A public service for the late Godfather of Soul will be held today at the Apollo Theater in New York City. James Brown died suddenly in the early hours of Monday morning after being admitted to the Emory Crawford Hospital in Atlanta, GA. He’d been diagnosed with pneumonia, but Heart Failure is the reported cause of death. Brown was 73 years old, and he’s survived by his partner, Tomi Rae Hynie, who was one of his back-up singers, and at least four children.
James Brown’s fans are pouring into New York city to say their final farewell to the music great. His body will be on view for the public at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. It’s been reported that a private ceremony will be held in Augusta GA on Friday, and then on Saturday, fans will be able to honor the music legend at a public funeral, to be officiated by Reverend Al Sharpton, that’s slated to be held at the James Brown Arena in Augusta.
BET Networks chairman and CEO Debra Lee said “We have lost the most inspirational force the music world has ever known, James Brown’s impact across all genres of music — especially funk, soul, disco and rock — is immeasurable, and will never be duplicated. He was one of the few individuals who truly merited recognition as an American legend. Without question, today’s musical artists worldwide owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to James Brown for his influence on lyrics, dance and stage presence.”
Brown first came to the publics attention with his 1956 single “Please, Please, Please” which quickly hit the R&B charts. He later went on to record such well known 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.”
Brown was honored with a lifetime achievment Grammy in 1992, and he was one of the first performers ever to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. He also won two Grammys. One in 1965 for “Papa’s got a brand new bag” and the second in 1987 for “Living in America”.
Michael Jackson was quoted as saying in 2003 when James Brown was being Honored at the BET awards, “Nobody has influenced me more than James Brown, At 6 years old, he was the one I looked up to more than any other entertainer.” It’s also said that Eddie Murphy’s role as James Thunder Early in Dreamgirls was inspired by Brown.