James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, and musician. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th-century music, he is referred to by various nicknames, … 展开

As a vocalist, Brown performed in a forceful shout style derived from gospel music. Meanwhile, "his rhythmic grunts and expressive shrieks harked back farther still to ring shouts, work songs, and field cries", according to the Encyclopedia of African-American … 展开

Theft and assault convictions
Brown's personal life was marred by numerous brushes with the law. At the age of 16, he was convicted of … 展开

At the end of his life, James Brown lived in Beech Island, South Carolina, directly across the Savannah River from Augusta, Georgia. According to his longtime manager Charles Bobbit, … 展开

1954–1961: The Famous Flames
Brown joined Bobby Byrd's group in 1954. The group had evolved from the Gospel Starlighters, an 展开

Education advocacy and humanitarianism
Brown's main social activism was in preserving the need for education among youths, influenced by his … 展开

In 1962, Tammi Terrell joined the James Brown Revue. Brown became sexually involved with Terrell—even though she was only 17—in a relationship that continued until she … 展开