Known as the Godfather of Soul, James Brown's influence was felt across the musical spectrum. Along with Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan and a handful of others, Brown was one of the major influences of the past 50 years. At least one generation idolized him, and sometimes copied him.
His rapid-footed dancing inspired Mick Jagger and Michael Jackson among others. Songs such as David Bowie's Fame, Prince's Kiss, George Clinton's Atomic Dog and Sly and the Family Stone's Sing a Simple Song were clearly based on Brown's rhythms and vocal style. "He was an innovator, he was an emancipator, he was an originator.
Rap music, all that stuff came from James Brown," entertainer Little Richard, a longtime friend of Brown's, told MSNBC. "A great treasure is gone." If Brown's claim to the invention of soul can be challenged by fans of Ray Charles and Sam Cooke, then his rights to rap, disco and funk are beyond question.
He was to rhythm and dance music what Dylan was to lyrics: The unchallenged popular innovator. His hit singles include such classics as Out of Sight, Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine, I Got You (I Feel Good) and Say It Loud -- I'm Black and I'm Proud, a landmark 1968 statement of racial pride. "I clearly remember we were calling ourselves coloured, and after the song, we were calling ourselves black," Brown said in a 2003 interview.
"The song showed even people to that day that lyrics and music and a song can change society." He won a Grammy award for lifetime achievement in 1992, as well as Grammys in 1965 for Papa's Got a Brand New Bag and for Living In America in 1987. With his tight pants, eye makeup and outrageous hair, Brown set the stage for younger stars such as Michael Jackson and Prince.
In 1986, he was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. And rap stars of recent years overwhelmingly have borrowed his lyrics. Brown's work has been replayed by the Fat Boys, Ice-T, Public Enemy and a host of other rappers.
"The music out there is only as good as my last record," Brown joked in a 1989 interview with Rolling Stone magazine. "Disco is James Brown, hip-hop is James Brown, rap is James Brown; you know what I'm saying? You hear all the rappers, 90% of their music is me," he said in 2003.
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