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(Livewire) James Brown, the iconic
musician known as the "Godfather of Soul," died
early Monday, his manager confirmed. Brown, 73, died
at 1:45 a.m. at Emory Crawford Long Hospital in
Atlanta, said Super Frank, Brown's manager. "His longtime friend Charles Bobbitt was by his side when Brown died," Frank said. "Brown was in Atlanta for a dental appointment when he fell ill and was admitted to the hospital over the weekend for treatment for complications of pneumonia," his agent said. Brown was a driving force in the evolution of gospel and rhythm and blues into soul and funk. He has left his mark on numerous other musical genres, including rock, jazz, reggae, disco, dance and electronic music, and hip-hop music. Brown started his professional music career in 1953 and rose to fame in the late 1950s and early 1960s on the strength of his exciting live performances and a string of big hits. In spite of various personal problems and setbacks, he continued to score hits in every decade through the 1980s. "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," "Please Please Please," "Say It Loud and I'm Black and I'm Proud" are among his many hits. |