Godfather of Soul, James Brown dies

Soul legend, James Brown, the 'Godfather of Soul' has died at the of age 73.Brown had been admitted to hospital in Atlanta over the weekend for treatment of severe pneumonia.He is credited with bringing funk into mainstream music and influencing a new generation of black music that spawned rap and hip-hop.The singer had more than 119 chart hits in the US and recorded over 50 albums. He was inducted into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame and received a lifetime achievement award from the Grammys in 1992.Brown also built a successful business empire, including a string of radio stations and his own production company, and owned a fleet of expensive cars and his own plane.He even played the role of a manic preacher in the hit 1980 movie 'The Blues Brothers.'He once said: "Soul is all the hard knocks, all the punishment the black man has had, all the unfulfilled dreams that must come true."He combined his soul-rending music with a theatrical delivery. He also developed a trademark routine in which he would keep coming back on stage after a show and sing a few lines of "Please, Please, Please" with the sweat pouring from his bare-chested body.© Independent Television News Limited 2006. All rights reserved.

ITN | December 25, 2006

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