On the One: James Brown
May 3, 1933-December 25, 2006
[Growing up in Europe in the late sixties, hanging out with high school age musicians, I shared a commonly-held reverence for James Brown and the Fabulous Flames that bordered on worship. In the intervening decades I barely followed his career beyond the occasional hits, and tabloid headlines resulting from his tumultuous personal life.]
Boxing Day's WHYY's "Fresh Air" featured a fascinating hour-long tribute to the "Godfather of Soul" who passed away on Christmas Day.
Conversations with the brilliant and complex James Brown are complemented with excerpts from interviews with band leader Maceo Parker and funk bass player sans pareil Bootsy Collins, both of whom worked with James Brown.
Host Terry Gross puts it correctly: James Brown was "one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century."
Click here to listen to the show.
[photo by Bob Gruen]
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