By Han Eun-jung
‘The Godfather of Soul’ in concert
Fans of James Brown in Korea
finally get the chance to see ``the Godfather of Soul’’ in action as the singer
is set to perform for the first time in Korea
next month.
According to concert organizers, Access Entertainment,
Brown, backed by a 10-piece band, is expected to sing some of his greatest hits
like ``I Got You (I Feel Good),'' ``Get up (I Feel Like
Being a Sex Machine)'' and ``This is a Man's World.''
The 72-year-old singer, songwriter and producer has earned
titles like ``Soul Brother Number One," ``Mr. Dynamite’’ or ``the
hardest-working man in show business’’ and is credited as being the one most
responsible for the transformation of gospel and R&B into soul and funk.
Born in 1933, the only child of a poor family in South
Carolina, James Joseph Brown grew up in Augusta,
Georgia where his aunt
ran a brothel. Brushes with the law early on landed him in a juvenile detention
center where he met Bobby Byrd, with whom he founded the Famous Flames. Brown’s
first professional recording project enjoyed moderate success. But with his
charisma and energy, Brown soon went solo.
After a string of flops, the year 1958 saw ``Try Me'' make
it to the very top of the R&B charts, a place his songs would become
regular visitors to in the future.
The 1960s for Brown was the most commercially successful
period, as his name rarely was absent from the R&B charts. Churning out
hits like ``Out of Sight,'' ``Cold Sweat,'' ``I Got You (I Feel You)'' and many
other funky songs, he was busy touring and making appearances as a
representative of the black community.
And while it seemed that by the late 1970s Brown's presence
would never be the same again, the explosion of rap onto the music scene in the
1980s signaled a second heyday with his songs sampled on many hip and R&B
recordings to the current day. As a result, he has been able to attract a new
generation of fans.
Brown has to his name 114 Billboard R&B singles chart
entries. More than 90 have made it into the Hot 100 singles chart, 17 of which
have made it to number one.
A charter member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, he was
honored in 1992 with a special lifetime achievement Grammy Award.
However, his personal life has been rife with controversy.
He served two years in prison in 1988 on drug and assault charges and in 2004
was arrested after allegedly pushing his wife to the floor (the case was
resolved when he pleaded no contest). In late 2004 he underwent successful
surgery for prostate cancer.
Today he continues to tour, in which his signature shouting
vocals and feverish dances are met with enthusiastic audiences and positive
reviews.
01-18-2006
18:53
Source: Hankooki.com
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