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Three Unflattering James Brown Moments

Long before R. Kelly was fighting for the equal rights of pedophiles, “The Godfather of Soul” James Brown was making a difference in the U.S. On April 5, 1968, the night after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, J.B. performed in front of a television audience at the Boston Garden and helped convince people not to burn the whole damn country down (one could argue the States would’ve been better off without Boston, but hey, he still gets props).

Shout Factory’s new three-DVD set I Got the Feelin’: James Brown in the ’60s drops today, and it features a documentary about how that night transformed him as a public figure, footage from the historic concert, and other never-before-released performances. JB’s knack for riot-control, and the ability to calm hasty crowds shouldn’t go unnoticed, but soul isn’t about being a saint all the time. With that in mind, we wanted to remember “Soul Brother No. 1” for the imperfections that made him human (and f’ing hysterical). After the jump, see some of his less glorious moments.

THE GODFATHER’S DANCING LESSONS

Somebody forgot to tell J.B. that he’s the Godfather of Soul, not Alfonso Ribeiro (word to how-to breakdancing infomercials). You think Vito Corleone ever did the robot?

HIS HIGHNESS DODGES TOUGH QUESTIONS

A reporter tries to put it on J.B. for allegedly assaulting his wife with a pipe. Seemingly high on more than life, he responds by singing song lyrics and pumping the sex machine at her.

MR. DYNAMITE SPINS THE WHEEL

As if appearing on The Wheel of Fortune weren’t embarrassing enough, J.B. shares the bill with Weird Al Yankovic and is partnered with Little Richard—clearly it takes two permed rock and soul legends to solve a word puzzle.