James Brown, age 73, passed away on Christmas day. The cause of death is heart failure brought on by pneumonia.

Brown was most famous for his singing but was also a songwriter, band-leader and record producer. His music ranged from gospel to rhythm and blues, soul and funk. He was a major influence in most of these genres and influenced yet many more like hip-hop , rock and jazz.

Brown picked cotton and shined shoes to earn money as a youth. He was convicted of armed robbery at the age of sixteen and served time in a juvenile detention center where he met Bobby Byrd, who would turn out to be Brown’s sideman.

Brown also tried boxing and baseball pitching before he focused on music.

“Try Me” was Brown’s first number one hit in 1958. He followed up with “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag” and “I Got You (I Feel Good)” in 1965.

In the later part of the sixties Brown became more socially active with songs like “Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud.” This activity seemed to alienate some of his white audience and limited some of his airplay.

The seventies saw Brown improve his art and he released songs like “The Payback”; “Stoned to the Bon”; “Papa Don’t Take No Mess”; Funky President (People It’s Bad)” and “Get Up Offa That Thing.”

Brown’s popularity declined in the late 70’s and early 80’s. However he came back in the late 80’s with appearances in movies like “The Blues Brothers” and “Rocky IV.” He had a hit in 1985 called “Living in America.”

Brown ran into legal problems. In 1988 he was arrested after a high speed car chase in Augusta, Georgia. He was convicted on firearms charges, PCP possession and use and fleeing police. Legal problems continued for Brown through the nineties and the next millennia. Most of his problems were related to drug use and domestic abuse charges.

During this time Brown kept working and recording.

Brown’s awards include induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. He won a lifetime achievement award at the Grammy awards in 1986. In 2006 he was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame.

Brown was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2004. The cancer was cured with surgery.

Brown was admitted to the hospital on Christmas Eve after a dentist visit revealed he had severe pneumonia. He died on Christmas Day of heart failure, a complication of the pneumonia. James’s last words were purported to be “I’m going away tonight.”

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 26th, 2006 at 4:21 pm and is filed under Deceased, Singers. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. Be sure to subscribe to the PopTherapy.com feed because it is really, really funny. Have something funny you want to share? Please let us know.