James Brown

By James Brown,

Book cover of James Brown: The Godfather of Soul

Book description

He was 'the hardest working man in showbusiness'; he invented modern funk music; he was an electrifying, sweat-drenched live performer; he was the gospel-singing, jiving preacher who stole the show in The Blues Brothers: he spent several periods in jail; he wrote such funk classics as 'Please Please Please', Sex…

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Why read it?

1 author picked James Brown as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

If any artist invented soul, funk, and rap, it is Mister James Brown.

I worked with him in 1994 and this book captures the spirit of the man,  telling his story from his dirt-poor childhood to becoming a musical icon. He was an innovator who influenced innovators like Michael Jackson, and Prince. It also expresses his deep commitment to social and political issues, and his understanding of the power of music to change our lives.

From Richard's list on to get inside popular music.

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