James Brown

(January 1998) Released from hospital following treatment for addiction to painkillers.

Singer, songwriter, band leader and record producer.

His third wife, Adrienne Rodriguez, charged him 4 times with felony assault. She died of heart failure following plastic surgery.

He served 26 months in prison for leading police on a high speed chase in Georgia in 1988.

(11 June 2001) Son, with girlfriend Tomirae Brown , James Brown II, was born.

Charter member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.

One of 5 recipients of the 2003 Kennedy Center Honors. The other recipients were Carol Burnett , Loretta Lynn , Mike Nichols , and Itzhak Perlman.

28 January 2004 - Arrested for allegedly pushing his wife at their South Carolina home. Brown later filed for an annulment of their marriage.

He was voted the 7th Greatest Rock n Roll Artist of all time by Entertainment Weekly.

In 1991, the Techno group L.A. Style released a highly irreverent and controversial single entitled "James Brown Is Dead". There were two songs quickly made in response: "James Brown Is Still Alive" by Holy Noise, and "Who the F

Is James Brown?" by Traumatic Stress.

Underwent surgery for prostate cancer in December 2004.

Was a friend of Elvis Presley.

J. Anthony Lukas s book on Boston race relations, "Common Ground", notes that a 1968 Brown performance the day after Rev. Martin Luther King s was assassinated helped keep the city from exploding.

Dismayed by the school shootings of the late 1990s, he spoke out against violence in schools, even writing a song, "Killings Out and Schools In.".

Some radicals criticized him for his patriotism. He received death threats after playing to US troops in Vietnam in 1972.

[May 7, 2005] Reverend Al Sharpton unveiled a life-size bronze statue of Brown in Augusta, Georgia. The statue was supposed to be unveiled in May 2004, for Browns 71st birthday, but the city postponed the ceremony because Brown was facing domestic violence charges for pushing and threatening his fourth wife, Tomirae Brown.

In 2003 South Carolina granted him pardons for seven criminal convictions, some involving guns and drugs, over a 10-year period.

(December 2003) US Secretary of State General Colin Powell appointed Brown to be the first US "secretary of soul and foreign minister of funk", but said the job description for the post had not yet been drawn up.

Receiving 3 Grammys: Best R&B Recording ("Papas Got a Brand New Bag", 1965), Best Male R&B Performance ("Living In America", 1986) and "Best Album Notes" ("Star Times," 1991). On February 25 1992, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 34th Annual Grammy Awards.

(11 November 1993) Augustas 9th street was renamed "James Brown Boulevard" by mayor Charles DeVaney.

Lived in Beeach Island, South Carolina at the time of his death.

Holds the record for holder for charting the most singles on the Billboard Hot 100 without ever reaching #1.

Some of his most popular songs include "Please, Please, Please" , "I Got You (I Feel Good)" , "Its A Mans Mans Mans World" , "Cold Sweat" , "I Got The Feelin" , "Get Up (I Like Being A) Sex Machine" and "Living in America".

Coordinated his dance moves to lead his band. Each movement was actually an instruction to the band.

In live shows, Brown would sometimes add the "I got ya" lyric in a song when he caught a musician making a mistake.

Insisted on using the title Mr. or Ms. for everyone in his band. He felt it was a sign of respect if people called each other by their proper title.

Rev. Jesse Jackson regularly visited Brown while he served time for leading the police on a car chase and other various offenses in South Carolina in 1988.

He is the worlds most sampled recording artist, and his song "Funky Drummer" the most sampled individual piece of music in history. The list of artists that sampled Brown ranged from Jay Z to Eric B. and Rakim to Public Enemy to DJ Shadow.

Browns hit singles like "Say It Loud (Im Black and Im Proud)" and "Funky President" galvanized black youth during the turbulent 70s.

Good friends with Rev. Al Sharpton since the 1970s and Rev. Jesse Jackson since the 1950s.

His funeral was officiated by his good friend, Rev. Al Sharpton.

Got his start in music singing with Bobby Byrd s group the Famous Flames.

Was planning on singing at B.B. King s blues club in New York on New Years Eve a week before he died.

Life-long friend of Little Richard , since they were both teenagers.

Due to the timing of Browns death, there were no flights out of Atlanta to fly Browns body up to New York for a public viewing at the Apollo Theater. The funeral director and Al Sharpton opted to drive Browns body from Atlanta to New York, instead.

Portions of James Browns funeral services in Augusta, GA were shown live on CNN.

Performed at President Richard Nixon s first inauguration on 30 January 1969.

(November 14 2006) Inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame for his outstanding contribution to British music and integral part of British music culture.

He was diagnosed with heart disease in 2003.

One of the personalities mentioned in the song "Genius of Love" by Tom Tom Club. The others were Bob Marley , Smokey Robinson , Hamilton Bohannon, George Clinton , Bootsy Collins , Lowell Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare (as Sly and Robbie), and Kurtis Blow.

Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2000.

Voted the tenth greatest singer of the rock era in a Rolling Stone magazine poll in 2008.

He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 1501 Vine Street in Hollywood, California.

Paroled after serving 3 years of his six years. His crime was in 1988 when he threatened pedestrians with firearms, abused PCP, and led a high-speed car chase down Interstate 20 in Augusta, Georgia.

Mentioned in the song "When The World is Running Down" by The Police.

Mentioned in the hit song "Genius of Love" by Tom Tom Club.

Daughters with second wife Deidre or "Deedee" are Deanna Brown and Yamma Brown.

Sons with first wife Velma were Teddy (1954-1973), Terry (1955-), and Larry (1958-).

His first name James is named after James B Anderson. James Was born in small wooden shack in williston s.c. Were his father live and work for James M Anderson.

Was friends with M.C. Hammer.

Is best known to aging baby boomers for his continuing role as "Lt. Rip Masters" on the popular 1950s TV series "The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin" .

Sometimes billed as J.B. Brown, James Bowen Brown, James L. Brown, Jim L. Brown, Jimmy Brown and Jim Brown, There are twelve other James and Jim Browns listed in the Hollywood film business.

After he retired from acting, he ran a very successful athletic-equipment firm.

He was most often cast in military roles or as a law enforcement officer.

He was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in the 1970s, but only played one season.

Attended Harvard University.

Has one daughter, Katrina

Founding editor of Loaded magazine.

I would like to pass on the want to do something. The need is there.

Good lyrics are good things, but I would like to pass on that drive,that vigorous undying determination.

Sometimes, you like to let the hair do the talking!,Like Christ said, love thee one another. I learned to do that, and I learned to respect and be appreciative and thankful for what I had.

I just thank God for all of the blessings.

Thank God for the journey.