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Brown, James. The Godfather of Soul. De Capo Press, 2003

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1. James browns birth and early childhood in poverty 

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1. James browns birth and early childhood in poverty 

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James Brown was born on May 3, 1933, in a one-room shack in the woods of Barnwell, South Carolina. Brown gives a reflection about the challenges and hardships he faced as a young kid. He had struggled with emotion and financial things. His mother had left the family when he was four, and when he was five, his father and aunt moved with him to Augusta, Georgia.

Quote 1: "I guess we lived about as poor as you could be" (3)

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2. Going to school while living in a rough childhood

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2. Going to school while living in a rough childhood

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Brown reflects on his early schooling experience at Floyd School in Augusta, Georgia. Brown felt financially and emotionally poorer than his peers due to the lack of parental care and a stable home environment.

Quote 2: "I'd have to say that i was poorer than most of the other kids, and a different kind of poor too... I was poor because nobody was really taking care of me" (15)

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Brown decides to enter and perform for the first time at the Lenox Theater's amateur night. He sings a song called "So Long" with determination and passion. He eventually delivers a captivating performance for the crowd and deeply inspires them.

Quote 3: "I sang loud and strong and soulful and the people felt it." (23)

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Brown reflects on his youthful experience with car theft. Despite various warnings, he continued his criminal activities, leading to a thrilling chase with the police. He ends up getting caught and thrown into prison at the age of 15.

Quote 4: "This time they took me to jail for real-fingerprinted me, took a mug shot, and threw me in a lockup with adult offenders even though I was only 15 years old". (31)

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Brown finally gets let out of prison at the age of 19 after serving his sentence for his involvement in car theft.

Quote 5: "Mr Matthews let me out that day June 14, 1952...It was exactly 3 years and one day since i'd been convicted." (48)

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Brown got a job at Lawson Motors, where he washed, greased, and cleaned up around the car lot. One day he got into a fight with a white man who had tried to hit Brown, but Brown had defended himself with a tire iron, which resulted in him losing his job.

Quote 6: "I was still small, but boxing and football had given me a lot of upper-body strength- and i refused to let him beat me". (52)

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Once Brown left his job at Lawson Motors, he used the opportunity to pursue his passion for music. He joins Bryd's band, which not only provides Brown with a platform to showcase his talent but also reveals new musical experiences and opportunities for his growth in music.

Quote 7: "The idea wasn't full blown yet, but the next time Bobby Bryd asked me to join his group I said yes" (53)

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Brown reflects that he had gotten married to Velma Warren, who had belonged to Mount Zion, on June 19, 1953.

Quote 8: "Velma and I were married in Trinity Church on June 19, 1953, a little over a year after I had gotten out of prison". (59)

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9. James brown and Bobby Bryds Tea Performance

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9. James brown and Bobby Bryds Tea Performance

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Brown and Bobby Bryd perform at a tea party in a downtown restaurant. Despite Brown having to sneak out of work, they arrive just in time. Brown sings "Good Lovin" without a microphone and dances while Bobby plays the piano and provides background vocals. They both provide an energetic performance that captivates the audience, resulting in more musical opportunities for them.

Quote 9: "A lot of em had never seen a raw R&B performance with singing and dancing like ours before...We did a whole show, and we killed em." (64)

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After Brown and his band, the Famous Flames created a successful performance at Club 15, where they sang the song "Good Good Lovin" and created a unique baseball-themed dance routine. Brown and his band impressed Ralph Bass with their stage act and original songs so much that he offered them an opportunity to record for King Records. This opportunity opens up more and more musical experiences and growth in their careers.

Quote 10: "Good he said, because "I want you to record for King Records." (75)

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Brown and his band, the Famous Flames, drove to Macon, Florida, and went straight to King Records. Despite the doubts about whether the recording station was legit, Brown and his band started recording some tracks, such as "Please, Please, Please" and Why Do You Do Me Like You Do? "I Feel That Old Feeling Coming On" and "I Don't Know." Usually, their records get released quickly, but this time it was different, and there were some problems with the crew releasing them, but eventually they released the record. Finally, on March 3rd, 1956, "Please, Please, Please" was released and became a massive hit, selling a million copies.

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The famous flames had started falling apart. Despite the success of "Please, Please, Please" the band was still having issues. This resulted in a breakup with the band. But Brown still wasn't giving up, so he decided he was going to work by himself.

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Despite people saying James Brown will never perform again and that he was "washed up,"  Brown never let those comments affect him. So instead of giving up, he decides to create a new song that could maybe lead to his next big hit after nine months of no songs. Mr. Nathan had doubts about this, but after an argument with Brown, he decided to give him a shot. Brown had created two songs without recording for almost a year, "Tell Me What I Did Wrong" and "Try Me." "Try Me" was released in October and was number 1 on the R&B chart, immediately moving to number 48 on the pop charts.

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Brown and Bryd both reconnect with one another and perform at the Apollo Amateur Theater Night. Brown delivers a high-energy performance and sings "Please, Please, Please" where he falls to his knees with a red suitcase. He impresses the audience with his moves and amazing singing.

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15. Brown meets his mother for the first time in 20 years 

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15. Brown meets his mother for the first time in 20 years 

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After the amazing, energetic performances at the Apollo Theater, James Brown goes back to his room, fixing to leave for Washington, until he hears somebody knocking on the door. He tells them to come in, but he doesn't pay attention to who it is. The door opens slowly, and Brown turns around to see who it is, and to his surprise, it is his mother, whom he hasn't seen in over 20 years. He tells her that he has been looking for her for a really long time, and she gives him a warm hug for the first time in over 20 years.

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16. Brown and the Famous Flames first appearance on national TV

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16. Brown and the Famous Flames first appearance on national TV

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Brown and the Famous Flames get invited to appear on American Bandstand for the first time. Brown was nervous at first, but Dick Clark had done everything he could to make them comfortable. Dick Clark asks them questions about their performances, and it leads to more popularity for the band and becomes a memorable and amazing experience for Brown and the Famous Flames.

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Brown, Byrd, Bobby Bennett, and two others had gone out to eat at a bus station in Birmingham when, all of a sudden, they witnessed a racial encounter between a white and black man fighting about a seat. Once the white man had knocked the black man off the seat, all of hell had broken loose. People started beating up each other, throwing things, and even tearing up the place! Once this all happened, Brown and his crew took off for the car, leaving instantly.

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Brown recorded live at the Apollo Theater for the first time in his singing career. Despite others calling him crazy and insane for even thinking of this idea and having to pay for it himself, Brown creates an amazing, energetic performance, entertaining the audience with his powerful dance moves and earning a reputation as "The Godfather of Soul".

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JAMES BROWN - LIVE AT THE APOLLO FULL CONCERT (1963)

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Brown recorded a new song called "Out of Sight" in June of 1964 after a long break from his last live performance at the Apollo Theater. "Out of Sight" becomes his new beginning musically and professionally because of the little details of horns, guitar, vocals, and rhythm it expresses. "Out of Sight" becomes one of Brown's biggest hits yet.

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After "Out of Sight," Brown continued his music career and released more albums and songs. At the end of June 1967, Brown came back to Apollo and decided to record another live album there. This time, though, he had more sophisticated equipment and a remote truck out back. He released his new album "Cold Sweat" and got the name Soul Brother number one.