The Godfather......

I promised myself to write something about James Brown---the Godfather of Soul. Brown died on Christmas morning after a brief stay in an Atlanta, Georgia hospital. It was so sudden.

Everyone has a JB story. Growing up in upstate New York, I used to watch Brown on television doing the mashed potatoes--jump back alligator, see you later, I feel good, please, please, please. My friend Peachy (his real name was James and he looked a bit like Brown) believed he could dance like Brown and slid across the pavement in Liberation Park where we played. The boldest of Brown's hits, "Say It Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud" opened up a whole new vision for black people. From the windows of apartments and storefronts America's black communities, this 1968 black anthem resonated at a time when the Civil Rights and Black Power movements were waning. The song, in fact, became synonymous with black power nostalgia and a generation of struggle.

The Godfather stayed on the charts into the 70s with hits like Sex Machine, Hot Pants, Get on the Good Foot, The Payback, Get Offa That Thing. These were all great hits, though not as revolutionary as Say It Loud. Funk music came with James Brown. His band could lay down some foot-stomping beats behind such stirring lyrics as

We've got to get together and buy some land
Raise our food just like the man
Save our money, do like the mob
Put up your factory and own the job
We've got to get over, before we go under
(The Funky President, 1975)

In life he received props from several generations of fans. Those like me who grew up listening to him on radio and vinyl 45s have his hits engraved in our consciousness. Those of the Hip-Hop generation have known him mainly through his music sampled into their CDs and mp3 players.

Harlem paid tribute to the Godfather three days after his funeral. Rev. Al Sharpton, who Brown referred to as his son, arranged for the body to lie in repose at the Apollo Theater. A white carriage made the trip down 125th Street, trailed by several generations of fans. Brown's legacy is well deserved.