Ayumi Hamasaki Sekai - James Brown Dies On Christmas Morning

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A look back at the 'Godfather Of Soul' who died today

James Brown singer and songwriter has died today (December 25) at the age of 73 after being admitted to the Emory Crawford Long Hospital in Atlanta suffering with pneumonia.

His agent Frank Copsidas confirmed that he had died at 1.45am local time (6.45am UK time).

According to Copsidas the singer first became aware that he was seriously ill when he visited his dentist at the weekend.

"On Friday (December 22) he had his toy giveaway, which is his annual toy giveaway in Augusta, Georgia," the agent told the BBC World Service. "On Saturday, he went to his dentist up in Atlanta, and his dentist told him something was wrong, and he sent him to a doctor immediately."

The singer died with his long term friend Charles Bobbit at his bedside.

Brown was responsible for both key moments in soul music's evolution: being at the birth of both R&B and funk, earning him the name "the Godfather Of Soul".

Subsequently, his became one of the most sampled artists by a new generation of rappers and producers.

Brown was born in 1933 in Barnwell, South Carolina.

He endured a troubled childhood which saw the singer abandoned aged four and forced to grow-up with relatives on the streets of Augusta, Georgia.

With stints in reform school, the young Brown quickly learnt to how to get things done, later recalling "I wanted to be somebody".

http://www.nme.com/news/james-brown/25586

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By GREG BLUESTEIN

ATLANTA Dec 25, 2006 (AP)— James Brown, the dynamic, pompadoured "Godfather of Soul," whose rasping vocals and revolutionary rhythms made him a giant of R&B and an inspiration for rap, funk and disco, died early Christmas morning. He was 73.

Brown was hospitalized with pneumonia at Emory Crawford Long Hospital on Sunday and died around 1:45 a.m. Monday, said his agent, Frank Copsidas of Intrigue Music.

Copsidas said the cause of death was uncertain. "We really don't know at this point what he died of," he said.

Along with Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan and a handful of others, Brown was one of the major musical influences of the past 50 years. At least one generation idolized him, and sometimes openly copied him. His rapid-footed dancing inspired Mick Jagger and Michael Jackson among others. Songs such as David Bowie's "Fame," Prince's "Kiss," George Clinton's "Atomic Dog" and Sly and the Family Stone's "Sing a Simple Song" were clearly based on Brown's rhythms and vocal style.

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