto himself.