James Brown: the 100 most inspiring musicians of all time
James Brown (b. May 3, 1933, Barnwell, S.C., U.S.—d. Dec. 25, 2006, Atlanta, Ga.), known as “the Godfather of Soul,” American singer,songwriter, arranger, and dancer, was one of the most important and influential entertainers in 20th-century popular music. His remarkable achievements earned him the sobriquet “the Hardest-Working Man in
Show Business.”
Brown was raised mainly in Augusta, Ga., by his great aunt, who took him in at about the age of five when his parents divorced. Growing up in the segregated South during the Great Depression of the 1930s, Brown was so impoverished that he was sent home from grade school for “insufficient clothes,” an experience that he never forgot and that perhaps explains his penchant as an adult for wearing ermine coats, velour jumpsuits, elaborate capes, and conspicuous gold jewelry.
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Neighbors taught him how to play drums, piano, and guitar, and he learned about gospel music in churches and at tent revivals, where preachers would scream, yell, stomp their feet, and fall to their knees during sermons to provoke responses from the congregation.
At age 15 Brown and some companions were arrested while breaking into cars. He was sentenced to 8 to 16 years of incarceration but was released after 3 years for good behavior. While at the Alto Reform School, he formed a gospel group. Subsequently, secularized and renamed the Flames (later the Famous Flames), it soon attracted the attention of rhythm-and-blues and rock-and-roll shouter Little Richard, whose manager helped promote the group.
Intrigued by their demo record, Ralph Bass, the artists -and-repertoire man for the King label, brought the group to Cincinnati, Ohio, to record for King Records’ subsidiary Federal. Brown’s first recording, “Please, Please, Please” (1956) eventually sold three million copies and launched his extraordinary career.
Along with placing nearly 100 singles and almost 50 albums on the bestseller charts, Brown broke new ground with two of the first successful “live and in concert” albums—his landmark Live at the Apollo (1963), and his 1964 follow-up, Pure Dynamite! Live at the Royal. During the 1960s, Brown was known as “Soul Brother Number One.”
His hit recordings of that decade have often been associated with the emergence of the black aesthetic and black nationalist movements, especially the songs “Say It Loud—I’m Black and I’m Proud” (1968), “Don’t Be a Drop-Out” (1966), and “I Don’t Want Nobody to Give Me Nothin’ (Open Up the Door, I’ll Get It Myself)” (1969).
In the 1970s, Brown became “the Godfather of Soul,” and his hit songs stimulated several dance crazes and were featured on the soundtracks of a number of “blaxploitation” films (sensational, low-budget, action oriented motion pictures with African American protagonists).
When hip-hop emerged as a viable commercial music in the 1980s, Brown’s songs again assumed center stage as hip-hop disc jockeys frequently incorporated samples (audio snippets) from his records.
He also appeared in several motion pictures, including The Blues Brothers (1980) and Rocky IV (1985), and attained global status as a celebrity, especially in Africa, where his tours attracted enormous crowds and generated a broad range of new musical fusions.
Yet Brown’s life continued to be marked by difficulties, including the tragic death of his third wife, charges of drug use, and a period of imprisonment for a 1988 high-speed highway chase in which he tried to escape pursuing police officers.
Brown’s uncanny ability to “scream” on key, to sing soulful slow ballads as well as electrifying up-tempo tunes, to plumb the rhythmic possibilities of the human voice and instrumental accompaniment, and to blend blues, gospel, jazz, and country vocal styles together made him one of the most influential vocalists of the 20th century.
His extraordinary dance routines featuring deft deployment of microphones and articles of clothing as props, acrobatic leaps, full-impact knee landings, complex rhythmic patterns, dazzling footwork, dramatic entrances, and melodramatic exits redefined public performance within popular music and inspired generations of imitators (not the least Michael Jackson).
His careful attention to every aspect of his shows, from arranging songs to supervising sidemen, from negotiating performance fees to selecting costumes, guaranteed his audiences a uniformly high level of professionalism every night and established a precedent in artistic autonomy.
In the course of an extremely successful commercial career, Brown’s name was associated with an extraordinary number and range of memorable songs, distinctive dance steps, formative fashion trends, and even significant social issues.
A skilled dancer and singer with an extraordinary sense of timing, Brown played a major role in bringing rhythm to the foreground of popular music.
In addition to providing melody and embellishment, the horn players in his bands functioned as a rhythm section (they had to think like drummers), and musicians associated with him (Jimmy Nolan, Bootsy Collins, Fred Wesley, and Maceo Parker) have played an important role in creating the core vocabulary and grammar of funk music. Brown was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.
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James Brown Greatest Hits Full Album – Best Songs Of James Brown
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Astor Piazzola Oblivion Guitar Arr. By Nadja Kossinskaja | Piazzola Oblivion Guitar arr. by Nadja Kossinskaja page 1-1 | |
Astor Piazzolla 12 Tangos Piano | ||
Astor Piazzolla 6 Tangos | Astor Piazzolla 6 Tangos | |
Astor Piazzolla Angel (Complete) For Piano (Different Version) | Astor Piazzolla Angel (Complete) For Piano (Different Version) | |
Astor Piazzolla Ave Maria (Piano) | ||
Astor Piazzolla Balada Para Un Loco (Cacho Tirao) Guitar | ||
Astor Piazzolla Maria De Buenos Aires, Opera Tango (Partitura completa) | ||
Astor Piazzolla Milonga Del Angel (Piano Solo) Arranged By Prof. John Mortensen Slow Tango | ||
Astor Piazzolla Milonga Del Angel (Piano Solo) Original | ||
Astor Piazzolla sheet music Le Grand Tango Score For Viola And Piano | ||
Astor Piazzolla Vuelvo al sur (piano) | ||
Astor Piazzolla – 5 piezas para guitarra (guitar sheet music) | Astor Piazzolla – 5 piezas para guitarra (guitar sheet music) | |
Astor Piazzolla – Picasso (Tango) Piano | ||
Astor Piazzolla 4 Estaciones Porteñas Guitar arr. | ||
Astor Piazzolla Nightclub 1960 Duo Flute Guitar | ||
Astor Piazzolla – Adios Nonino (Two Pianos) | Astor Piazzolla – Adios Nonino (Two Pianos) | |
Astor Piazzolla – Adiós Nonino (guitar sheet music) | ||
Astor Piazzolla – Adios Nonino Piano Solo | ||
Astor Piazzolla – Album No. 1 | Astor Piazzolla album no 1 | |
Astor Piazzolla – Album No. 2 | Astor Piazzolla – Album No. 2 | |
Astor Piazzolla – Album No. 4 | Astor Piazzolla – Album No. 4 | |
Astor Piazzolla – Buenos Aires Hora Cero | Astor Piazzolla – Buenos Aires Hora Cero | |
Astor Piazzolla – Chau Paris (piano) | Astor Piazzolla – Chau Paris (piano) | |
Astor Piazzolla – Complete Works – Obras Para Piano Y Varios Instrumentos (partituras, sheet music) | Astor Piazzolla – Complete Works – Obras Para Piano Y Varios Instrumentos (partituras, sheet music) | |
Astor Piazzolla – Contrastes (Piano) | Astor Piazzolla – Contrastes (Piano) | |
Astor Piazzolla – Coral (Piano) | Astor Piazzolla – Coral (Piano) | |
Astor Piazzolla – Estaciones Porteñas for piano – für Klavier | Astor Piazzolla – Estaciones Portenas fur Klavier | |
Astor Piazzolla – Fuga 9 (Piano) | Astor Piazzolla – Fuga 9 (Piano) | |
Astor Piazzolla – Invierno Porteno (guitar sheet music) | ||
Astor Piazzolla – Invierno porteño [clarinet-piano] | ||
Astor Piazzolla – La Muerte Del Angel (Guitar arr. sheet music) | ||
Astor Piazzolla – Libertango (Part A – Guitar Arr.) (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Astor Piazzolla – Libertango for 2 pianos | Astor Piazzolla – Libertango 2KL | |
Astor Piazzolla – Los pajaros perdidos (canción) piano vocal | ||
Astor Piazzolla – Milonga Del Angel (guitar arr. sheet music) | ||
Astor Piazzolla – Milonga del angel (Piano solo) | Astor Piazzolla – Milonga del angel | |
Astor Piazzolla – Oblivion (piano solo ver.) | Astor Piazzolla – Oblivion (piano solo sheet music) | |
Astor Piazzolla – Oblivion (piano solo) | ||
Astor Piazzolla – Oblivion arr. by Najda Kssinskaja (Guitar arr. sheet music with TABs) | Astor Piazzolla – Oblivion arr. by Najda Kssinskaja (Guitar arr. sheet music with TABs) | |
Astor Piazzolla – Oblivion Cello & piano | Piazzolla Oblivion cello piano arr. | |
Astor Piazzolla – Oblivion for Piano solo sheet music (partitura) | ||
Astor Piazzolla – Onda Nueve (Tango) Piano | Astor Piazzolla – Onda Nueve (Tango) Piano | |
Astor Piazzolla – Otoño Porteño (guitar sheet music) | Astor Piazzolla – Otoño Porteño (guitar sheet music) | |
Astor Piazzolla – Piano SongBook (Angel, Libertango, 6 Tangos, Estaciones Porteñas) | ||
Astor Piazzolla – Preludio 9 (Piano) | Astor Piazzolla – Preludio 9 (Piano) | |
Astor Piazzolla – Río Sena (Tango) Piano | Astor Piazzolla – Río Sena (Tango) Piano | |
Astor Piazzolla – Romanza del Duende (Piano) | Astor Piazzolla – Romanza del Duende (Piano) | |
Astor Piazzolla – sheet music – Suite del Angel (Piano) | ||
Astor Piazzolla – Soledad (Solitude) Full score sheet music | Astor Piazzolla – Soledad (Solitude) Full score sheet music (first page) | |
Astor Piazzolla – Suite Troileana 2 guitars (Bandoneon, Zita, Whisky, Escolaso) | ||
Astor Piazzolla – Suite Troileana 2 guitars arr. Sergio Assad (Bandoneon, Zita, Whisky, Escolaso) | ||
Astor Piazzolla – Suite Troileana arr for Piano (Bandoneon, Zita, Whisky, Escolaso) | ||
Astor Piazzolla – Tangos for 2 Pianos | Astor Piazzolla – Tangos for 2 Pianos | |
Astor Piazzolla – Tangus Dei (Piano) | ||
Astor Piazzolla – The Last Tango Music Of Guitar arr. | ||
Astor Piazzolla – Tristango (Piano) | Astor Piazzolla – Tristango (Piano) | |
Astor Piazzolla – Vuelvo Al Sur (10 tangos and other pieces arr. piano) | Astor Piazzolla – Vuelvo Al Sur | |
Astor Piazzolla -Four, For Tango – Score | ||
Astor Piazzolla (Spanish Español Ed. 2018 El Ateneo 2020) (María Susana Azzi) Biography Book | ||
Astor Piazzolla (Tango) Balada Para Un Loco – Guitar (letra Horacio Ferrer) | ||
Astor Piazzolla 100 Años Edicion Aniversario Sus mejores obras para piano | Astor Piazzolla 100 Años Edicion Aniversario Sus mejore obras para piano | |
Astor Piazzolla 25 Tangos for Clarinet and piano Clarinet Part in Bb | Astor Piazzolla 25 Tangos for Clarinet and piano Clarinet Part in Bb | |
Astor Piazzolla 28 tangos arranged For Piano | Astor Piazzolla 28 tangos arranged For Piano | |
Astor Piazzolla Album 20 compositions arr. for Piano | Piazzolla album | |
Astor Piazzolla Ave Maria (Piano and voice) | ||
Astor Piazzolla Cinco Piezas For Guitar | ||
Astor Piazzolla Color de Buenos Aires Suite letra Horacio Ferrer | ||
Astor Piazzolla Contrabajeando Double Bass And Piano Contrabajo Y Piano | ||
Astor Piazzolla Extasis Piano (Tango) | ||
Astor Piazzolla Flute or Violin Piano Collection | ||
Astor Piazzolla For Violin And Guitar (Astor Piazzolla) | Astor Piazzolla For Violin And Guitar (Astor Piazzolla)_compressed | |
Astor Piazzolla Guitar compositions Collection (Guitarra) sheet music, partituras | Astor Piazzolla Guitar compositions (Guitarra) sheet music, partituras | |
Astor Piazzolla Horacio Ferrer Chiquilin De Bachin Piano vocal | ||
Astor Piazzolla La Muerte Del Angel Trio Violin Cello Piano Score | ||
Astor Piazzolla Le Grand Tango – Two Pianos | Astor Piazzolla Le Gran Tango – Two Pianos | |
Astor Piazzolla Libertango (Guitar Solo Arr.) With Tab | ||
Astor Piazzolla Milonga Del Àngel (For Chamber Orchestra) Tangos | ||
Astor Piazzolla Oblivion (piano solo) | ||
Astor Piazzolla Oblivion arr. for 2 violins | ||
Astor Piazzolla Oblivion for Violin or Flute Cello Piano | Astor Piazzolla Oblivion for Violin or Flute Cello Piano | |
Astor Piazzolla Oblivion Trans Solo Piano | Astor Piazzolla Oblivion Trans Solo Piano sheet music pdf | |
Astor Piazzolla Oblivion Violin Guitar | ||
Astor Piazzolla Obras Completas Guitarra For Guitar | Astor Piazzolla Obras Completas For Guitar | |
Astor Piazzolla Piano Collection | Astor Piazzolla Piano Collection | |
Astor Piazzolla Piano Meditango | ||
Astor Piazzolla Romance Del Diablo Flauta Violin and Piano | ||
Astor Piazzolla Sensuel Piano | ||
Astor Piazzolla Tangazo for Orchestra Variaciones sobre Buenos Aires para orquestra | ||
Astor Piazzolla Tango Etudes (for flute or Violin) | Astor Piazzolla Tango Etudes (for flute or Violin) | |
Astor Piazzolla Tango S V P For Violin Ensemble Solo | Astor Piazzolla Tango S V P For Violin Ensemble Solo | |
Astor Piazzolla Tangos Arr Phillip Keveren The Phillip Keveren Series Piano Solo | Astor Piazzolla Tangos Arr Phillip Keveren The Phillip Keveren Series Piano Solo | |
Astor Piazzolla Tanti Anni Prima Ave Maria For Piano solo | ||
Astor Piazzolla Tanti Anni Prima Ave Maria Violin and Piano | ||
Astor Piazzolla Vuelvo Al Sur Flute or Violin and Piano | Astor Piazzolla Vuelvo Al Sur Flute or Violin and Piano | |
Astor Piazzolla y Anibal Troilo- Contrabajeando (Tango) Piano | Astor Piazzolla y Anibal Troilo- Contrabajeando (Tango) Piano | |
Atlantic Starr – Always | ||
Atomic Kitten – The Tide Is High | ||
Atomic The Musical By Philip Foxman And Danny Ginges Piano Vocal Score | ||
Atonement – Dario Marianelli (For Piano) | Atonement – Dario Marianelli (For Piano) | |
Au Clair De La Lune – Traditional (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Audioslave Out Of Exile Guitar TABs | Audioslave Out Of Exile Guitar TABs | |
Audition (The Fools who Dream) La La Land OST | ||
Audra Mcdonald Build A Bridge (Songbook) (Audra Mcdonald) Piano Vocal Guitar chords | Audra Mcdonald Build A Bridge (Songbook) (Audra Mcdonald) Piano Vocal Guitar chords | |
Augustana – Boston | ||
Aura Lee (intermediate great jazz arrangement) G. Poulton | Aura Lee Jazz | |
Aura Lee By G. Poulton Jazz Arrangement.mxl | ||
Aura Lee G. Poulton (Easy version ) | Aura Lee Easy version | |
Aura Lee Jazz (Musescore File).mscz | ||
AURORA Conqueror Piano Solo arr. | ||
AURORA Running With The Wolves | ||
Aurora – Cure For Me | ||
AURORA Forgotten Love Piano with lyrics | ||
AURORA Half The World Away Sheet Music Piano Vocal Guitar chords | ||
AURORA Into The Unknown from Disney’s Frozen | ||
AURORA It Happened Quiet Piano Solo arr. | ||
AURORA Runaway Piano Vocal guitar Chords | ||
AURORA Songbook Sheet Music Anthology Collection | AURORA Songbook Sheet Music Anthology Collection | |
AURORA The River Aurora Piano Solo arr. | ||
Automatic Harmonic Analysis of Jazz Chord Progressions Using a Musical Categorial Grammar (Mark Wilding) | Automatic Harmonic | |
Autour Du Jazz Guitar 4 pièces pour guitare (Thierry Tisserand) | Autour Du Jazz Guitar 4 pièces pour guitare (Thierry Tisserand) Contents — autour du jazz |
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