"The Hardest-Working Man in Show Business", "Mr. Dynamite", "the Godfather of Soul" - James Brown earned every one of his nicknames. Across more than five decades he helped invent funk, changed the sound of soul and laid the foundations for hip-hop, and his electrifying stage shows remain the stuff of legend.
Born in South Carolina in 1933, he rose from hard beginnings to become one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, and was among the very first artists inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Here is his story. Explore more legends in our R&B music collection.
James Brown Fact File
| Full name | James Joseph Brown |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | 3 May 1933 |
| Place of birth | Barnwell, South Carolina, USA |
| Died | 25 December 2006, Atlanta, Georgia (aged 73) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Singer, songwriter, bandleader, dancer |
| Years active | 1953-2006 |
| Genres | Soul, funk, R&B |
| Labels | Federal, King, Polydor |
| Nicknames | The Godfather of Soul, Mr. Dynamite, Soul Brother No. 1 |
Career History
| Years | Label / Group | Key releases |
|---|---|---|
| 1956-1958 | Federal / The Famous Flames | "Please, Please, Please", "Try Me" |
| 1963 | King | Live at the Apollo |
| 1965-1967 | King | "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag", "I Got You (I Feel Good)", "Cold Sweat" |
| 1970-1974 | King / Polydor | "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine", "The Payback" |
| 1986 | Scotti Bros. | "Living in America" |
The table highlights landmark singles and albums by era; Brown released dozens of albums and well over a hundred charting singles across his career.
Early Years and The Famous Flames
James Brown grew up in poverty in South Carolina and Georgia, singing in church and on street corners. In the early 1950s he joined a vocal group founded by Bobby Byrd, which became The Famous Flames, with Brown soon established as its explosive lead singer.
Signed to Federal Records, the group scored a first hit in 1956 with "Please, Please, Please", and the ballad "Try Me" topped the R&B chart in 1958. Brown's raw, pleading vocals and acrobatic dancing set him apart from everyone else.
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Live at the Apollo and the Birth of Funk
In 1963 Brown paid to record a show at Harlem's Apollo Theater himself, and Live at the Apollo became a huge seller and one of the greatest live albums ever made. Two years later "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" stripped soul back to a hard, rhythmic groove, winning him a Grammy and pointing the way to funk.
"I Got You (I Feel Good)" and "Cold Sweat" followed, and by the end of the decade Brown and his band were one of the tightest live acts in music.
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Soul Brother No. 1
The early 1970s brought "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine" and "The Payback", records whose drum breaks and riffs would later be sampled countless times by hip-hop producers. Brown's influence spread from Michael Jackson's dance moves to Prince's showmanship.
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Later Career and Legacy
In 1986 Brown was part of the inaugural class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and "Living in America", from Rocky IV, gave him a late-career hit and a second Grammy. He kept touring into the 2000s and received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2003. In 2014 his life was told on screen in the biopic Get On Up, with Chadwick Boseman in the lead role.
Honours
Hall of Fame
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inaugural class (1986)
Awards
- Grammy for "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag"
- Grammy for "Living in America"
- Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (1992)
- Kennedy Center Honors (2003)
Landmark Releases
- Live at the Apollo (1963)
- "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" (1965)
Away From the Spotlight
Brown was known for his strict discipline as a bandleader and for his community work, including a famous televised concert in Boston in 1968 that helped keep the city calm in a tense moment of American history.
FAQs
When was James Brown born?
James Brown was born on 3 May 1933 in Barnwell, South Carolina.
When did James Brown die?
He died on 25 December 2006 in Atlanta, Georgia, aged 73.
Why is James Brown called the Godfather of Soul?
The nickname reflects his huge influence on soul and funk music, and on generations of artists who followed him.
What was James Brown's first hit?
His first hit was "Please, Please, Please" with The Famous Flames in 1956.
Is Live at the Apollo a good place to start?
Yes. The 1963 album Live at the Apollo is widely regarded as one of the greatest live albums ever recorded.
Who played James Brown in Get On Up?
Chadwick Boseman played James Brown in the 2014 biopic Get On Up.
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Part of our Icon Profiles series. Read next: Aretha Franklin Career Story and Marvin Gaye Career Story.
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