10 Things You Didn't Know About James Brown

You know he's got soul, and he's super bad. But what else do you know?

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Image via Complex Original
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James Brown would have turned 79 today. Even though he’s been gone for nearly six years—the Godfather of Soul died on Christmas in 2006—Complex couldn’t help but big up Mr. Dynamite on his birthday.

In addition to changing the face of popular music and blessing hip-hop with countless jams to sample, JB’s given the world some unbelievable memories. He stopped a riot, inspired the King of Pop, and helped Jay-Z and Kanye West make Watch the Throne. So read on to find out 10 things you don’t know about Soul Brother Number One.

Written by Brad Wete (@BradWete)

Doggystyle

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He Didn’t Know About The Doggystyle Position Until He Was In His 60s

A 2009 GQ profile quotes James Brown’s personal assistant Roosevelt Johnson saying that JB didn’t know about hitting it from the back until he saw the position on the Playboy Channel—when he was in his sixties. "You sittin' down, Mr. Johnson?" Brown asked him one day. “Black man don't know nothing. Black man don't know a damned thing. A white man, he get up in his woman from behind."

Boston Race Riots

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He Stopped The Boston Race Riots After MLK Was Assassinated.

James Brown singlehandedly kept the city of Boston chill the day after the April 4, 1968 assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Brown happened to be in town, as he was scheduled to perform at the Boston Garden the following day. There were a series of riots in the city and city officials feared more would occur with Brown’s show functioning as the central location.

But the show went on, and Brown promised that his crowd would keep the peace and also got a local TV station to air the show live to keep potential rioters home to watch James get busy. The plan worked.

In fact, there was less violence in the city that night than there would have been on a regular night in Boston. Brown recorded the song “Say It Loud (I’m Black and I’m Proud)” in the aftermath of King’s murder.

Poor

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He Was Born In A Shack and Wore Potato Sacks To School

Brown was born in a shack in the woods in Barnwell, South Carolina. To say he was poor would be an understatement. There were days when he would be sent home from school because the clothes he arrived in—sometimes sown-together potato sacks and tattered tee shirts—were not considered appropriate. That’s rough.

Jail

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He Sang His Way Out of Jail At Age 15

James was arrested and thrown in jail at age 15 for breaking into cars. But he was released at 19 after telling the judge he’d sing for the Lord if given parole. True to his word, he was soon singing in churches. And the legend began.

Al Sharpton

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He Convinced His Manager Al Sharpton To Straighten His Hair

In Chris Rock’s Good Hair documentary, Sharpton describes Brown as the father he never had, and recalls a story of how Brown made him get a perm while they were petitioning for Martin Luther King’s birthday to become a Federal holiday in 1982. Before they met with President Reagan, Brown told Sharpton, “When we get to the White House, I want you to look like me. Because when people see you I want them to see me.” Sharpton doused his dome in that creamy crack and never turned back.

Michael Jackson

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Michael Jackson Was His #1 Fan

Bob Marley, Prince and Fela were all huge admirers of the Godfather of Soul. But when Brown got his BET Lifetime achievement Award in 2003, Michael Jackson was the surprise presenter. “Nobody has influenced me more than this man right here,” Jackson said through tears with Brown by his side. “Since I was a child at six-years-old, he was the one I looked up to more than any other entertainer.”

Catalog

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His 800-Song Catalog Is Worth At Least $20 Million

According to some estimates, Brown’s catalog, loaded with classic hits—there are 11 double CD sets of his singles alone—is worth $20 million. And if it were managed properly, it could grow to be worth much more than that.

Estate

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He Has (At Least) 10 Children Battling Over His Estate

Brown was called the “sex machine” for a reason. He loved the ladies and a lot of them loved him back—apparently with no rubbers. During his life, he acknowledged 10 of his children. But many more showed up requesting DNA tests with mothers swearing that he was the daddy. But before collecting any unpaid child support, they had to get in line behind the U.S. government. Brown died owing millions in back taxes.

His Band

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He Often Punished His Band

When James Brown sang “Papa Don’t Take No Mess” he meant it. As a band leader, James Brown didn’t take any crap from his musicians. “You gotta be on time,” JBs sax player Maceo Parker told NPR. “You gotta have your uniform. Your stuff's got to be intact. You gotta have the bow tie. You got to have it. You can't come up without the bow tie. You cannot come up without a cummerbund... [The] patent leather shoes we were wearing at the time gotta be greased. You just gotta have this stuff.”

During some of his shows, Brown danced in front of his band with his back to the audience while flashing hand signals to his crew. Those weren’t just dance moves, though. Those were signals to let his band know that someone had screwed up in some way—whether hitting an off note or wearing crummy shoes. And they’d have to pay a fine for that. That’s how the boss moves.

Samples

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James Brown May Be The Most Sampled Artist In Hip-Hop History

Though exact stats are difficult to come by, James Brown’s music is the backbone of hip-hop. As JB expert Harry Weinger once put it: “Brown shifts the emphasis in music from the top to the bottom. He also makes the groove or vamp the main element of a song rather than merely using it in the intro or outro.” And whether or not you agree with Stetsasonic’s “All That Jazz” argument—“Tell the truth, James Brown was old / 'Til Eric and Rakim came out with 'I Got Soul’”—the fact remains that DJs and MCs have been using JB’s records as breakbeats for years. “The Vapors” by Biz Markie used “Papa Don't Take No Mess,” Public Enemy’s “Welcome to the Terrordome” sampled Brown’s “Cold Sweat,” and last year Pharrell Williams laced Kanye West and Jay-Z’s “Gotta Have It” from their Watch the Throne album, with Brown’s “My Thang.

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