Get a closer look at some of Hollywood's perfect pairs.

Hollywood Power Couples

Get a closer look at some of Hollywood&#39;s perfect pairs.

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Streaming Stars, Then and Now

James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 - December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer, and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the honorific nicknames "Godfather of Soul", "Mr. Dynamite", and "Soul Brother No. 1". In a career that lasted more than 50 years, he influenced the development of several music genres. Brown was one of the first 10 inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at its inaugural induction in New York on January 23, 1986.

Brown began his career as a gospel singer in Toccoa, Georgia. He first came to national public attention in the mid-1950s as the lead singer of the Famous Flames, a then-only Rhythm and blues vocal group founded by Bobby Byrd. With the hit ballads "Please, Please, Please" and "Try Me", Brown built a reputation as a dynamic live performer with the Famous Flames and his backing band, sometimes known as the James Brown Band or the James Brown Orchestra. His success peaked in the 1960s with the live album Live at the Apollo and hit singles such as "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag", "I Got You (I Feel Good)" and "It's a Man's Man's Man's World".

During the late 1960s, Brown moved from a continuum of blues and gospel-based forms and styles to a profoundly "Africanized" approach to music-making, emphasizing stripped-down interlocking rhythms that influenced the development of funk music. By the early 1970s, Brown had fully established the funk sound after the formation of the J.B.s with records such as "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine" and "The Payback". He also became noted for songs of social commentary, including the 1968 hit "Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud". Brown continued to perform and record until his death from pneumonia in 2006.

Brown recorded 17 singles that reached No. 1 on the Billboard R&B charts. He also holds the record for the most singles listed on the Billboard Hot 100 chart that did not reach No. 1. Brown was inducted into the first class of the Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame in 2013 as an artist and then in 2017 as a songwriter. He also received honors from several other institutions, including inductions into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame, and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In Joel Whitburn's analysis of the Billboard R&B charts from 1942 to 2010, Brown is ranked No. 1 in The Top 500 Artists. He is ranked seventh on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

[about <a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/name/nm0000062/?ref_=nmqu_qu">Elvis Presley</a>] I wasn&#39;t just a fan, I was his brother. He said I was
good and I said he was good; we never argued about that. Elvis was a
hard worker, dedicated, and God loved him. Last time I saw him was at
Graceland. We sang &quot;Old Blind Barnabus&quot; together, a gospel song. I love
him and hope to see him in heaven. There&#39;ll never be another like that
soul brother.

Disco is James Brown, hip-hop is James Brown, rap is James Brown; you
know what I&#39;m saying? You hear all the rappers, 90% of their
music is me.

I would like to pass on the want to do something. The need is there.
Good lyrics are good things, but I would like to pass on that drive,
that vigorous undying determination.

We need to protect the kids by giving them something to do. It&#39;s about
making them interested, making them love mom and dad more, love the
family more, love themselves more and love their school. So there won&#39;t
have to be killing in school.

I&#39;ve been in slavery all my life. Ain&#39;t nothing changes for me but the address.

Sometimes, you like to let the hair do the talking!

Quotes

James Brown

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