James Brown Dies at 73

Above is a video clip of James Brown performing "I Got You (I Feel Good)" at the Live 8 Benefit concert in Edinburgh last year.He passed away early this morning after initially being hospitalized for pneumonia. More at Raw Story.

Richard Blair at the All Spin Zone makes a good point about James Brown:

However, word of James Brown’s death this morning causes me to pause - because his passing is arguably just as important to the world of music as that of Elvis. In fact, the case could be made that without James Brown, there would have been no Elvis.

His signature persona, the “Godfather of Soul” is an understatement. Without Brown’s groundbreaking (and racial barrier-breaking) musical talent, I do think that the racial divide in America would be even wider than it is today. I’m not even sure that the civil rights movement of the mid-60’s would have had the legs it did had not people like Brown, Little Richard, etc. been pop music icons. They brought a culture, a beat, and an attitude to WASPy American kids that caused an entire generation of non-black kids to look beyond their own narrow cultural roots.

Indeed. His song, "Say It Loud -- I'm Black and Proud" was also a hallmark song of black pride during the civil rights conscious decade of the 60s.

Below is another video clip of Brown performing the funky classic "Sex Machine":



Rest in peace, Soul Man.



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