biography
| name: |
Brown, James
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nicknames the Hardest Working Man in Show Business, Soul Brother Number One
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| sex:
| male
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| lived:
| (1928– )
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| biography:
| Musician, born in Barnwell, South Carolina, USA. One of the most significant figures in black pop music, he began his singing career in Macon, GA with the Gospel Starlighters. In 1954 he formed a vocal group, the Famous Flames, with whom he recorded his first ‘cry’ ballads, ‘Please, Please, Please’ (1956) and ‘Try Me’ (1958). Combining gospel and blues roots with a stage presentation that mixed calculated hysteria and absolute musical precision, he emerged by 1962 as the leading star in rhythm and blues and one of its key innovators. During the late 1960s his ambiguous racial politics made him an emblematic figure for both moderate and radical movements. His 1968 recording, ‘Say It Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud’, became an anthem of the Black Power movement. By the early 1970s he had become one of the first black entertainers to assume complete control of his own career, and this remains an enduring aspect of his legacy. An inaugural member of the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame (1968), the next year his recording ‘Living in America’ won a Grammy for best rhythm & blues performance. In 1988 he was jailed for three years on charges that included aggravated assault. Upon his release (1991) he resumed his career as a leading concert and recording artist. |
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