James Brown: The Godfather of Soul - Softcover

James Brown; Bruce Tucker

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1845134060 ISBN 13: 9781845134068

Publisher: Aurum Press Ltd., 2009

Synopsis

He was `the hardest working man in show business`; he invented modern funk music; he was an electrifying, sweat-drenched live performer; he was the gospel-singing, jiving preacher who stole the show in "The Blues Brothers": he spent several periods in jail; he wrote such funk classics as "Please Please Please", "Sex Machine", "Living in America" and "Papa`s Got a Brand New Bag". James Brown was one of the truly legendary figures of modern pop, soul and rock music, and a seminal influence on countless musicians from Mick Jagger to Prince.Now, two years after his death, Aurum republish Brown`s own life story: his remarkably frank, passionate and revealing autobiography, out of print in the UK for 20 years."The Godfather of Soul" tells of Brown`s childhood in a brothel in Augusta, Georgia, his roots in gospel singing, his rise to fame from the endless gigging on the chitlin circuit, his time in jail, and every milestone in his astonishing musical career, including his friendships with Elvis Presley, Little Richard, Tina Turner, Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi. It is an astonishing tale of a man who was larger than life on and off-stage every minute of his existence.This is a classic autobiography by one of the true legends of pop music.It is reissued two years after Brown`s death. It was previously out of print for 20 years. Brown had a huge UK following who would pack out every gig. It features a striking paperback cover.

About this title

Review:

The autobiography Godfather of Soul was originally published before James Brown's late-'80s brushes with the law, so those looking for the man's thoughts on his drug problems and subsequent incarceration will walk away empty-handed. Seekers after the fine blend of social responsibility, cranked-up ego, and pronouncements on his own music and its place in the world, however, will be amply rewarded. Fascinating tidbits--from the claim that Elvis Presley once hoped to record with the JBs to the story of being able to find only white and Asian kids in a last-minute recruiting effort for the shout-along on "Say It Loud--I'm Black and I'm Proud"--abound. But you probably guessed as much of the auteur of "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," Live at the Apollo, and "Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto." --Rickey Wright

About the Author:

James Brown dominated the R&B charts for half a century. He has reached the Billboard top 40 nearly 100 times and occupied the number one spot on seventeen different occasions. In 1992 the Godfather of Soul was awarded a special lifetime achievement Grammy award.

About this edition

• Publisher: Aurum Press Ltd.
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 1845134060
• ISBN 13: 9781845134068
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 352