#sounds like if the national and billy idol had a music baby

[honeymoononvenus]

IN REVIEW: THE WORLD IS A VAMPIRE TOUR

Let’s first take a minute to play a little make believe. Now, if you were the lead singer of one of the 90’s most infamous bands, pioneering a sound that teenagers for generations after would come to mimic, and continuously selling out tours even over 30 years after the release of your debut album . . . your natural progression from this would obviously be to then buy a perishing American wrestling team, right? 

The next evolution would be to then pack up your team NWA ( National Wrestling Alliance, not to be confused with 90s rap group) and take them on a massive world tour with you and your band, before putting them in a ring with the WAOA ( Wrestling Alliance of Aus) team on the Australian leg of the tour. 

On top of the already tremendous treat that is bringing gloriously camp 80s style wrestling back to the public, you also brought with you Alt-rock idols Jane's Addiction, and Australia’s very own Amyl and the Sniffers, Redhook and Battlesnake. 

Sounds delicious, right? Well the good news is, this fantasy is a reality baby! Well, at least a reality to Billy Corgan, righteous leader of The Smashing Pumpkins. And you best believe we ran to see this one of a kind day-festival go down. 

THE WORLD IS A VAMPIRE tour kicked off its Australian leg last weekend, at Eaton Hills hotel in the ever-humbling suburban Brisbane. 

Immediately upon walking through the gates, it was obvious that this was a veteran music  crowd, between a sea of black band tees ( despite the grueling QLD heat making its final attempts of a summer sun) ,  wrinkling arm band tattoos and indubitably , the tell tale sign that it is definitely not someone's first rodeo; COMFORTABLE FOOTWEAR. You know how you can count a tree's age by the rings on its trunk? You could count the ages of the punters purely by looking down and categorizing ages by sandals and docs all the way up to fashion tragedy brand sketchers.

What may be a first rodeo type thing though, would be the wrestling ring smack in the middle of the grounds. We grabbed a beer and quickly joined the legion of punters that had gathered around, attempting to cohere goth rock and wrestlers in pleather jocks and sparkly boots. 

Around 4:30, Melbourne band Amyl & the Sniffers came out to play. After catching them numerous times as their name grew over the years, I found there was always one constant between every single show - a rowdy crowd. And to be honest,even the word rowdy is a light way to put it. I’ve seen broken bones, split lips, spilled beers and mud fights go down in an Amyl mosh; a place that is typically not for the faint hearted. So imagine my surprise when I showed up to the pit, prepared to battle, only to be met with a crowd of swayers. Seriously, there was more movement at a retirement village bingo night. 

But, as I looked around and found the only energy coming from the stage and maybe 3 odd randy 16 year olds in the crowd, I found something new. A generational divide that taught me something about the appreciation of music. It wasn't as if the people standing still weren't enjoying what they were seeing, I believe it was actually quite the opposite. 

They were standing still and soaking; each individual guitar riff, the bass lines, the drum beat that held it all together, and the ever fantastic showmanship of Amy Taylor. The end of each song was met with a roaring applause, regardless of the absence of blood shed in between the claps. 

It seemed that the only showcase of violence at this festival was reserved for the overexaggerated display in the ringside. And I mean, is this perhaps not how it should always be? Either way, what a fucking breath of fresh air it was to feel this safe and protected by the punters around you at a gig. 

As the sun set, Jane's Addiction took to the stage to remind us of everything that was so wrong but so right about indie glam rock from that magical period that was late 80s into early 90s. Things like Rhinestone vests, fingerless gloves, exotic dancers dressed in red lingerie swinging off of parallel bars, all soundtracked to music that you would probably find your uncle smoking weed to in his garden shed turned man cave. It was absolutely a sight to see, a glimpse of the showmanship that we so sorely miss in today's acts. 

Finally, just as dusk set, came the main event. The creme de la creme. The cherry on top of an already mouthwatering day. Walking out to a crowd already to well warmed up by bands whose members were probably still in diapers the first time they took to an Australian stage, The Smashing Pumpkins needed no introduction. As the title song from their new album of the same name ATUM played, Billy cooly strode onto centrestage through a cloud of smoke, looking reminiscent of Nosferatu in a black cloak, bald head and dark vampiric makeup, before launching into ‘Empires’. 

I must note that despite the effortlessly cool music and rockstar status, it was so refreshing to watch the comradery between Billy and co-founding member of the band, James Iha. Between nearly every song, the pair would take to the mic to talk to the crowd in third person through each other, poking fun at the crowd and one another in a way that you only can do when you are this close to another for this long. 

“We started this band in my fathers bedroom where he sold drugs… its true…and we're still here”, then the two performed an acoustic cover of fan favourite ‘Tonight Tonight’. 

As thrilled as I was by this whopping two hour set, I would hate to spoil the best bits. I'll leave by saying that I can not recommend this tour more, no matter your age or demographic. There truly is something for everyone to see.

ALL PHOTO CREDIT TO AMELIA PITCHER

[tomorrowxtogether]

Music trends for Gen Z from TOMORROW X TOGETHER

Gen Z is really different

2021.08.17

From Generation X, to millennials, to Gen Z, generational tastes in music can sometimes seem like they’ve been repeating for over 20 years. The idea that people of one generation listen to more music than those of the past, follow their own tastes more than trends, and focus less on albums to take a more track-oriented approach to music repeats every generation, but has become more pronounced over time. Sometimes the trends can seem empty, but there’s something new that separates Generation Z from the others. Mobile usage and personalization that came with the information technology revolution, and the rise in popularity of streaming in particular, have made everything that only seemed likely before into reality today. Gen Z’s music consumption habits are a measurable trait shared by the entire generation on a global scale.

Whenever Generation Z express their feelings and share them through music, look for more diverse music and enjoy their discoveries, or notice that the people they share tastes with may share their political leanings as well, all of this happens on a global scale through social media. Communities formed around shared interests are no longer closed-off groups. K-pop is a perfect example. According to Spotify, the number of times K-pop songs are streamed on the service increased more than 18-fold from 2014 to 2020. In that span of time, K-pop went from having no distinctive genre listing on the service to becoming the most prominent foreign non-English-language music in the United States. Here, the sequence of events—whether K-pop’s many strategies for success were made to overcome the limitations seen to be posed by the language, or the key to that success—is not understood. Nationality and language were never a problem in the first place; instead, we should take a look at who was already prepared for the era of social media and streaming.

A distinct has begun to emerge between some of the so-called fourth-generation idols, including TOMORROW X TOGETHER, and the cohort before Gen Z, for being their owner creators and producers, not simply waiting for the attention of listeners. To deal with the theme of boys growing up, TOMORROW X TOGETHER cites alternative and emo as musical inspiration while using TV shows and movies with similar themes as reference points for their music videos. It’s all possible thanks to the way they personally explore tastes from earlier generations and other countries open-mindedly through Spotify and because they can access a variety of content at the same time as the rest of the world through Netflix, unlike in previous eras. In the past, K-pop had two ways to enter overseas markets: following local tastes and promotional channels, or becoming memes. This approach, however, is no longer effective for Generation Z artists around the world, K-pop or otherwise.

Streaming services add fuel for tastes that transcend generation and nationality. You don’t have to wonder what the music of the past was like—you can just listen to it. Even if Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell were to suddenly bring 1990s power ballads into their own variety of bedroom pop, their generation wouldn’t panic. Nor is it unreasonable to call Arlo Parks’ debut album a collection of lo-fi pop spanning decades of tastes. Wallis’ indie pop sound seems to draw on a style not seen since the 2000s, yet the backdrops and visuals harken back to the 1960s. What about changing things up geographically? Have you heard how extraordinary Mexican indie rock is? Look up Distrito Indie on Spotify. Who says you should skip Brazil’s urbano scene just because it’s in Portuguese? Don’t miss it. You can hear it on the playlist called creme on Spotify.

When Oslo Ibrahim from Indonesia releases his new city pop single, “Baby Don’t Let Me Go,” it floods social media feeds. What kind of new world will Spotify’s and YouTube’s recommendation algorithms open up for people who liked this song? And why is it musicians who become style icons, not actors or other celebrities? It’s because they’re the ones who are the first to be freed from genre, generation, and geography.

[cardest]

New York playlist

New York! New York! So good you gotta say it twice! What it also so good is this epic New York playlist I put together. Took me a while. I had many bands, musicians, artists to research before deciding on songs. Not to mention the endless list of talent that hail from that part of the world. Harlem, Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx just to mention some of the surrounding areas with their own unique musical history. This list took some time.

Well, next time you’re in New York City,go to this NY playlist and feel the city vibes like never before. Enjoy!

001 Sesame Street '12' And Pinball Animation song 002 Handsome - Ride Down 003 Blondie - Dreaming 004 Sonic Youth - Kool Thing 005 Luscious Jackson - Citysong 006 Joan Armatrading - Heading Back to New York City 007 Lou Reed - Hold On 008 Helmet - Rollo 009 Late Show with Colbert and the Humanism theme song 010 Heavy D & The Boyz - Now That We Found Love ft. Aaron Hall 011 James Brown in Black Caesar - Down and Out in New York City 012 Guerilla Toss - Future Doesn't Know 013 Sonny Rollins - Harlem Boys 014 Biohazard - Tales From The Hardside 015 Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five - The Message 016 PRONG - _Turnover 017 Billy Idol - Hot In The City 018 INXS - Different World 019 Ramones - I Just Wanna Have Something to Do 020 Chandra - Subways 021 Cro-Mags -  Days Of Confusion 022 B Boys - Energy 023 Diff'rent Strokes - theme song 024 David Bowie - New York's in Love 025 Living Colour - Type 026 Swans - Sex, God, Sex 027 Leroy Hutson - cool out 028 Chick Corea - central park 029 S.O.D. - Pi Alpha Nu 030 Alan Vega - Saturn Drive 031 Jaume Branch - Theme 002 032 Michael Jackson - Billie Jean 033 PJ Harvey - Good Fortune 034 Bobby Caldwell - What You Wont Do for Love 035 Saun & Starr  - Sunshine (Youre Blowin My Cool) 036 DOPE movie OST - Rebirth Of Slick (Cool Like Dat) 037 Type O Negative - Wolf Moon (Including Zoanthropic Paranoia) 038 Harlem River Drive - Harlem River Drive (Theme Song) 039 Simple Minds - Up On The Catwalk 040 C.H.U.D. OST - C.H.U.D. main theme 041 Public Enemy - Harder Than You Think 042 Peter Criss - Blue Moon Over Brooklyn 043 The Beach Boys - The Girl From New York City 044 Bob Marley - Reggae On Broadway 045 Black Anvil - My Hate Is Pure 046 Motorhead - Ramones 047 Echo and the bunnymen _ empire state halo 048 Cerebral Ballzy - Downtown 049 Harlem- Suicide 050 Cyndi Lauper -  Girls Just Want To Have Fun 051 Marvels Daredevil - Opening Titles theme song 052 Fleetwood Mac - The City 053 3rd Bass - Brooklyn-Queens 054 Anthrax - Only 055 RAMONES - Cabbies On Crack 056 Unsane - Rat 057 Daryl Hall - NYCNY 058 Love Bug Star Ski & The Harlem World Crew - Positive Life 059 Pist.On - Grey Flap 060 The Sex Pistols-New York 061 Talking Heads - Wild Wild Life 062 Los Straitjackets - Brooklyn Slide 063 De La Soul - A Roller Skating Jam Named Saturdays 064 THE DRAMATICS - Blame it on New York City 065 Aerosmith - Rats in the Cellar 066 GG Allin - NYC tonight 067 The Brooklyn Bronx & Queens Band - On The Beat 068 Le Butcherettes -  New York 069 New York Dolls - Subway Train 070 Laurie Anderson - The day the devil 071 Marvels Jessica Jones - Opening theme song 072 Skull Snaps - My Hang up Is You 073 Janet Jackson - What Have You Done For Me Lately? 074 Blondie - In the Flesh 075 Agnostic Front -  City Streets 076 Curtis Mayfield - Pusherman 077 Charles Bradley -  Aint It A Sin 078 Liquid Liquid - Cavern 079 Bill Withers - Harlem 080 Cherry Vanilla - The Punk 081 Ace Frehley  - New York Groove 082 Rolling Stones - Harlem Shuffle 083 Seinfeld Theme song 084  Beastie Boys - Stop that train 085 Boney M -New York City 086 Biohazard - Five Blocks To The Subway 087 MOD - Rally (NYC) 088 Herb Alpert - Manhattan Melody 089 Nazareth - new york broken toy 090 Fishbone - Sunless Saturday 091 Mortician - Necrocannibal 092 Fantomas -  The Godfather 093 Joe Jackson - Steppin Out 094 Sick Of It All - Insurrection 095 Paul Simon - Boy in the Bubble 096 The Shangri Las - Leader Of The Pack 097 Tombs - V 098 NINA HAGEN - New York, New York 099 The Cure - NY Trip 100 Cameo - Word Up 101 Rollins Band - Disconnect 102 Luke Cage: OST - Theme song 103 GEORGE BENSON - On Broadway 104 Jim Croce - You Don't Mess Around With Jim 105 Law & Order SVU  Intro Theme song 106 Le Tigre - My My Metrocard 107 Leonard cohen_First we take Manhattan 108 Prong - Snap your fingers,snap your bra strap 109 Velvet Underground - Rock & Roll from Loaded 110 Tito Puente - 110th St And 5th Avenue 111 NICOLE feat Timmy Thomas - NEW YORK EYES. 112 Kid Creole & The Coconuts - Broadway rhythm 113 White Zombie -  Super-charger heaven 114 Plasmatics -  Monkey Suit 115 Cats on Broadway - The Overture 116 Roy Ayers - We Live In Brooklyn, Baby 117 The Vibrations - Ain't No Greens In Harlem 118 Joan Jett and the Blackhearts - Coney Island Whitefish 119 Mel Torme - Broadway 120 Helmet - Biscuits For Smut 121 Swans -  Better Than You 122 Madball - Pride (Times Are Changing) 123 The Damned Things -  Handbook for the Recently Deceased 124 Handsome - Needles 125 RUN DMC - Beats To The Rhyme (Instrumental) 126 Jane's Addiction - Underground 127 Vision Of Disorder - Loveless 128 The Ronettes - Be My Baby 129 Marnie Stern - East Side Glory 130 Televison - See No Evil 131 Madonna - Into The Groove 132 Lunachicks - Subway 133 Type O Negative - In Praise Of Bacchus 134 Bobby Womack - Across 110th Street 135 Quicksand - Fazer 136 IGGY POP - Dont Look Down 137 Surfbort - Back to Reaction 138 Marvels The Punisher - Opening theme song 139 Blondie - The Hardest Part 140 Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood - Greenwich Village Folk Song Salesman 141 Agnostic Front - Police State 142 RAMONES - 53rd & 3rd 143 FEAR - new yorks alright if you like saxophones 144 Lydia Lunch    - Spooky 145 Native New Yorker - Odyssey 146 Little River Band - Statue Of Liberty 147 Lou Reed - Walk on the Wild Side 148 Motherlover (feat. Justin Timberlake) 149 Aretha Franklin - Spanish Harlem 150 Luscious Jackson - Ladyfingers 151 The Cars - Hello Again 152 Stetsasonic - Talkin All That Jazz 153 Kajagoogoo - Big Apple 154 David Bowie - Andy Warhol 155 Voices Of East Harlem - Wanted Dead Or Alive 156 Talking Heads    - Life During Wartime 157 Joe Strummer - Love Kills (Sid and Nancy: Love Kills SOUNDTRACK) 158 Galt MacDermot - Cotton Comes to Harlem 159 Unsane - D-Train 160 The Warriors OST - The Warriors Full Theme Song 161 Biohazard - Black and White and Red All Over 162 WILLIE WOOD & WILLIE WOOD CREW - WILLIE rap 163 The Cult Sonic Temple New York City 164 Andrew W.K.- I Love New York City 165 BT Express - Peace Pipe 166 Baby Shakes -Turn It Up 167 Public Enemy - A Letter to the New York Post 168 The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - Tales of the Old New York The Rock Box 169 Chicago - Another Rainy Day In New York City 170 Brooklyn Nine Nine - Main Title Theme 171 Cro-Mags - These Streets 172 AC/DC - Safe In New York City 173 Gogol Bordello - AVENUE B. 174 RUN DMC - Hard Times 175 Breakfast Club - Right On Track 176 Foo Fighters -  I Am a River 177 Cameo - New York 178 Ratt - 7th Avenue 179 Dr. Boogie - Get Back To New York City 180 Frank Sinatra - New York, New York. 181 PRINCE  - All The Critics Love U In New York 182 The Rising - Bruce Springsteen 183 The Night Flight Orchestra - 1998 184 Necro - Tough Jew Instrumental 185 TOM WAITS - Midtown 186 Scorpions - The Zoo 187 Stevie Wonder - Living For The City 188 Leeway - Mark of the squealer 189 Nuclear Assault -  Cold Steel 190 Fantomas -  Rosemary's Baby 191 Wu Tang Clan - C.R.E.A.M. 192 Hanoi Rocks - 11th Street Kids 193 Patti Smith - Piss Factory 194 Moondog - Fog on the Hudson - On the Streets of New York 195 RAMONES - Something To Believe In 196 Neil Diamond - Brooklyn On A Saturday Night 197 Immolation - Despondent Souls 198 John Lennon - Just like starting over 199 PJ Harvey - you said something 200 Velvet Underground - I'm Waiting For The Man 201 John Cale - The philosopher 202 Bee Gees - Stayin Alive (Saturday Night Fever) 203 Suzanne Vega - Luka 204 Gorilla Biscuits - New Direction 205 Whodini - Escape (I Need a Break) 206 Agnostic Front - More Than A Memory 207 Beastie Boys - Helllo Brooklyn 208 Foreigner - Love on the Telephone 209 Gargoyles TV show Original Theme 210 Bush Tetras - Too Many Creeps 211 Lou Reed - Coney Island Baby 212 Ramones - Rockaway Beach 213 Public Enemy - Welcome To The Terrordome 214 Nico - These days 215 Swans - The Sound Of Freedom 216 Billy Joel - 52nd Street 217 XTC - Statue of liberty 218 Overkill -  Hello From The Gutter 219 Twisted Sister - Come out and play 220 Kiss - Deuce 221 Skinless - Savagery 222 Rob Zombie - Dragula 223 Grandmaster Flash And The Furious Five - New York New York 224 Ric Ocasek - Rockaway 225 Ministry - Lieslieslies 226 Gogol Bordello - Wonderlust King 227 Iron Fist - intro 228 BPD - South Bronx 229 INXS - Calling All Nations 230 Pyrhhon - Liberty at the ashes 231 Shelter - Civilized Man 232 James Brown - Don't Tell It 233 Bob Dylan - Visions of Johanna 234 GSH -17th Street 235 Helmet - Iron Head 236 Salt-N-Pepa - Expression 237 Alice Cooper - BIG APPLE DREAMING 238 Profanatica - Ordained In Bile 239 John Coltrane - Grand Central 240 PRINCE  - Lady Cab Driver 241 Lou Reed - NYC Man 242 KISS - Naked City 243 Brutal Truth - Ordinary Madness 244 Quicksand - East 3rd St. 245 Teruo Nakamura And The Rising Sun - Manhattan Special 246 Herbie Mann - Turtle Bay 247 The Jimmy Castor Bunch - Its Just Begun 248 Prong -  Whose fist is this anyway? 249 Rolling Stones - Undercover Of The Night 250 Biohazard - Failed Territory 251 Brian Eno - Over Fire Island 252 Mutilation Rites - Axiom Destroyer 253 RATM - Renegades Of Funk 254 Blue Oyster Cult - Burnin' for You 255 Whiplash - Last Nail in the Coffin 256 Billy Cobham - Total Eclipse 257 The Rods - Too Hot to Stop 258 Lalo Schifrin - No One Home 259 David Shire - Manhattan Skyline 260 The Doors - Strange Days 261 WASP - The Headless Children 262 Budos Band - Black Venom 263 Roy Clark - Twelfth Street Rag 264 Guerilla Toss - Human Girl 265 Cecil Taylor - Steps 266 Heartbreakers - Born To Lose 267 They Might Be Giants - Where Your Eyes Don't Go 268 Frehleys Comet - Into the Night 269 West Side Story Act I -  Something's Coming 270 Sleater Kinney - Far Away 271 The Clash - Gates of the West 272 Betty Davis - nasty gal 273 Crumbsuckers - Beast on my back 274 SOD - Pi Alpha Nu 275 Led Zeppelin - custard pie 276 Insect Ark - In the nest 277 Sweet Tee - On the smooth 278 Virgin steele - American girl 279 Hugo Montenegro - Moog power 280 Laura Branigan - hot night 281 Chad Mitchell - The other side of this life 282 Vanilla Ice - Ninja rap 283 ELF - First avenue 284 Pro-Pain - Voice of rebelion 285 Simon & Garfunkel - the 59th street bridge song 286 RIOT - Fight or fall 287 Ramones - Teenage lobotomy 288 Gang Starr - The place we dwell 289 Billy Joel - All you wanna do is dance 290 Manowar - Fighting the world 291 Manic Street Preachers - Patrick Bateman 292 Ray Parker - Ghostbusters 293 Futurama theme song 294 Sick of it All - Alone 295 Anthrax - NFL 296 Street trash OST - Viper theme 297 PJ Harvey - good fortune 298 Don Cherry - Awake Nu 299 The Contortions - dish it out 300 Sonic Youth - Disappearer 301 Sonny Rollins - East Broadway run down 302 White Hills feat. Jim Jarmusch - Illusion 303 Fishbone - Ugly 304 Jeffrey Lewis - Sad screaming old man 305 Debbie Harry - Jump, jump 306 Cro-Mags- From the grave 307 John Lennon - New York City 308 R.E.M. - Leaving New York 309 Escape From New York OST - Main Title song 310 Type O Negative - Everything Dies 666 Richard Marx - Remember Manhattan

I reckon my New York playlist could reach 350 songs! Can you help me? Add your own songs. Bring it!

[blackkudos]

James Brown

James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. A progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music and dance, he is often referred to as the "Godfather of Soul" and "Soul Brother No. 1". In a career that lasted over 50 years, he influenced the development of several music genres.

Brown began his career as a gospel singer in Toccoa, Georgia. He joined a rhythm and blues vocal group, the Gospel Starlighters (which later evolved into the Famous Flames) founded by Bobby Byrd, in which he was the lead singer. First coming to national public attention in the late 1950s as a member of the singing group The Famous Flames with the hit ballads "Please, Please, Please" and "Try Me", Brown built a reputation as a tireless live performer with the Famous Flames and his backing band, sometimes known as the James Brown Band or the James Brown Orchestra. His success peaked in the 1960s with the live album Live at the Apollo and hit singles such as "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag", "I Got You (I Feel Good)" and "It's a Man's Man's Man's World".

During the late 1960s, Brown moved from a continuum of blues and gospel-based forms and styles to a profoundly "Africanized" approach to music-making that influenced the development of funk music. By the early 1970s, Brown had fully established the funk sound after the formation of the J.B.s with records such as "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine" and "The Payback". He also became noted for songs of social commentary, including the 1968 hit "Say It Loud – I'm Black and I'm Proud". Brown continued to perform and record until his death from pneumonia in 2006.

Brown recorded 17 singles that reached No. 1 on the Billboard R&B charts. He also holds the record for the most singles listed on the Billboard Hot 100 chart which did not reach No. 1. Brown was inducted into 1st class of the Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame in 2013 as an artist and then in 2017 as a songwriter. He also received honors from many other institutions, including inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame. In Joel Whitburn's analysis of the Billboard R&B charts from 1942 to 2010, Brown is ranked No. 1 in The Top 500 Artists. He is ranked No. 7 on Rolling Stone's list of its 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. Rolling Stone has also cited Brown as the most sampled artist of all time.

Early life

Brown was born on May 3, 1933, in Barnwell, South Carolina, to 16-year-old Susie (née Behling; 1917–2003), and 22-year-old Joseph Gardner Brown (1911–1993), in a small wooden shack. Brown's name was supposed to have been Joseph James Brown Jr., but his first and middle names were mistakenly reversed on his birth certificate. He later legally changed his name to remove "Jr." In his autobiography, Brown stated that he also had Chinese and Native American ancestry, and that his father was of mixed African-American and Native American descent, whilst his mother was of mixed African-American and Asian descent. The Brown family lived in extreme poverty in Elko, South Carolina, which was an impoverished town at the time. They later moved to Augusta, Georgia, when James was four or five. His family first settled at one of his aunts' brothels. They later moved into a house shared with another aunt. Brown's mother eventually left the family after a contentious and abusive marriage and moved to New York. Brown spent long stretches of time on his own, hanging out in the streets and hustling to get by. He managed to stay in school until the sixth grade.

He began singing in talent shows as a young child, first appearing at Augusta's Lenox Theater in 1944, winning the show after singing the ballad "So Long". While in Augusta, Brown performed buck dances for change to entertain troops from Camp Gordon at the start of World War II as their convoys traveled over a canal bridge near his aunt's home. He learned to play the piano, guitar, and harmonica during this period. He became inspired to become an entertainer after hearing "Caldonia" by Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five. In his teen years, Brown briefly had a career as a boxer. At the age of 16, he was convicted of robbery and sent to a juvenile detention center in Toccoa. There, he formed a gospel quartet with four fellow cellmates, including Johnny Terry. Brown met singer Bobby Byrd when the two played against each other in a baseball game outside the detention center. Byrd also discovered that Brown could sing, after hearing of "a guy called Music Box", which was Brown's musical nickname at the prison. Byrd has since claimed he and his family helped to secure an early release, which led to Brown promising the court he would "sing for the Lord". Brown was released on a work sponsorship with Toccoa business owner S.C. Lawson. Lawson was impressed with Brown's work ethic and secured his release with a promise to keep him employed for two years. Brown was paroled on June 14, 1952. He would go on to work with both of Lawson's sons, and would come back to visit the family from time to time throughout his career. Shortly after being paroled he joined the gospel group the Ever-Ready Gospel Singers, featuring Byrd's sister Sarah.

Music career

1953–1961: The Famous Flames

Brown eventually joined Byrd's group in 1954. The group had evolved from the Gospel Starlighters, an a cappella gospel group, to an R&B group with the name the Avons. He reputedly joined the band after one of its members, Troy Collins, died in a car crash. Along with Brown and Byrd, the group consisted of Sylvester Keels, Doyle Oglesby, Fred Pulliam, Nash Knox and Nafloyd Scott. Influenced by R&B groups such as Hank Ballard and the Midnighters, the Orioles and Billy Ward and His Dominoes, the group changed its name, first to the Toccoa Band and then to the Flames. Nafloyd's brother Baroy later joined the group on bass guitar, and Brown, Byrd and Keels switched lead positions and instruments, often playing drums and piano. Johnny Terry later joined, by which time Pulliam and Oglesby had long left.

Berry Trimier became the group's first manager, booking them at parties near college campuses in Georgia and South Carolina. The group had already gained a reputation as a good live act when they renamed themselves the Famous Flames. In 1955, the group had contacted Little Richard while performing in Macon. Richard convinced the group to get in contact with his manager at the time, Clint Brantley, at his nightclub. Brantley agreed to manage them after seeing the group audition. He then sent them to a local radio station to record a demo session, where they performed their own composition "Please, Please, Please", which was inspired when Little Richard wrote the words of the title on a napkin and Brown was determined to make a song out of it. The Famous Flames eventually signed with King Records' Federal subsidiary in Cincinnati, Ohio, and issued a re-recorded version of "Please, Please, Please" in March 1956. The song became the group's first R&B hit, selling over a million copies. None of their follow-ups gained similar success. By 1957, Brown had replaced Clint Brantley as manager and hired Ben Bart, chief of Universal Attractions Agency. That year the original Flames broke up, after Bart changed the name of the group to "James Brown and The Famous Flames".

In October 1958, Brown released the ballad "Try Me", which hit number one on the R&B chart in the beginning of 1959, becoming the first of seventeen chart-topping R&B hits. Shortly afterwards, he recruited his first band, led by J. C. Davis, and reunited with Bobby Byrd who joined a revived Famous Flames lineup that included Eugene "Baby" Lloyd Stallworth and Bobby Bennett, with Johnny Terry sometimes coming in as the "fifth Flame". Brown, the Flames, and his entire band debuted at the Apollo Theater on April 24, 1959, opening for Brown's idol, Little Willie John. Federal Records issued two albums credited to Brown and the Famous Flames (both contained previously released singles). By 1960, Brown began multi-tasking in the recording studio involving himself, his singing group, the Famous Flames, and his band, a separate entity from The Flames, sometimes named the James Brown Orchestra or the James Brown Band. That year the band released the top ten R&B hit "(Do the) Mashed Potatoes" on Dade Records, owned by Henry Stone, billed under the pseudonym "Nat Kendrick & the Swans" due to label issues. As a result of its success, King president Syd Nathan shifted Brown's contract from Federal to the parent label, King, which according to Brown in his autobiography meant "you got more support from the company". While with King, Brown, under the Famous Flames lineup, released the hit-filled album Think! and the following year released two albums with the James Brown Band earning second billing. With the Famous Flames, Brown sang lead on several more hits, including "I'll Go Crazy" and "Think", songs that hinted at his emerging style.

1962–1966: Mr. Dynamite

In 1962, Brown and his band scored a hit with their cover of the instrumental "Night Train", becoming a top five R&B single. That same year, the ballads "Lost Someone" and "Baby You're Right", the latter a Joe Tex composition, added to his repertoire and increased his reputation with R&B audiences. On October 24, 1962, Brown financed a live recording of a performance at the Apollo and convinced Syd Nathan to release the album, despite Nathan's belief that no one would buy a live album due to the fact that Brown's singles had already been bought and that live albums were usually bad sellers.

Live at the Apollo was released the following June and became an immediate hit, eventually reaching number two on the Top LPs chart and selling over a million copies, staying on the charts for 14 months. In 1963, Brown scored his first top 20 pop hit with his rendition of the standard "Prisoner of Love". He also launched his first label, Try Me Records, which included recordings by the likes of Tammy Montgomery (later to be famous as Tammi Terrell), Johnny & Bill (Famous Flames associates Johnny Terry and Bill Hollings) and the Poets, which was another name used for Brown's backing band. During this time Brown began an ill-fated two-year relationship with 17-year-old Tammi Terrell when she sang in his revue. Terrell ended their personal and professional relationship because of his abusive behavior.

In 1964, seeking bigger commercial success, Brown and Bobby Byrd formed the production company, Fair Deal, linking the operation to the Mercury imprint, Smash Records. King Records, however, fought against this and was granted an injunction preventing Brown from releasing any recordings for the label. Prior to the injunction, Brown had released three vocal singles, including the blues-oriented hit "Out of Sight", which further indicated the direction his music was going to take. Touring throughout the year, Brown and the Famous Flames grabbed more national attention after giving an explosive show-stopping performance on the live concert film The T.A.M.I. Show. The Flames' dynamic gospel-tinged vocals, polished choreography and timing as well as Brown's energetic dance moves and high-octane singing upstaged the proposed closing act, the Rolling Stones. Having signed a new deal with King, Brown released his song "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag", which became his first top ten pop hit and won him his first Grammy Award. Later in 1965, he issued "I Got You", which became his second single in a row to reach number-one on the R&B chart and top ten on the pop chart. Brown followed that up with the ballad "It's a Man's Man's Man's World", a third Top 10 Pop hit (#1 R&B) which confirmed his stance as a top-ranking performer, especially with R&B audiences from that point on.

1967–1970: Soul Brother No. 1

By 1967, Brown's emerging sound had begun to be defined as funk music. That year he released what some critics cited as the first true funk song, "Cold Sweat", which hit number-one on the R&B chart (Top 10 Pop) and became one of his first recordings to contain a drum break and also the first that featured a harmony that was reduced to a single chord. The instrumental arrangements on tracks such as "Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose" and "Licking Stick-Licking Stick" (both recorded in 1968) and "Funky Drummer" (recorded in 1969) featured a more developed version of Brown's mid-1960s style, with the horn section, guitars, bass and drums meshed together in intricate rhythmic patterns based on multiple interlocking riffs.

Changes in Brown's style that started with "Cold Sweat" also established the musical foundation for Brown's later hits, such as "I Got the Feelin'" (1968) and "Mother Popcorn" (1969). By this time Brown's vocals frequently took the form of a kind of rhythmic declamation, not quite sung but not quite spoken, that only intermittently featured traces of pitch or melody. This would become a major influence on the techniques of rapping, which would come to maturity along with hip hop music in the coming decades. Brown's style of funk in the late 1960s was based on interlocking syncopated parts: strutting bass lines, syncopated drum patterns, and iconic percussive guitar riffs. The main guitar ostinatos for "Ain't It Funky" and "Give It Up or Turn It Loose" (both 1969), are examples of Brown's refinement of New Orleans funk; irresistibly danceable riffs, stripped down to their rhythmic essence. On both recordings the tonal structure is bare bones. The pattern of attack-points is the emphasis, not the pattern of pitches, as if the guitar were an African drum, or idiophone. Alexander Stewart states that this popular feel was passed along from "New Orleans—through James Brown's music, to the popular music of the 1970s". Those same tracks were later resurrected by countless hip-hop musicians from the 1970s onward. As a result, James Brown remains to this day the world's most sampled recording artist, but, two tracks that he wrote, are also synonymous with modern dance, especially with house music, jungle music, and drum and bass music, (which were sped up exponentially, in the latter two genres). These songs are, "Funky Drummer", and "Think (About It)", that he wrote for Lynn Collins, and, features his signature, "Whoo - Yeah", which were sampled, on a multitude of late 1980s - early 1990s house music tracks.

"Bring it Up" has an Afro-Cuban guajeo-like structure. All three of these guitar riffs are based on an onbeat/offbeat structure. Stewart says that it "is different from a time line (such as clave and tresillo) in that it is not an exact pattern, but more of a loose organizing principle."

It was around this time as the musician's popularity increased that he acquired the nickname "Soul Brother No. 1", after failing to win the title "King of Soul" from Solomon Burke during a Chicago gig two years prior. Brown's recordings during this period influenced musicians across the industry, most notably groups such as Sly and the Family Stone, Funkadelic, Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, Booker T. & the M.G.s as well as vocalists such as Edwin Starr, David Ruffin and Dennis Edwards from The Temptations, and Michael Jackson, who, throughout his career, cited Brown as his ultimate idol.

Brown's band during this period employed musicians and arrangers who had come up through the jazz tradition. He was noted for his ability as a bandleader and songwriter to blend the simplicity and drive of R&B with the rhythmic complexity and precision of jazz. Trumpeter Lewis Hamlin and saxophonist/keyboardist Alfred "Pee Wee" Ellis (the successor to previous bandleader Nat Jones) led the band. Guitarist Jimmy Nolen provided percussive, deceptively simple riffs for each song, and Maceo Parker's prominent saxophone solos provided a focal point for many performances. Other members of Brown's band included stalwart Famous Flames singer and sideman Bobby Byrd, trombonist Fred Wesley, drummers John "Jabo" Starks, Clyde Stubblefield and Melvin Parker, saxophonist St. Clair Pinckney, guitarist Alphonso "Country" Kellum and bassist Bernard Odum.

In addition to a torrent of singles and studio albums, Brown's output during this period included two more successful live albums, Live at the Garden (1967) and Live at the Apollo, Volume II (1968), and a 1968 television special, James Brown: Man to Man. His music empire expanded along with his influence on the music scene. As Brown's music empire grew, his desire for financial and artistic independence grew as well. Brown bought radio stations during the late 1960s, including WRDW in his native Augusta, where he shined shoes as a boy. In November 1967, James Brown purchased radio station WGYW in Knoxville, Tennessee, for a reported $75,000, according to the January 20, 1968 Record World magazine. The call letters were changed to WJBE reflecting his initials. WJBE began on January 15, 1968, and broadcast a Rhythm & Blues format. The station slogan was "WJBE 1430 Raw Soul". Brown also bought WEBB in Baltimore in 1970.

Brown branched out to make several recordings with musicians outside his own band. In an attempt to appeal to the older, more affluent, and predominantly white adult contemporary audience, Brown recorded Gettin' Down To It (1969) and Soul on Top (1970)—two albums consisting mostly of romantic ballads, jazz standards, and homologous reinterpretations of his earlier hits—with the Dee Felice Trio and the Louie Bellson Orchestra. In 1968, he recorded a number of funk-oriented tracks with The Dapps, a white Cincinnati band, including the hit "I Can't Stand Myself". He also released three albums of Christmas music with his own band.

1970–1975: Godfather of Soul

In March 1970, most of Brown's mid-to-late 1960s road band walked out on him due to money disputes, a development augured by the prior disbandment of The Famous Flames singing group for the same reason in 1968. Brown and erstwhile Famous Flames singer Bobby Byrd (who chose to remain in the band during this tumultuous period) subsequently recruited several members of the Cincinnati-based The Pacemakers, which included Bootsy Collins and his brother Phelps "Catfish" Collins; augmented by the remaining members of the 1960s road band (including Fred Wesley, who rejoined Brown's outfit in December 1970) and other newer musicians, they would form the nucleus of The J.B.'s, Brown's new backing ensemble. Shortly following their first performance together, the band entered the studio to record the Brown-Byrd composition, "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine"; the song and other contemporaneous singles would further cement Brown's influence in the nascent genre of funk music. This iteration of the J.B.'s dissolved after a March 1971 European tour (documented on the 1991 archival release Love Power Peace) due to additional money disputes and Bootsy Collins' use of LSD; the Collins brothers would soon become integral members of Parliament-Funkadelic, while a new lineup of the J.B.'s coalesced around Wesley, St. Clair Pinckney and drummer John Starks.

In 1971, Brown began recording for Polydor Records which also took over distribution of Brown's King Records catalog. Many of his sidemen and supporting players, including Fred Wesley & the J.B.'s, Bobby Byrd, Lyn Collins, Vicki Anderson and former rival Hank Ballard, released records on the People label, an imprint founded by Brown that was purchased by Polydor as part of Brown's new contract. The recordings on the People label, almost all of which were produced by Brown himself, exemplified his "house style". Several tracks thought by critics to be excessively sexual, were released at this time. He would later soften his vocal approach. Songs such as "I Know You Got Soul" by Bobby Byrd, "Think" by Lyn Collins and "Doing It to Death" by Fred Wesley & the J.B.'s are considered as much a part of Brown's recorded legacy as the recordings released under his own name. That year, he also began touring African countries and was received well by audiences there. During the 1972 presidential election, James Brown openly proclaimed his support of Richard Nixon for reelection to the presidency over Democratic candidate George McGovern. The decision led to a boycott of his performances and, according to Brown, cost him a big portion of his black audience. As a result, Brown's record sales and concerts in the United States reached a lull in 1973 as he failed to land a number-one R&B single that year. Brown relied more on touring outside the United States where he continued to perform for sold-out crowds in cities such as London, Paris and Lausanne. That year he also faced problems with the IRS for failure to pay back taxes, charging he hadn't paid upwards of $4.5 million; five years earlier, the IRS had claimed he owed nearly $2 million.

In 1973, Brown provided the score for the blaxploitation film Black Caesar. He also recorded another soundtrack for the film, Slaughter's Big Rip-Off. Following the release of these soundtracks, Brown acquired a self-styled nickname, "The Godfather of Soul", which remains his most popular nickname. In 1974 he returned to the No. 1 spot on the R&B charts with "The Payback", with the parent album reaching the same spot on the album charts; he would reach No. 1 two more times in 1974, with "My Thang" and "Papa Don't Take No Mess". Later that year, he returned to Africa and performed in Kinshasa as part of the buildup to The Rumble in the Jungle fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. Admirers of Brown's music, including Miles Davis and other jazz musicians, began to cite him as a major influence on their own styles. However, Brown, like others who were influenced by his music, also "borrowed" from other musicians. His 1976 single, "Hot (I Need To Be Loved, Loved, Loved, Loved)" (R&B #31), interpolated the main riff from "Fame" by David Bowie while omitting any attribution to the latter song's composers (including Bowie, John Lennon and guitarist Carlos Alomar), not the other way around as was often believed. The riff was composed by Alomar, who had briefly been a member of Brown's band in the late 1960s.

"Papa Don't Take No Mess" would prove to be his final single to reach the No. 1 spot on the R&B charts and his final Top 40 pop single of the 1970s, though he continued to occasionally have Top 10 R&B recordings. Among his top ten R&B hits during this latter period included "Funky President" and "Get Up Offa That Thing", the latter song released in 1976 and aimed at musical rivals such as Barry White, The Ohio Players and K.C. and the Sunshine Band. Brown credited his then-wife and two of their children as writers of the song to avoid concurrent tax problems with the IRS. Starting in October 1975, Brown produced, directed, and hosted Future Shock, an Atlanta-based television variety show that ran for three years.

1975–1991: Decline and resurgence

Although his records were mainstays of the vanguard New York underground disco scene exemplified by DJs such as David Mancuso and Francis Grasso from 1969 onwards, Brown did not consciously yield to the trend until 1975's Sex Machine Today. By 1977, he was no longer a dominant force in R&B. After "Get Up Offa That Thing", thirteen of Brown's late 1970s recordings for Polydor failed to reach the Top 10 of the R&B chart, with only "Bodyheat" in 1976 and the disco-oriented "It's Too Funky in Here" in 1979 reaching the R&B Top 15 and the ballad "Kiss in '77" reaching the Top 20. After 1976's "Bodyheat", he also failed to appear on the Billboard Hot 100. As a result, Brown's concert attendance began dropping and his reported disputes with the IRS caused his business empire to collapse. In addition, Brown's former bandmates, including Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker and the Collins brothers, had found bigger success as members of George Clinton's Parliament-Funkadelic collective. The emergence of disco also stopped Brown's success on the R&B charts because its slicker, more commercial style had superseded his more raw funk productions.

By the release of 1979's The Original Disco Man, Brown was not providing much production or writing, leaving most of it to producer Brad Shapiro, resulting in the song "It's Too Funky in Here" becoming Brown's most successful single in this period. After two more albums failed to chart, Brown left Polydor in 1981. It was around this time that Brown changed the name of his band from the J.B.'s to the Soul Generals (or Soul G's). The band retained that name until his death. Despite the decline in his record sales Brown enjoyed something of a resurgence in this period, starting with appearances in the feature films The Blues Brothers, Doctor Detroit and Rocky IV, as well as guest-starring in the Miami Vice episode "Missing Hours" (1987). In 1984, he teamed with rap musician Afrika Bambaattaa on the song "Unity". A year later he signed with Scotti Brothers Records and issued the moderately successful album Gravity in 1986. It included Brown's final Top 10 pop hit, "Living in America", marking his first Top 40 entry since 1974 and his first Top 10 pop entry since 1968. Produced and written by Dan Hartman, it was also featured prominently on the Rocky IV film and soundtrack. Brown performed the song in the film at Apollo Creed's final fight, shot in the Ziegfeld Room at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, and was credited in the film as "The Godfather of Soul". 1986 also saw the publication of his autobiography, James Brown: The Godfather of Soul, co-written with Bruce Tucker. In 1987, Brown won the Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for "Living in America".

In 1988, Brown worked with the production team Full Force on the new jack swing-influenced album I'm Real. It spawned his final two Top 10 R&B hits, "I'm Real" and "Static", which peaked at No. 2 and No. 5, respectively, on the R&B charts. Meanwhile, the drum break from the second version of the original 1969 hit "Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose" (the recording included on the compilation album In the Jungle Groove) became so popular at hip hop dance parties (especially for breakdance) during the early 1980s that hip hop pioneer Kurtis Blow called the song "the national anthem of hip hop".

1991–2006: Final years

After his stint in prison during the late 1980s, Brown met Larry Fridie and Thomas Hart who produced the first James Brown biopic, entitled James Brown: The Man, the Message, the Music, released in 1992. He returned to music with the album Love Over-Due in 1991. It included the single "(So Tired of Standing Still We Got to) Move On", which peaked at No. 48 on the R&B chart. His former record label Polydor also released the four-CD box set Star Time, spanning Brown's career to date. Brown's release from prison also prompted his former record labels to reissue his albums on CD, featuring additional tracks and commentary by music critics and historians. That same year, Brown appeared on rapper MC Hammer's video for "Too Legit to Quit". Hammer had been noted, alongside Big Daddy Kane, for bringing Brown's unique stage shows and their own energetic dance moves to the hip-hop generation; both listed Brown as their idol. Both musicians also sampled his work, with Hammer having sampled the rhythms from "Super Bad" for his song "Here Comes the Hammer", from his best-selling album Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em. Big Daddy Kane sampled many times. Before the year was over, Brown–who had immediately returned to work with his band following his release–organized a pay-per-view concert following a show at Los Angeles' Wiltern Theatre, that was well received.

On June 10, 1991, James Brown and a star-filled line up performed before a crowd at the Wiltern Theatre for a live pay-per-view at-home audience. James Brown: Living in America – Live! was the brainchild of Indiana producer Danny Hubbard. It featuredM.C. Hammer as well as Bell Biv Devoe, Heavy D & the Boys, En Vogue, C+C Music Factory, Quincy Jones, Sherman Hemsley and Keenen Ivory Wayans. Ice-T, Tone Loc and Kool Moe Dee performed paying homage to Brown. This was Brown's first public performance since his parole from the South Carolina prison system in February. He had served two-and-a-half years of two concurrent six-year sentences for aggravated assault and other felonies.

Brown continued making recordings. In 1993 his album Universal James was released. It included his final Billboard charting single, "Can't Get Any Harder", which peaked at No. 76 on the US R&B chart and reached No. 59 on the UK chart. Its brief charting in the UK was probably due to the success of a remixed version of "I Feel Good" featuring Dakeyne. Brown also released the singles "How Long" and "Georgia-Lina", which failed to chart. In 1995, Brown returned to the Apollo and recorded Live at the Apollo 1995. It included a studio track titled "Respect Me", which was released as a single; again it failed to chart. Brown's final studio albums, I'm Back and The Next Step, were released in 1998 and 2002 respectively. I'm Back featured the song "Funk on Ah Roll", which peaked at No. 40 in the UK but did not chart in his native US. The Next Step included Brown's final single, "Killing Is Out, School Is In". Both albums were produced by Derrick Monk. Brown's concert success, however, remained unabated and he kept up with a grueling schedule throughout the remainder of his life, living up to his previous nickname, "The Hardest Working Man in Show Business", in spite of his advanced age. In 2003, Brown participated in the PBS American Masters television documentary James Brown: Soul Survivor, which was directed by Jeremy Marre.

Brown celebrated his status as an icon by appearing in a variety of entertainment and sports events, including an appearance on the WCW pay-per-view event, SuperBrawl X, where he danced alongside wrestler Ernest "The Cat" Miller, who based his character on Brown, during his in-ring skit with The Maestro. Brown then appeared in Tony Scott's short film Beat the Devil in 2001. He was featured alongside Clive Owen, Gary Oldman, Danny Trejo and Marilyn Manson. Brown also made a cameo appearance in the 2002 Jackie Chan film The Tuxedo, in which Chan was required to finish Brown's act after having accidentally knocked out the singer. In 2002, Brown appeared in Undercover Brother, playing himself.

In 2004, Brown performed in Hyde Park, London as a support act for Red Hot Chili Peppers concerts. The beginning of 2005 saw the publication of Brown's second book, I Feel Good: A Memoir of a Life of Soul, written with Marc Eliot. In February and March, he participated in recording sessions for an intended studio album with Fred Wesley, Pee Wee Ellis, and other longtime collaborators. Though he lost interest in the album, which remains unreleased, a track from the sessions, "Gut Bucket", appeared on a compilation CD included with the August 2006 issue of MOJO. He appeared at Edinburgh 50,000 – The Final Push, the final Live 8 concert on July 6, 2005, where he performed a duet with British pop star Will Young on "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag". The previous week he had performed a duet with another British pop star, Joss Stone, on the United Kingdom chat show Friday Night with Jonathan Ross. In 2006, Brown continued his "Seven Decades of Funk World Tour", his last concert tour where he performed all over the world. His final U.S. performances were in San Francisco on August 20, 2006, as headliner at the Festival of the Golden Gate (Foggfest) on the Great Meadow at Fort Mason. The following day, August 21, he performed at Humboldt State University in Arcata, CA, at a small theatre (800 seats) on campus. His last shows were greeted with positive reviews, and one of his final concert appearances at the Irish Oxegen festival in Punchestown in 2006 was performed for a record crowd of 80,000 people. He played a full concert as part of the BBC's Electric Proms on October 27, 2006, at The Roundhouse, supported by The Zutons, with special appearances from Max Beasley and The Sugababes.

Brown's last televised appearance was at his induction into the UK Music Hall of Fame in November 2006, before his death the following month. Before his death, Brown had been scheduled to perform a duet with singer Annie Lennox on the song "Vengeance" for her new album Venus, which was released in 2007.

Later life and death

Illness

On December 23, 2006, Brown became very ill and arrived at his dentist's office in Atlanta, Georgia, several hours late. His appointment was for dental implant work. During that visit, Brown's dentist observed that he looked "very bad ... weak and dazed". Instead of performing the work, the dentist advised Brown to see a doctor right away about his medical condition.

Brown went to the Emory Crawford Long Memorial Hospital the next day for medical evaluation and was admitted for observation and treatment. According to Charles Bobbit, his longtime personal manager and friend, Brown had been struggling with a noisy cough since returning from a November trip to Europe. Yet, Bobbit said, the singer had a history of never complaining about being sick and often performed while ill. Although Brown had to cancel upcoming concerts in Waterbury, Connecticut, and Englewood, New Jersey, he was confident that the doctor would discharge him from the hospital in time for his scheduled New Year's Eve shows at the Count Basie Theatre in New Jersey and the B. B. King Blues Club in New York, in addition to performing a song live on CNN for the Anderson Cooper New Year's Eve special. Brown remained hospitalized, however, and his condition worsened throughout the day.

Death

On Christmas Day 2006, Brown died at approximately 1:45 a.m. EST (06:45 UTC), at age 73, from congestive heart failure, resulting from complications of pneumonia. Bobbit was at his bedside and later reported that Brown stuttered, "I'm going away tonight," then took three long, quiet breaths and fell asleep before dying.

In 2019, an investigation by CNN and other journalists led to suggestions that Brown had been murdered.

Memorial services

After Brown's death, his relatives, a host of celebrities, and thousands of fans gathered, on December 28, 2006, for a public memorial service at the Apollo Theater in New York City and, on December 30, 2006, at the James Brown Arena in Augusta, Georgia. A separate, private ceremony was held in North Augusta, South Carolina, on December 29, 2006, with Brown's family in attendance. Celebrities at these various memorial events included Michael Jackson, Jimmy Cliff, Joe Frazier, Buddy Guy, Ice Cube, Ludacris, Dr. Dre, Little Richard, Dick Gregory, MC Hammer, Prince, Jesse Jackson, Ice-T, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bootsy Collins, LL Cool J, Lil Wayne, Lenny Kravitz, 50 Cent, Stevie Wonder, and Don King. Rev. Al Sharpton officiated at all of Brown's public and private memorial services.

Brown's memorial ceremonies were all elaborate, complete with costume changes for the deceased and videos featuring him in concert. His body, placed in a Promethean casket—bronze polished to a golden shine—was driven through the streets of New York to the Apollo Theater in a white, glass-encased horse-drawn carriage. In Augusta, Georgia, his memorial procession stopped to pay respects at his statue, en route to the James Brown Arena. During the public memorial there, a video showed Brown's last performance in Augusta, Georgia, with the Ray Charles version of "Georgia on My Mind" playing soulfully in the background. His last backup band, The Soul Generals, also played some of his hits during that tribute at the arena. The group was joined by Bootsy Collins on bass, with MC Hammer performing a dance in James Brown style. Former Temptations lead singer Ali-Ollie Woodson performed "Walk Around Heaven All Day" at the memorial services.

Last will and testament

Brown signed his last will and testament on August 1, 2000, before J. Strom Thurmond Jr., an attorney for the estate. The irrevocable trust, separate and apart from Brown's will, was created on his behalf, that same year, by his attorney, Albert "Buddy" Dallas, one of three personal representatives of Brown's estate. His will covered the disposition of his personal assets, such as clothing, cars, and jewelry, while the irrevocable trust covered the disposition of the music rights, business assets of James Brown Enterprises, and his Beech Island estate in South Carolina.

During the reading of the will on January 11, 2007, Thurmond revealed that Brown's six adult living children (Terry Brown, Larry Brown, Daryl Brown, Yamma Brown Lumar, Deanna Brown Thomas and Venisha Brown) were named in the document, while Hynie and James II were not mentioned as heirs. Brown's will had been signed 10 months before James II was born and more than a year before Brown's marriage to Tomi Rae Hynie. Like Brown's will, his irrevocable trust omitted Hynie and James II as recipients of Brown's property. The irrevocable trust had also been established before, and not amended since, the birth of James II.

On January 24, 2007, Brown's children filed a lawsuit, petitioning the court to remove the personal representatives from the estate (including Brown's attorney, as well as trustee Albert "Buddy" Dallas) and appoint a special administrator because of perceived impropriety and alleged mismanagement of Brown's assets. On January 31, 2007, Hynie also filed a lawsuit against Brown's estate, challenging the validity of the will and the irrevocable trust. Hynie's suit asked the court both to recognize her as Brown's widow and to appoint a special administrator for the estate.

On January 27, 2015, Judge Doyet Early III ruled that Tommie Rae Hynie Brown was officially the widow of James Brown. The decision was based on the grounds that Hynie's previous marriage was invalid and that James Brown had abandoned his efforts to annul his own marriage to Hynie.

On February 19, 2015, the South Carolina Supreme Court intervened, halting all lower court actions in the estate and undertaking to review previous actions itself. The South Carolina Court of Appeals in July 2018 ruled that Tommie Rae was, in fact, Mr. Brown's wife.

Artistry and band

For many years, Brown's touring show was one of the most extravagant productions in American popular music. At the time of Brown's death, his band included three guitarists, two bass guitar players, two drummers, three horns and a percussionist. The bands that he maintained during the late 1960s and 1970s were of comparable size, and the bands also included a three-piece amplified string section that played during the ballads. Brown employed between 40 and 50 people for the James Brown Revue, and members of the revue traveled with him in a bus to cities and towns all over the country, performing upwards of 330 shows a year with almost all of the shows as one-nighters.

Concert introduction

Before James Brown appeared on stage, his personal MC gave him an elaborate introduction accompanied by drumrolls, as the MC worked in Brown's various sobriquets along with the names of many of his hit songs. The introduction by Fats Gonder, captured on Brown's 1963 album Live at the Apollo is a representative example:

So now ladies and gentlemen it is "Star Time". Are you ready for "Star Time?" Thank you and thank you very kindly. It is indeed a great pleasure to present to you at this particular time, national and international[ly] known as "The Hardest-Working Man in Show Business", the man that sings "I'll Go Crazy"..."Try Me"..."You've Got the Power"..."Think"..."If You Want Me"..."I Don't Mind"..."Bewildered"... the million dollar seller, "Lost Someone"... the very latest release, "Night Train"... let's everybody "Shout and Shimmy"... "Mr. Dynamite", the amazing "Mr. Please Please" himself, the star of the show, James Brown and The Famous Flames!!

Concert repertoire and format

James Brown's performances were famous for their intensity and length. His own stated goal was to "give people more than what they came for — make them tired, 'cause that's what they came for.'" Brown's concert repertoire consisted mostly of his own hits and recent songs, with a few R&B covers mixed in. Brown danced vigorously as he sang, working popular dance steps such as the Mashed Potato into his routine along with dramatic leaps, splits and slides. In addition, his horn players and singing group (The Famous Flames) typically performed choreographed dance routines, and later incarnations of the Revue included backup dancers. Male performers in the Revue were required to wear tuxedoes and cummerbunds long after more casual concert wear became the norm among the younger musical acts. Brown's own extravagant outfits and his elaborate processed hairdo completed the visual impression. A James Brown concert typically included a performance by a featured vocalist, such as Vicki Anderson or Marva Whitney, and an instrumental feature for the band, which sometimes served as the opening act for the show.

Cape routine

A trademark feature of Brown's stage shows, usually during the song "Please, Please, Please", involved Brown dropping to his knees while clutching the microphone stand in his hands, prompting the show's longtime MC, Danny Ray, to come out, drape a cape over Brown's shoulders and escort him off the stage after he had worked himself to exhaustion during his performance. As Brown was escorted off the stage by the MC, Brown's vocal group, the Famous Flames, (Bobby Byrd, Lloyd Stallworth, and Bobby Bennett ), continued singing the background vocals "Please, please don't go-oh". Brown would then shake off the cape and stagger back to the microphone to perform an encore. Brown's routine was inspired by a similar one used by the professional wrestler Gorgeous George, as well as Little Richard.

Brown performs a version of the cape routine over the closing credits of the film Blues Brothers 2000 and in the film of the T.A.M.I. Show (1964) in which he and The Famous Flames upstaged the Rolling Stones. The Police refer to "James Brown on the T.A.M.I. Show" in their 1980 song "When the World Is Running Down, You Make the Best of What's Still Around".

As band leader

Brown demanded extreme discipline, perfection and precision from his musicians and dancers – performers in his Revue showed up for rehearsals and members wore the right "uniform" or "costume" for concert performances. During an interview conducted by Terri Gross during the NPR segment "Fresh Air" with Maceo Parker, a former saxophonist in Brown's band for most of the 1960s and part of the 1970s and 1980s, Parker offered his experience with the discipline that Brown demanded of the band:

You gotta be on time. 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. This is what [Brown expected] ... [Brown] bought the costumes. He bought the shoes. And if for some reason [the band member decided] to leave the group, [Brown told the person to] please leave my uniforms . ...

Brown also had a practice of directing, correcting and assessing fines on members of his band who broke his rules, such as wearing unshined shoes, dancing out of sync or showing up late on stage. During some of his concert performances, Brown danced in front of his band with his back to the audience as he slid across the floor, flashing hand signals and splaying his pulsating fingers to the beat of the music. Although audiences thought Brown's dance routine was part of his act, this practice was actually his way of pointing to the offending member of his troupe who played or sang the wrong note or committed some other infraction. Brown used his splayed fingers and hand signals to alert the offending person of the fine that person must pay to him for breaking his rules.

Brown's demands of his support acts were, meanwhile, quite the reverse. As Fred Wesley recalled of his time as musical director of the JBs, if Brown felt intimidated by a support act he would try to "undermine their performances by shortening their sets without notice, demanding that they not do certain showstopping songs, and even insisting on doing the unthinkable, playing drums on some of their songs. A sure set killer."

Social activism

Education advocacy and humanitarianism

Brown's main social activism was in preserving the need for education among youths, influenced by his own troubled childhood and his being forced to drop out of the seventh grade for wearing "insufficient clothes". Due to heavy dropout rates in the 1960s, Brown released the pro-education song, "Don't Be a Drop-Out". Royalties of the song were donated to dropout-prevention charity programs. The success of this led to Brown meeting with President Lyndon B. Johnson at the White House. Johnson cited Brown for being a positive role model to the youth. A lifelong Republican, Brown gained the confidence of President Richard Nixon, to whom he found he had to explain the plight of Black Americans.

Throughout the remainder of his life, Brown made public speeches in schools and continued to advocate the importance of education in school. Upon filing his will in 2002, Brown advised that most of the money in his estate go into creating the I Feel Good, Inc. Trust to benefit disadvantaged children and provide scholarships for his grandchildren. His final single, "Killing Is Out, School Is In", advocated against murders of young children in the streets. Brown often gave out money and other items to children while traveling to his childhood hometown of Augusta. A week before his death, while looking gravely ill, Brown gave out toys and turkeys to kids at an Atlanta orphanage, something he had done several times over the years.

Civil rights and self-reliance

Though Brown performed at benefit rallies for civil rights organizations in the mid-1960s, Brown often shied away from discussing civil rights in his songs in fear of alienating his crossover audience. In 1968, in response to a growing urge of anti-war advocacy during the Vietnam War, Brown recorded the song, "America Is My Home". In the song, Brown performed a rap, advocating patriotism and exhorting listeners to "stop pitying yoursel[ves] and get up and fight". At the time of the song's release, Brown had been participating in performing for troops stationed in Vietnam.

The Boston Garden concert

On April 5, 1968, a day after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. in Memphis, Tennessee, Brown provided a free citywide televised concert at the Boston Garden to maintain public order and calm concerned Boston relatives (over the objections of the police chief, who wanted to call off the concert, which he thought would incite violence). The show was later released on DVD as Live at the Boston Garden: April 5, 1968. According to the documentary, The Night James Brown Saved Boston, then-mayor Kevin White had strongly restrained the Boston police from cracking down on minor violence and protests after the assassination, while religious and community leaders worked to keep tempers from flaring. White arranged to have Brown's performance broadcast multiple times on Boston's public television station, WGBH, thus keeping potential rioters off the streets, watching the concert for free. Angered by not being told of this, Brown demanded $60,000 for "gate" fees (money he thought would be lost from ticket sales on account of the concert being broadcast for free) and then threatened to go public about the secret arrangement when the city balked at paying up afterwards, news of which would have been a political death blow to White and spark riots of its own. White eventually lobbied the behind-the-scenes power-brokering group known as "The Vault" to come up with money for Brown's gate fee and other social programs, contributing $100,000. Brown received $15,000 from them via the city. White also persuaded management at the Garden to give up their share of receipts to make up the differences. Following this successful performance, Brown was cautioned by President Johnson to visit cities ravaged from riots following King's assassination to not resort to violence, telling them to "cool it, there's another way".

Responding to pressure from black activists, including H. Rap Brown, to take a bigger stance on their issues and from footage of black on black crime committed in inner cities, Brown wrote the lyrics to the song "Say It Loud – I'm Black and I'm Proud", which his bandleader Alfred "Pee Wee" Ellis accompanied with a musical composition. Released late that summer, the song's lyrics helped to make it an anthem for the civil rights movement. Brown only performed the song sporadically following its initial release and later stated he had regrets recording it, saying in 1984, "Now 'Say It Loud – I'm Black and I'm Proud' has done more for the black race than any other record, but if I had my choice, I wouldn't have done it, because I don't like defining anyone by race. To teach race is to teach separatism." In his autobiography he stated:

The song is obsolete now ... But it was necessary to teach pride then, and I think the song did a lot of good for a lot of people ... People called "Black and Proud" militant and angry – maybe because of the line about dying on your feet instead of living on your knees. But really, if you listen to it, it sounds like a children's song. That's why I had children in it, so children who heard it could grow up feeling pride ... The song cost me a lot of my crossover audience. The racial makeup at my concerts was mostly black after that. I don't regret it, though, even if it was misunderstood.

In 1969, Brown recorded two more songs of social commentary, "World" and "I Don't Want Nobody to Give Me Nothing", the latter song pleading for equal opportunity and self-reliance rather than entitlement. In 1970, in response to some black leaders for not being outspoken enough, he recorded "Get Up, Get into It, Get Involved" and "Talkin' Loud and Sayin' Nothing". In 1971, he began touring Africa, including Zambia and Nigeria. He was made "freeman of the city" in Lagos, Nigeria, by Oba Adeyinka Oyekan, for his "influence on black people all over the world". With his company, James Brown Enterprises, Brown helped to provide jobs for blacks in business in the communities. As the 1970s continued, Brown continued to record songs of social commentary, most prominently 1972's "King Heroin" and the two-part ballad "Public Enemy", which dealt with drug addiction.

Political views

During the 1968 presidential campaign, Brown endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Hubert Humphrey and appeared with Humphrey at political rallies. Brown began supporting Republican president Richard Nixon after being invited to perform at Nixon's inaugural ball in January 1969. Brown's endorsement of Nixon during the 1972 presidential election negatively impacted his career during that period with several national Black organizations boycotting his records and protesting at his concert shows. Brown stated he was neither Democratic nor Republican despite his support of Republican presidents such as Nixon and Ronald Reagan. In 1999, when being interviewed by Rolling Stone, the magazine asked him to name a hero in the 20th century; Brown mentioned John F. Kennedy and then-96-year-old U.S. Senator, and former Dixiecrat, Strom Thurmond, stating "when the young whippersnappers get out of line, whether Democratic or Republican, an old man can walk up and say 'Wait a minute, son, it goes this way.' And that's great for our country. He's like a grandfather to me." In 2003, Brown was the featured attraction of a Washington D.C. fundraiser for the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Following the deaths of Ronald Reagan and his friend Ray Charles, Brown said to CNN, "I'm kind of in an uproar. I love the country and I got – you know I've been around a long time, through many presidents and everything. So after losing Mr. Reagan, who I knew very well, then Mr. Ray Charles, who I worked with and lived with like, all our life, we had a show together in Oakland many, many years ago and it's like you found the placard."

Personal life

At the end of his life, James Brown lived in Beech Island, South Carolina, directly across the Savannah River from Augusta, Georgia. Brown had diabetes that went undiagnosed for years, according to his longtime manager Charles Bobbit. In 2004, Brown was successfully treated for prostate cancer. Regardless of his health, Brown maintained his reputation as the "hardest working man in show business" by keeping up with his grueling performance schedule.

In 1962, Tammi Terrell joined the James Brown Revue. Even though she was only 17, Brown became sexually involved with Terrell in a relationship that continued until she escaped his abuse. Bobby Bennett, former member of the Famous Flames told Rolling Stone about the abuse he witnessed, "He beat Tammi Terrell terrible," said Bennett. "She was bleeding, shedding blood." Terrell, who died in 1970, was Brown's girlfriend before she became famous as Marvin Gaye's singing partner in the mid-Sixties. "Tammi left him because she didn't want her butt whipped," said Bennett, who also claimed he saw Brown kick one pregnant girlfriend down a flight of stairs.

Marriages and children

Brown was married four times. His first marriage was to Velma Warren in 1953, and they had three sons together. Over a decade later, the couple had separated and the final divorce decree was issued 1969. They maintained a close friendship that lasted until Brown's death. Brown's second marriage was to Deidre "Deedee" Jenkins, on October 22, 1970. They had two daughters together. The couple were separated by 1979, after what his daughter describes as years of domestic abuse, and the final divorce decree was issued on January 10, 1981. His third marriage was to Adrienne Lois Rodriguez (March 9, 1950 – January 6, 1996), in 1984. It was a contentious marriage that made headlines due to domestic abuse complaints. Rodriguez filed for divorce in 1988, "citing years of cruelty treatment," but they reconciled. Less than a year after Rodriguez died in 1996, Brown hired Tomi Rae Hynie to be a background singer for his band and she later became his fourth wife.

On December 23, 2002, Brown and Hynie held a wedding ceremony that was officiated by the Rev. Larry Flyer. Following Brown's death, controversy surrounded the circumstances of the marriage, with Brown's attorney, Albert "Buddy" Dallas, reporting that the marriage was not valid; Hynie was still married to Javed Ahmed, a man from Bangladesh. Hynie claimed Ahmed married her to obtain residency through a Green Card and that the marriage was annulled but the annulment did not occur until April 2004. In an attempt to prove her marriage to Brown was valid, Hynie produced a 2001 marriage certificate as proof of her marriage to Brown, but she did not provide King with court records pointing to an annulment of her marriage to him or to Ahmed. According to Dallas, Brown was angry and hurt that Hynie had concealed her prior marriage from him and Brown moved to file for annulment from Hynie. Dallas added that though Hynie's marriage to Ahmed was annulled after she married Brown, the Brown–Hynie marriage was not valid under South Carolina law because Brown and Hynie did not remarry after the annulment. In August 2003, Brown took out a full-page public notice in Variety featuring Hynie, James II and himself on vacation at Disney World to announce that he and Hynie were going their separate ways. In 2015, a judge ruled Hynie as Brown's legal widow.

Brown had numerous children and acknowledged nine of them including five sons – Teddy (1954–1973), Terry, Larry, Daryl and James Joseph Brown Jr. and four daughters – Lisa, Dr. Yamma Noyola Brown Lumar, Deanna Brown Thomas and Venisha Brown (1964–2018). Brown also had eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Brown's eldest son, Teddy, died in a car crash on June 14, 1973. According to an August 22, 2007, article published in the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph, DNA tests indicate that Brown also fathered at least three extramarital children. The first one of them to be identified is LaRhonda Pettit (born 1962), a retired air stewardess and teacher who lives in Houston. During contesting of Brown's will, another of the Brown family attorneys, Debra Opri, revealed to Larry King that Brown wanted a DNA test performed after his death to confirm the paternity of James Brown Jr. (born 2001)—not for Brown's sake but for the sake of the other family members. In April 2007, Hynie selected a guardian ad litem whom she wants appointed by the court to represent her son, James Brown Jr., in the paternity proceedings. James Brown Jr. was confirmed to be his biological son.

Drug abuse

For most of his career, Brown had a strict drug- and alcohol-free policy for any member in his entourage, including band members, and would fire people who disobeyed orders, particularly those who used or abused drugs and alcohol. Some early members of Brown's vocal group the Famous Flames were fired due to alcohol use. Despite the policy, some of the original members of Brown's 1970s band, the J.B.'s, including Catfish and Bootsy Collins, intentionally took LSD during a concert gig in 1971, causing Brown to fire them after the show because he had suspected them of being on drugs all along.

However, by the mid-1980s it was alleged that Brown himself was using drugs. After he met and later married Adrienne Rodriguez in 1984, she and Brown began using PCP ("angel dust"). This drug usage resulted in violent outbursts from him and he was arrested several times for domestic violence against Rodriguez while high on the drug. By January 1988, Brown faced four criminal charges within a 12-month span relating to driving, PCP, and gun possession. After an April 1988 arrest for domestic abuse, Brown went on the CNN program Sonya Live in L.A. with host Sonya Friedman. The interview went viral due to Brown's irreverent demeanor with some asserting that Brown was high.

One of Brown's former mistresses recalled in a GQ magazine article on Brown some years after his death that Brown would smoke PCP "until that got hard to find", and cocaine, mixed with tobacco in Kool cigarettes. In January 1998, he spent a week in rehab to deal with an addiction to prescription drugs. A week after his release, he was arrested for an unlawful use of a handgun and possession of cannabis. Prior to his death in December 2006, when Brown entered Emory University Hospital, traces of cocaine were found in the singer's urine. His widow suggested Brown would "do crack" with a female acquaintance.

Theft and assault convictions

Brown's personal life was marred by several brushes with the law. At the age of 16, he was convicted of theft and served three years in juvenile prison. During a concert held at Club 15 in Macon, Georgia in 1963, while Otis Redding was performing alongside his former band Johnny Jenkins and the Pinetoppers, Brown reportedly tried to shoot his musical rival Joe Tex. The incident led to multiple people being shot and stabbed. Since Brown was still on parole at the time, he relied on his agent Clint Brantley "and a few thousand dollars to make the situation disappear". According to Jenkins, "seven people got shot", and after the shootout ended, a man appeared and gave "each one of the injured a hundred dollars apiece not to carry it no further and not to talk to the press". Brown was never charged for the incident.

On July 16, 1978, after performing at the Apollo, Brown was arrested for reportedly failing to turn in records from one of his radio stations after the station was forced to file for bankruptcy. Brown was arrested on April 3, 1988, for assault, and again in May 1988 on drug and weapons charges, and again on September 24, 1988, following a high-speed car chase on Interstate 20 near the Georgia–South Carolina state border. He was convicted of carrying an unlicensed pistol and assaulting a police officer, along with various drug-related and driving offenses. Although he was sentenced to six years in prison, he was eventually released on parole on February 27, 1991, after serving two years of his sentence. Brown's FBI file, released to The Washington Post in 2007 under the Freedom of Information Act, related Brown's claim that the high-speed chase did not occur as claimed by the police, and that local police shot at his car several times during an incident of police harassment and assaulted him after his arrest. Local authorities found no merit to Brown's accusations.

In 1998, a woman named Mary Simons accused Brown in a civil suit of holding her captive for three days, demanding oral sex and firing a gun in his office; Simons' charge was eventually dismissed. In another civil suit, filed by former background singer Lisa Rushton alleged that between 1994 and 1999, Brown allegedly demanded sexual favors and when refused, would cut off her pay and kept her offstage. She also claimed Brown would "place a hand on her buttocks and loudly told her in a crowded restaurant to not look or speak to any other man besides himself; Rushton eventually withdrew her lawsuit. In yet another civil suit, a woman named Lisa Agbalaya, who worked for Brown, said the singer would tell her he had "bull testicles", handed her a pair of zebra-print underwear, told her to wear them while he massaged her with oil, and fired her after she refused. A Los Angeles jury cleared the singer of sexual harassment but found him liable for wrongful termination.

The police were summoned to Brown's residence on July 3, 2000, after he was accused of charging at an electric company repairman with a steak knife when the repairman visited Brown's house to investigate a complaint about having no lights at the residence. In 2003, Brown was pardoned by the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole, and Pardon Services for past crimes that he was convicted of committing in South Carolina.

Domestic violence arrests

Brown was repeatedly arrested for domestic violence. Adrienne Rodriguez, his third wife, had him arrested four times between 1987 and 1995 on charges of assault. In one incident, Rodriguez reported to authorities that Brown beat her with an iron pipe and shot at her car. Rodriguez was hospitalized after the last assault in October 1995, but charges were dropped after she died in January 1996.

In January 2004, Brown was arrested in South Carolina on a domestic violence charge after Tomi Rae Hynie accused him of pushing her to the floor during an argument at their home, where she suffered scratches and bruises to her right arm and hip. Later that year in June 2004, Brown pleaded no contest to the domestic violence incident, but served no jail time. Instead, Brown was required to forfeit a US$1,087 bond as punishment.

Rape accusation

In January 2005, a woman named Jacque Hollander filed a lawsuit against James Brown, which stemmed from an alleged 1988 rape. When the case was initially heard before a judge in 2002, Hollander's claims against Brown were dismissed by the court as the limitations period for filing the suit had expired. Hollander claimed that stress from the alleged assault later caused her to contract Graves' disease, a thyroid condition. Hollander claimed that the incident took place in South Carolina while she was employed by Brown as a publicist. Hollander alleged that, during her ride in a van with Brown, Brown pulled over to the side of the road and sexually assaulted her while he threatened her with a shotgun. In her case against Brown, Hollander entered as evidence a DNA sample and a polygraph result, but the evidence was not considered due to the limitations defense. Hollander later attempted to bring her case before the Supreme Court, but nothing came of her complaint.

Legacy

Brown received awards and honors throughout his lifetime and after his death. In 1993 the City Council of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, conducted a poll of residents to choose a new name for the bridge that crossed the Yampa River on Shield Drive. The winning name, with 7,717 votes, was "James Brown Soul Center of the Universe Bridge". The bridge was officially dedicated in September 1993, and Brown appeared at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the event. A petition was started by local ranchers to return the name to "Stockbridge" for historical reasons, but they backed off after citizens defeated their efforts because of the popularity of Brown's name. Brown returned to Steamboat Springs, Colorado, on July 4, 2002, for an outdoor festival, performing with bands such as The String Cheese Incident.

During his long career, Brown received many prestigious music industry awards and honors. In 1983 he was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. Brown was one of the first inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at its inaugural induction dinner in New York on January 23, 1986. At that time, the members of his original vocal group, The Famous Flames (Bobby Byrd, Johnny Terry, Bobby Bennett, and Lloyd Stallworth) were not inducted. However, on April 14, 2012, The Famous Flames were automatically and retroactively inducted into the Hall of Fame alongside Brown, without the need for nomination and voting, on the basis that they should have been inducted with him in 1986. On February 25, 1992, Brown was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 34th annual Grammy Awards. Exactly a year later, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 4th annual Rhythm & Blues Foundation Pioneer Awards. A ceremony was held for Brown on January 10, 1997, to honor him with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

On June 15, 2000, Brown was honored as an inductee to the New York Songwriters Hall of Fame. On August 6, 2002, he was honored as the first BMI Urban Icon at the BMI Urban Awards. His BMI accolades include an impressive ten R&B Awards and six Pop Awards. On November 14, 2006, Brown was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame, and he was one of several inductees to perform at the ceremony. In recognition of his accomplishments as an entertainer, Brown was a recipient of Kennedy Center Honors on December 7, 2003. In 2004 Rolling Stone magazine ranked James Brown as No. 7 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. In an article for Rolling Stone, critic Robert Christgau cited Brown as "the greatest musician of the rock era".

He appeared on the BET Awards June 24, 2003, and received the Lifetime Achievement Award presented by Michael Jackson, and performed with him.

Brown was also honored in his hometown of Augusta, Georgia, for his philanthropy and civic activities. On November 20, 1993, Mayor Charles DeVaney of Augusta held a ceremony to dedicate a section of 9th Street between Broad and Twiggs Streets, renamed "James Brown Boulevard", in the entertainer's honor. On May 6, 2005, as a 72nd birthday present for Brown, the city of Augusta unveiled a life-sized bronze James Brown statue on Broad Street. The statue was to have been dedicated a year earlier, but the ceremony was put on hold because of a domestic abuse charge that Brown faced at the time. In 2005, Charles "Champ" Walker and the We Feel Good Committee went before the County commission and received approval to change Augusta's slogan to "We Feel Good". Afterward, officials renamed the city's civic center the James Brown Arena, and James Brown attended a ceremony for the unveiling of the namesake center on October 15, 2006.

On December 30, 2006, during the public memorial service at the James Brown Arena, Dr. Shirley A.R. Lewis, president of Paine College, a historically black college in Augusta, Georgia, bestowed posthumously upon Brown an honorary doctorate in recognition and honor of his many contributions to the school in its times of need. Brown had originally been scheduled to receive the honorary doctorate from Paine College during its May 2007 commencement.

During the 49th Annual Grammy Awards presentation on February 11, 2007, James Brown's famous cape was draped over a microphone by Danny Ray at the end of a montage in honor of notable people in the music industry who died during the previous year. Earlier that evening, Christina Aguilera delivered an impassioned performance of Brown's hit "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" followed by a standing ovation, while Chris Brown performed a dance routine in honor of James Brown.

On August 17, 2013, the official R&B Music Hall of Fame honored and inducted James Brown at a ceremony held at the Waetejen Auditorium at Cleveland State University.

ART THE BOX began in early 2015 as a collaboration between three organizations: the City of Augusta, the Downtown Development Authority and the Greater Augusta Arts Council. 19 local artists were selected by a committee to create art on 23 local traffic signal control cabinets (TSCCs). A competition was held to create the James Brown Tribute Box on the corner of James Brown Blvd. (9th Ave.) and Broad St. This box was designed and painted by local artist, Ms. Robbie Pitts Bellamy and has become a favorite photo opportunity to visitors and locals in Augusta, Georgia.

"I have a lot of musical heroes but I think James Brown is at the top of the list," remarked Public Enemy's Chuck D. "Absolutely the funkiest man on Earth ... In a black household, James Brown is part of the fabric – Motown, Stax, Atlantic and James Brown."

Tributes

As a tribute to James Brown, the Rolling Stones covered the song, "I'll Go Crazy" from Brown's Live at the Apollo album, during their 2007 European tour. Jimmy Page has remarked, "He [James Brown] was almost a musical genre in his own right and he changed and moved forward the whole time so people were able to learn from him."

On December 22, 2007, the first annual "Tribute Fit For the King of King Records" in honor of James Brown was held at the Madison Theater in Covington, Kentucky. The tribute, organized by Bootsy Collins, featured appearances by Afrika Bambaataa, Chuck D of Public Enemy, The Soul Generals, Buckethead, Freekbass, Triage and many of Brown's surviving family members. Comedian Michael Coyer was the MC for the event. During the show, the mayor of Cincinnati proclaimed December 22 as James Brown Day.

As of 2019, a significant collection of James Brown clothing, memorabilia, and personal artifacts are on exhibit in downtown Augusta, Georgia at the Augusta History Museum.

Discography

Studio albums

Filmography

The T.A.M.I. Show (1964) (concert film)- with The Famous Flames

Ski Party (1965)- with The Famous Flames

James Brown: Man to Man (1968) (concert film)

The Phynx (1970)

Black Caesar (1973) (soundtrack only)

Slaughter's Big Rip-Off (1973) (soundtrack only)

Adiós Amigo (1976)

The Blues Brothers (1980)

Doctor Detroit (1983)

Rocky IV (1985)

Miami Vice (1987)

James Brown: Live in East Berlin (1989)

The Simpsons (1993)

When We Were Kings (1996) (documentary)

Duckman (1997)

Soulmates (1997)

Blues Brothers 2000 (1998)

Holy Man (1998)

portrayed by Carlton Smith in Liberty Heights (1999)

Undercover Brother (2002)

The Tuxedo (2002)

The Hire: Beat The Devil (2002) (short film)

Paper Chasers (2003) (documentary)

Soul Survivor (2003) (documentary)

Sid Bernstein Presents ... (2005) (documentary)

Glastonbury (2006) (documentary)

Life on the Road with Mr. and Mrs. Brown (2007) (documentary; release pending)

Live at the Boston Garden: April 5, 1968 (2008) (concert film)

I Got The Feelin': James Brown in the '60s, three-DVD set featuring Live at the Boston Garden: April 5, 1968, Live at the Apollo '68, and the documentary The Night James Brown Saved Boston

Soul Power (2009) (documentary)

Get on Up (2014)

Biopics

James Brown: The Man, the Message, the Music (1992), the first biopic about James Brown

Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown (2014), released in April 2014, written and directed by Alex Gibney, produced by Mick Jagger.

Get on Up (2014), released in theaters on August 1, 2014. Chadwick Boseman plays the role of James Brown in the film. Originally, Mick Jagger and Brian Grazer had begun producing a documentary film on Brown in 2013. A fiction film had been in the planning stages for many years and was revived when Jagger read the script by Jez and John-Henry Butterworth.

In other media

Games

In the video game World of Warcraft, the first boss character of the Forge of Souls dungeon is Bronjahm, "the Godfather of Souls". His quotes during the fight are musical references, and he has a chance of dropping an item called "Papa's Brand New Bag".

A different version of "I Got You", recorded in 1974, is playable in the rhythm video game Rock Band 3. In addition, "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine (Pt. 1)" is available for download across the series, while "Super Bad (Pts. 1 & 2)" was released later, only for the third game.

In the Worms Armaggedon and Worms World Party video games, many of James Brown's song titles are used in the "Soul Man" custom voice setting like "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" or "Like a Sex Machine", clear references to James Brown.

Television

Appeared as Lou DeLong in the 1987 Miami Vice episode "Missing Hours".

As himself (voice) in the 1993 The Simpsons episode "Bart's Inner Child".

In 1991, James Brown did a Pay Per View Special with top celebrities such as Quincy Jones, Rick James, Dan Aykroyd, Gladys Knight, Denzel Washington, Mc Hammer and others attended or were opening acts. This was produced with boxing promoter Buddy Dallas. 15.5 million households tuned in at a cost $19.99.

Music

The songs "James Brown Is Dead" and "James Brown Is Still Alive" are all about reports on the iconic musician James Brown, and were released in 1991.

See also

Earl Tucker, a vaudeville performer whose dance moves appear on film

[vinyldamage]

The Top 50 Pop Punk Albums

Last week Rolling Stone issued their list of the top 50 pop punk records of all time, and to say that it’s terrible would be nice; It’s god awful. So myself and my good friend Kevin Nunn, took upon ourselves to make our own lists; his has been up for a few day now (go give it a gander, the link is included a the bottom of post). I initially had this written up and ready to go last night, but my dumbass accidentally deleted all of it. Each album title is hyperlinked to it’s respective youtube portal, so you can check out the albums for yourself. There will also be a Spotify playlist that includes almost everything. I might just make a playlist from my personal collection, but I haven’t really decided yet. Only time, and demand will tell. So, without further ado, here is my list of the top 50 pop punk albums:

50. MxPx - Life In General (Tooth & Nail, 1996):

Regardless of their religious views, MxPx put out one hell of a pop-punk gem in the fall of 1996. This record is just as important as any other, in spreading the word of pop punk.

49. Reggie and the Full Effect - Greatest Hits 1984 - 1987 (Second Nature, 1999):

The debut release from Coalesce’s drumming monster James Dewees, is full of hooks and sugary pop melodies. Putting the cheese factor aside, there are some truly memorable pop-punk gems. James later left Coalesce to focus on Reggie and playing keys for The Get Up Kids.

48. The Dickies - Dawn of the Dickies (A&M, 1978):

The band’s current actions are nothing I condone, but you can’t deny the importance of this sugar coated piece of wax.

47. Soup - Cruel and Unusual (Very Small, 1989):

The first band to play 924 Gilman Street on opening night December, 31st 1986. Soup didn’t last long, but their influence on the East Bay scene would be felt for years to come. Drummer Sergie Loobkoff went on to play in such legendary bands as Sweet Baby, Samiam, and Knapsack. Good Luck finding a copy of this 7”, it’s nearly impossible.

46. Goo Goo Dolls - A Boy Named Goo (Metal Blade, 1995):

Laugh all you want about this record being included, but before the Goo Goo Dolls went all Motley Crue meets Martha Stewart they put out a some great pop punk records. A Boy Named Goo catapulted the band to fame with the help of the melodramatic single, “Name.”

45. Smoking Popes - Born To Quit (Capitol, 1994):

I became a fan of this band when I heard the song “Mrs. You and Me” on the earth shattering soundtrack to the box office bomb, Angus. A friend once described this band by saying, “Think if The Smiths started a punk rock band.” Pretty accurate.

44. The Lillingtons - I Lost My Marbles (Clearview, 1996):

Though not a full length record and only an EP, the first offering from Wyoming’s The Lillingtons is by far the best thing the band has ever done. The title track is raw pop punk gold.

43. Latterman - No Matter Where We Go! (Deep Elm, 2005):

I was lucky enough to be in a band that played numerous shows with these fine folks. We all became fast friends, and musical comrades. Watching them play songs from this record to kids singing every single word will be something i’ll always remember.

42. Discount - Half Fiction (Liberation, 1997):

Before Alison Mosshart became far too cool for school and changed her name to a group of letters for the band The Kills, she fronted a very popular pop-punk band from the swamps of Florida. Half Fiction is widely regarded as the band’s best effort, and I agree.

41. Go Sailor! - Go Sailor! (Lookout!, 1996):

Members of  Crimpshrine, Henry’s Dress, The Softies, and Tiger Trap come together to make some of the sweetest songs you’ll ever hear. Generally lumped in with the Twee Pop scene, pop-punkers around the world embraced the band when Lookout! Records released this collection.

40. Radon - 28 (No Idea, 1998):

If you have ever been to a Fest, you know who Radon is. If you have not, and have never heard Radon, you need to change that.

39. Generation X - Generation X (Chrysalis, 1978):

Known as the band that launched the career of Billy Idol, Generation X’s self-titled debut is pop punk answer to the Sex Pistols.

38. Groovie Ghoulies - World Contact Day (Lookout!, 1996):

In the ‘90’s when pop-punk was at its zenith there were a million Ramones copycats, and 90 percent of them were terrible. The Groovie Ghoulies were an exception to that.

37. Scared of Chaka - Masonic Youth (Empty, 1996):

Before garage rock would come to take over the world in the early ‘00’s, a small band of punks blended their favorite aspects of garage rock, punk rock, and pop music to create something uniquely special.

36. The Rezillos - Can’t Stand… (Sire, 1978):

I have to thank my friend Colin Clive for introducing me to The Rezillos. Before I heard them all he told me was how great they were, and that the bass playing is absolutely insane. He was right on both counts.

35. Pansy Division - Deflowered (Lookout!, 1995):

“Groovy Underwear” is by far one of my favorite pop-punk songs of all time. As a teenage boy if you really want to freak your parents out, bring this record home.

34. All - Allroy’s Revenge (Cruz, 1989):

Some may disagree with me, but I think this is All’s best record. My reasoning is solely based on the fact that the song “She’s My Ex”, is so great. I’ve never really liked All, but when I do feel like listening to them this is the record I always go to.

33. Seaweed - Spanaway (Hollywood, 1995):

I used to sit by my radio with a blank tape in the cassette deck to try and record “Start With” when it came on the radio. I always failed. This record was a huge influence on me ,and two of my friends who i’d eventually start a band with.

32. Stiff Little Fingers - Nobody’s Heroes (Chrysalis, 1980):

Everyone always lists Inflammable Material as the best Fingers record, and while I do like that record I feel like Nobody’s Heroes is better. The songs are stronger, and the production is leaps and bounds better than Inflammable Material.

31. Gunmoll - Board of Rejection (No Idea, 2003):

The second record by Gainesville, Florida’s Gunmoll is not only the band’s finest effort, but also their swan song. “Couple’s Skate” is one of my favorite songs of all time.

30. Dillinger Four - Versus God (Hopeless, 2000):

D4’s second full-length is their best record, it just is. If you don’t believe me we can chat about it, but you’ll be wrong.

29. Buzzcocks - Singles Going Steady (Liberty, 1979):

A list about the best pop-punk records of all time wouldn’t be complete without the Buzzcocks. Listen to “Ever Fall In Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve)” and try to get it out of your head afterwards.  It’s impossible.

28. Carrie Nations - Be Still (Plan-It-X, 2002):

Often lumped in with the hippy punk contingent due to their affiliation with the Plan-It-X record label, Carrie Nations couldn’t be further from it. Be Still is pure pop punk gold. My good buddy Jeff Bolt reissued this on his Stupid Bag Records label a few years back. He may have some copies still available. I suggest you click the label name above an pick up a copy.

27. Sweet Baby - It’s A Girl (Ruby, 1989):

Blending punk with the pop sensibilities of The Beatles, Sweet Baby made a record that would go largely unheard until the pop punk explosion of the mid ‘90’s. Sweet Baby along with the Mr. T Experience, and Crimpshrine are often cited as the beginning of the East Bay pop punk sound that would (only a few short years after this records release) take the world by storm.

26. Crimpshrine - Duct Tape Soup (Lookout!, 1992):

It’s the mighty Crimpshrine. Ya’ll better recognize. Influential beyond words to thousands of bands that would become infinitely more popular.

25. Teenage Head - Teenage Head (Inter Global, 1979):

I first heard about these Canadian punks when I heard Screeching Weasel’s cover of the classic “Ain’t Got No Sense.” Known as the “Canadian Ramones” when they first started, Teenage Head blazed their own trail and shed the Ramones label fairly quickly. Years later I found a copy of this on vinyl while on tour in Canada, and then lost it somehow. I’m still bummed about that.

24. Fifteen - The Choice of A New Generation (Lookout!, 1992):

Regardless of the idiocy of the band's leader, I can’t begin to describe my obsession with this band when I was a teenager. I listened to something by them multiple times a day, every day of the week. This record was definitely the one that got the most play. Hugely influential.

23. Marked Men - Fix My Brain (Swami, 2006):

Do you like catchy songs that get stuck in your brain for eternity? Do you want those catchy songs played at light speed, and one right after another with no rest? Well then my friend, this is the record for you!

22. Lifetime - Jersey’s Best Dancers (Jade Tree, 1997):

When I first heard this record I hated it because I couldn’t stand the lead singer, Ari Katzs’ voice. But it grew on me, and now this record is one I listen to at least once every couple of months.

21. Husker Du - Candy Apple Grey (Warner Bros., 1986):

One of the founding bands of the Hardcore movement, Husker Du signed to a major label in the mid ‘80’s and put out one of the best records of their career. Continuing where their previous record Flip Your Wig left off, Candy Apple Grey contains the same intensity the Huskers came to be known for, while also honing their pop sensibilities.

20. Chixdiggit - Chixdiggit (Sub Pop, 1996):

Next to Screeching Weasel, Riverdales, and The Queers these Canadians were the best Ramones imitation there was. “Where’s Your Mom?” is a song I still listen to on a pretty regular basis.

19. Saves the Day - Through Being Cool (Equal Vision, 1999):

Known as Lifetime jr. for obvious reasons, Saves the Day began to chart their own path with the release of Through Being Cool. It’s hard to believe that the oldest member of this band was 20 when the record was released.

18. Lagwagon - Hoss (Fat Wreck Chords, 1995):

With the pop punk tornado began wreaking havoc upon the world at large, Lagwagon released their third album and began to ride the wave with the rest of their friends. Hoss cemented Lagwagon’s place in story of punk rock and it’s mid ‘90’s dominance upon the world.

17. The Undertones - The Undertones (Sire, 1979):

Four Irish lads came together to in the midst of a UK punk explosion filled with activism and political dissent, to deliver an album of pop gems that even your  dear old mum would enjoy. Famous BBC Radio DJ, and taste maker, John Peel loved their song “Teenage Kicks” so much that when he died he was buried with one of his many copies of the single. The song was also played as his casket was carried out of the church by his pallbearers. That has to mean something, right?

16. Samiam - You Are Freaking Me Out (Burning Heart, 1997):

Samiam’s fifth album, and first after their major label experiment, is by far the band’s best. Every song on this record is great, and yes that does include The Beatles cover.

15. Pinhead Gunpowder - Goodbye Ellston Avenue (Lookout!, 1997):

I listened to this so much when I first bought it that when someone told me they’d hadn’t heard it, or never heard of the band, that I gave it to them. I must have bought this record 20 times. I’ve lost count. There are only 3 records I do this with, and Goodbye Ellston Avenue is one of them.

14. Propagandhi - How To Clean Everything (Fat Wreck Chords, 1993):

Today’s thrash metal giants were yesterday’s pop punk heroes.

13. Mr. T Experience - Love Is Dead (Lookout!, 1996):

Another record that I listened to obsessively. These songs are about girls.

12. Riverdales - 27 (Lookout!, 1995):

If you ever wanted a straight up Ramones rip off then this record is for you. That’s not to say it isn’t great, because it is, but everything from the music down to the artwork screams, we love the Ramones.

11. Face to Face - Big Choice (Victory Music, 1995):

Most people would put Face to Face’s debut album on this list, but I really think that Big Choice is the better record. I tend to listen to this record more than any of their other records. I think the songs are better crafted, and the production is infinitely better. This also has “Disconnected” on it so you’re still getting the band’s most well known song, but in a better capacity.

10. Alkaline Trio - Goddamnit (Asian Man, 1998):

Every song on this record is fantastic. Every single one. They capture on 12 tracks what every teenage punk kid is feeling about love and anger.

09. The Queers - Don’t Back Down (Lookout!, 1996):

Yes, I am well aware of the sexist nature of this band, but their importance in the world of pop punk is unquestionable. On this record, Joe Queer and company successfully blend The Ramones with The Beach Boys, and the result is one of the best pop punk records of all time.

08. Blink 182 - Dude Ranch (Cargo, 1997):

Say what you will about these cheesetastic bastards, but this record is hugely important in the pop punk world. I still throw this on from time to time to take a trip down memory lane. There were a lot of late night drives as a teenager spent listening to this.

07. Bouncing Souls - Maniacal Laughter (BYO, 1996):

I feel like I saw the Bouncing Souls a billion times while they were on tour for this record. They seemed to open every show I went to during this time period. The opening of the record with the song “Lamar Vanoy” is like fresh air through a cracked window in a hundred degree heat.

06. Jawbreaker - 24 Hour Revenge Therapy (Tupelo Recording Company, 1994):

While I generally don’t consider Jawbreaker to be a pop punk band, you can’t deny the impact that this record had on the genera and it’s fans. There has already been a million things written about why this record is so great, I don’t think I could add much more. Though I will say is that it changed my life in a profound way.

05. NOFX - Punk In Drublic (Epitaph, 1994):

Maybe you’ve heard of this?

04. Screeching Weasel - Anthem For A New Tomorrow (Lookout!, 1993):

This was the third punk record I ever bought. Much like Jawbreaker, Screeching Weasel was a life changing thing for me. I don’t agree with Ben Weasel and his idiotic actions as of late, but I can say he was very important in my musical quest.

03. Descendents - Milo Goes To College (SST, 1982):

Some guys from Hermosa Beach did a thing, and I guess it’s pretty alright…

02. Ramones - Rocket To Russia (Sire, 1977):

You really could put the first 4 Ramones records in the top 4 spots, but you gotta be fair. To me this is the record that set the standard; the record that became the blueprint. This is my favorite Ramones record, and it contains my favorite Ramones song, “Rockaway Beach.” Everyone on this list owes something to these 4 glue sniffing pinheads.

01. Green Day - Dookie (Reprise, 1994):

This record is the reason I’m sitting here writing this list. It’s the reason I started playing music. It’s the reason punk rock became a household name. Like Nirvana’s Nevermind before it, it changed everything.

Thanks for checking this out! I hope you all dug it. Here is Kevin’s list for ya’ll to check out:

Kevin Nunn’s Top 50 Pop Punk Albums of All Time.

[nonbinarysasquatch]

Because it amuses me, I’ve decided to assemble list of Weird Al polka songs and mark what songs I’ve heard along with notations of which ones are actually in my collection. Skipping Hot Rocks Polka from UHF (yeah, I have heard all of those, and I have some of them in my collection) and Bohemian Polka (is there a human being who hasn’t heard Bohemian Rhapsody, and of course it’s in my collection.)

Songs in bold I’ve heard at some point. Songs and artists in italics I literally know nothing about.

Just because something is in my collection doesn’t mean I love it (though more often than not I do) and just because something ISN’T doesn’t mean I don’t like it.

Polkas on 45 from “Weird Al” Yankovic in 3-D (1984):

"Jocko Homo" by Devo (In My Collection) "Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple (In My Collection) "Sex (I'm A...)" by Berlin (In My Collection) "Hey Jude" by The Beatles (In My Collection) "L.A. Woman" by The Doors (In My Collection) "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" by Iron Butterfly "Hey Joe" by Jimi Hendrix "Burning Down the House" by Talking Heads (In My Collection) "Hot Blooded" by Foreigner "Every Breath You Take" by The Police (In My Collection) "Should I Stay or Should I Go" by The Clash (In My Collection) "Jumpin' Jack Flash" by The Rolling Stones (In My Collection)

Hooked on Polkas from Dare to Be Stupid (1985):

"State of Shock" by The Jacksons and Mick Jagger "Sharp Dressed Man" by ZZ Top "What's Love Got to Do with It" by Tina Turner (In My Collection) "Method of Modern Love" by Hall & Oates (In My Collection) "Owner of a Lonely Heart" by Yes (In My Collection) "We're Not Gonna Take It" by Twisted Sister (In My Collection) "99 Luftballons" by Nena (In My Collection) "Footloose" by Kenny Loggins "The Reflex" by Duran Duran (In My Collection) "Bang Your Head (Metal Health)" by Quiet Riot "Relax" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood (In My Collection)

Polka Party! from Polka Party! (1986) (one of Al’s best albums imo):

"Sledgehammer" by Peter Gabriel (In My Collection) "Sussudio" by Phil Collins (In My Collection) "Party All the Time" by Eddie Murphy "Say You, Say Me" by Lionel Richie (In My Collection) "Freeway of Love" by Aretha Franklin (may have heard as child) "What You Need" by INXS (In My Collection) "Harlem Shuffle" by The Rolling Stones (In My Collection) "Venus" by Bananarama (In My Collection) "Nasty" by Janet Jackson "Rock Me Amadeus" by Falco (WHY IS THIS NOT IN MY COLLECTION?) "Shout" by Tears for Fears (In My Collection) "Papa Don't Preach" by Madonna (In My Collection)

Polka Your Eyes Out from Off the Deep End (1992):

"Cradle of Love" by Billy Idol (In My Collection) "Tom's Diner" by Suzanne Vega (In My Collection) "Love Shack" by The B-52's (In My Collection) "Pump Up the Jam" by Technotronic "Losing My Religion" by R.E.M. (In My Collection) "Unbelievable" by EMF (another I’m surprised I don’t have) "Do Me!" by Bell Biv DeVoe "Enter Sandman" by Metallica (In My Collection) "The Humpty Dance" by Digital Underground "Cherry Pie" by Warrant "Miss You Much" by Janet Jackson "I Touch Myself" by Divinyls (In My Collection) "Dr. Feelgood" by Mötley Crüe "Ice Ice Baby" by Vanilla Ice

The Alternative Polka from Bad Hair Day (1996) (welcome to my teen years)

"Loser" by Beck (In My Collection) "Sex Type Thing" by Stone Temple Pilots (In My Collection) "All I Wanna Do" by Sheryl Crow (In My Collection) "Closer" by Nine Inch Nails (In My Collection) "Bang and Blame" by R.E.M. (In My Collection) "You Oughta Know" by Alanis Morissette (In My Collection) "Bullet with Butterfly Wings" by The Smashing Pumpkins (In My Collection) "My Friends" by Red Hot Chili Peppers (In My Collection) "I'll Stick Around" by Foo Fighters (In My Collection) "Black Hole Sun" by Soundgarden (In My Collection) "Basket Case" by Green Day (In My Collection)

Polka Power! from Running with Scissors (1999): (the beginning of the end of my time listening to the radio/watching MTV... seriously 1999 me was so bitter about how music was going to shit...)

"Wannabe" by the Spice Girls "Flagpole Sitta" by Harvey Danger (In My Collection) "Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)" by Pras featuring Ol' Dirty Bastard and Mýa "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" by the Backstreet Boys "Walkin' on the Sun" by Smash Mouth (In My Collection) "Intergalactic" by the Beastie Boys (In My Collection) "Tubthumping" by Chumbawamba (In My Collection) "Ray of Light" by Madonna (In My Collection) "Push" by Matchbox Twenty (In My Collection) "Semi-Charmed Life" by Third Eye Blind (I HATE THIS SONG AND I SAW THEM IN CONCERT AT ROCK FEST BEFORE THEY WERE BIG AND I WAS LIKE “WOW, THAT BAND SUCKED” THEN INEXPLICABLY THEY WERE SUDDENLY FAMOUS LIKE TWO MONTHS LATER) "The Dope Show" by Marilyn Manson (In My Collection) "MMMBop" by Hanson (I kinda wish I had some Hanson) "Sex and Candy" by Marcy Playground (In My Collection) "Closing Time" by Semisonic (In My Collection)

Angry White Boy Polka from Poodle Hat (2003) (I wasn’t listening much to the radio at this point, and some of these songs I’m pretty sure I heard a good while after they were in the Polka, I either don’t care about or don’t like most of these songs.):

"Last Resort" by Papa Roach "Chop Suey!" by System of a Down (In My Collection) "Get Free" by The Vines "Hate to Say I Told You So" by The Hives "Fell in Love with a Girl" by The White Stripes (In My Collection) "Last Nite" by The Strokes (In My Collection) "Down with the Sickness" by Disturbed (In My Collection) "Renegades of Funk" by Rage Against the Machine "My Way" by Limp Bizkit "Outside" by Staind (In My Collection) "Bawitdaba" by Kid Rock "Youth of the Nation" by P.O.D. "The Real Slim Shady" by Eminem

Polkarama! from Straight Outta Lynwood (2006): (We’re at the point where unless I just randomly caught it on the radio or someone I knew played it, I was pretty over popular music and was digging through other musical interests)

"Let's Get It Started" by The Black Eyed Peas (I’m unsure on this one. I know I’ve heard some Black Eyed Peas in the past) "Take Me Out" by Franz Ferdinand (In My Collection) "Beverly Hills" by Weezer (In My Collection) "Speed of Sound" by Coldplay "Float On" by Modest Mouse "Feel Good Inc." by Gorillaz featuring De La Soul  (In My Collection) "Don't Cha" by Pussycat Dolls featuring Busta Rhymes "Somebody Told Me" by The Killers (In My Collection) "Slither" by Velvet Revolver "Candy Shop" by 50 Cent featuring Olivia "Drop It Like It's Hot" by Snoop Dogg featuring Pharrell "Pon de Replay" by Rihanna (I feel like Umbrella is the only Rihanna song I’ve heard) "Gold Digger" by Kanye West featuring Jamie Foxx

Polka Face from Alpocalypse (2011):

“Poker Face” by Lady Gaga “Womanizer” by Britney Spears “Right Round” by Flo Rida ft. Ke$ha (the first time I heard this in the polka I thought Al was suddenly doing Dead or Alive) “Day 'n' Nite” by Kid Cudi “Need You Now” by Lady Antebellum (In My Collection, weirdly enough) “Baby” by Justin Bieber ft. Ludacris “So What” by Pink (I’m surprised I don’t have more Pink) “I Kissed a Girl” by Katy Perry “Fireflies” by Owl City (I know nothing about this band but the name sounds gothic, which probably means it’s pop) “Blame It” by Jamie Foxx ft. T-Pain “Replay” by Iyaz “Down” by Jay Sean ft. Lil Wayne “Break Your Heart” by Taio Cruz ft. Ludacris “Tik Tok” by Kesha (she’s on the periphery on the sort of thing I’m into so I checked her out and determined I wasn’t feeling it)

Now That’s What I Call Polka! from Mandatory Fun (2014): (To say that at this point I’ve long since abandoned any way to check out music that isn’t a deliberate choice is almost an understatement but at the same time I’ve become a lot more musically opened minded in recent years AND I’ve been on tumblr which has made me more vaguely aware of stuff younger folks are into):

“Wrecking Ball” by Miley Cyrus (checked out re: controversy iirc) “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster the People (In My Collection) “Best Song Ever” by One Direction (I legit was like, well hey maybe One Direction is surprisingly good since so many people on Tumblr love them... nope. Sounded like every boy band in the history of ever as far as I could tell.) “Gangnam Style” by Psy (Too heavily referenced everywhere to have not checked it out) “Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepsen (see above re: references) “Scream & Shout” by will.i.am feat. Britney Spears “Somebody That I Used to Know” by Gotye feat. Kimbra (I legit love this song because it sounds like Peter Gabriel, I checked out Gotye without having any idea he had a hit song though) “Timber” by Pitbull feat. Kesha “Sexy and I Know It” by LMFAO “Thrift Shop” by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Wanz (Yeah, I’ve BEEN to the Value Village that has since closed on Capitol Hill in Seattle but I’ve never heard the song or seen the video in which it is featured... in fact I’ve never heard any Macklemore, despite Seattleite status) “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk feat. Pharrell Williams

I think the polkas from recent years come out better than I thought, though I literally only have two songs in my collection from the last one so...

[justanothercinemaniac]

Epic Movie (Re)Watch #108 - The Road to El Dorado

(GIF originally posted by @dreamworksmoments)

Have I seen it before: Yes

Did I like it then: Yes.

Do I remember it: Yes.

Did I see it in theaters: No.

Format: DVD

1) Not only is this one of my favorite animated movies, it is one of my favorite movies period. I found it while scrolling through Cartoon Network or HBO Family or something and watched it every chance I could get. 12 year old me found it very edgy. The mild swearing, the cigars, the blasphemy, all of it was very enticing and that’s fed my love of the film since.

2) Elton John & Tim Rice, the songwriting duo behind The Lion King, re-teamed for this film and churned out a nice set of songs. But the strange thing is if you listen to the soundtrack most of the songs are recorded differently than how they appear in the film. The one exception I think is "Someday Out of the Blue” which plays during the end credits. Still, they songs add the fun and energetic flavor to the film. The opening song in particular, “El Dorado,” does a nice job of setting up the mythology we need to get the movie started in a very short amount of time.

3) If you’re a fan of voice over work, you’ll recognize Jim Cummings as Cortez.

Cummings is one of the most prolific and talented voice over artists out there. It would be impossible to list everything he’s done, but his most notable work has been as Darkwing Duck, Winnie the Pooh & Tigger too, Hondo on "Star Wars: The Clone Wars”, Razoul in Aladdin, and Ray the firefly in The Princess and the Frog. It’s fun knowing what he sounds like because not only do you hear him in Cortez, but you also pick up the random nameless characters he plays too with his different voices.

4) The heart of the film, the thing that makes it great: Miguel & Tulio.

The bromance between Miguel & Tulio is what makes this film work as well as it does, it’s what makes it fun! Kenneth Branagh and Kevin Kline voice the pair respectively, and their chemistry is off the charts. It doesn’t hurt that the pair actually got to record their performances with each other, a rarity in animation (although Pixar has done it with Monsters Inc for John Goodman and Billy Crystal).

Their relationship and roles are clear from the start, they balance each other out. Tulio is mildly selfish with a great hunger for gold and an ability to think things through. Miguel’s heart is bigger than their brain, being the dreamer/softie of the group (wanting the map to El Dorado, saving Altivo the horse when he almost drowns, etc.). And they play off each other beautifully.

5) 12 year old me was very fascinated with the slight profanities this film had.

Tulio [when he’s about to roll his dice]: “Come on baby, papa needs that crappy map.”

I thought crap was a real swear when I was twelve. I didn’t lose my innocence until thirteen.

6) Chekov’s Fake Fight.

(GIF originally posted by @somehow-you-will)

The fight comes into play later in the film too, but is a showcase mainly for the wonderful banter between Miguel & Tulio and - therefore - the excellent writing of screenwriters of Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio. These guys were my favorite screenwriters when I was twelve, and can you blame me? Their resume consisted of: Aladdin, The Mask of Zorro, Shrek, The Road to El Dorado, every Pirates of the Caribbean film, Treasure Planet, and both National Treasure films. They have a strong penchant for strong dialogue too. Consider the exchange above, and also this:

Miguel: “You fight like my sister.”

Tulio: “I’ve FOUGHT your sister! That’s a compliment!”

I love that.

7) According to IMDb:

The film shares several attributes of its namesake, the "Road" comedies made famous by Bob Hope and Bing Crosby during the 1940s (which helps explain anachronisms such as shared language, pop culture references and lack of historical accuracy).

I just thought that was a fun share.

8) God, I love the banter between these two.

[Tulio & Miguel jump into barrels of water in a chase scene but can’t escape because the barrels are being loaded onto a ship]

Tulio: “What’s happening here?”

Miguel: “We’re both in barrels. That’s the extent of my knowledge.”

9) Even the bad guys have great dialogue!

Cortes (upon discovering Miguel & Tulio on his ship): “My crew was as carefully chosen as the disciples of Christ.”

10) I’m just going to let you know now, so many of my notes here are just quotes from the film I love.

Miguel [giddily, after Cortes tell the pair they will be enslaved in Cuba for being stow aways]: “Alright! Cuba!”

11) For example, another quote:

Miguel: Yes, that's it Altivo. Find the pry bar!

Tulio: Yes, "find the pry bar". He doesn't understand "pry bar"! He's a dumb horse, there's no way he could understand...

[Altivo drops keys into the brig]

Tulio: Well... it's NOT a pry bar.

12) The Trail We Blaze

Animated films are usually short so as to be not too time consuming. It can take years to make 80 minutes of animation. This film has a nice device of compacting what could be very long scenes into neat little montages with the use of a song. We still get Tulio & Miguel’s fun journey through the jungles to find El Dorado, but it’s done in three and a half minutes to a fun Elton John tune. It keep the energy, the adventure, but doesn’t waste the time of the animators or the audience.

13) Immediately Tulio and Chel have great chemistry as they play “pass the golden idol” together!

14) El Dorado.

(GIF originally posted by @dreamworksmoments)

Immediately upon entering the city the audience is filled with a sense of wonder, achieved through gorgeous animation and also Hans Zimmer’s subtle music which adds for extra bone tingling. You marvel at it with Tulio and Miguel, and you understand how it is such a mythical place.

15) Edward James Olmos does some great voice over work as Chief Tannabok.

I’ve never seen “Battlestar Galactica” so I am mostly familiar with Olmos from his work in Blade Runner, Stand & Deliver, and even “Agents of SHIELD”. I think he shows off a nice amount of range with this addition to his resume. Chief Tannabok is not an angry man. He is kind, soft, gentle, patient, but also you can tell that he’s kinda sad. You don’t HEAR Olmos, you hear the chief and that makes him an excellent addition to the cast.

16) And of course our big bad, Tzekel-Kan

Tzekel-Kan is the opposite of Chief Tannabok. He is angry, an overlord of sorts. He wants blood because he believes it is what’s needed. He believes people are wicked and evil just for enjoying life and being kind, and it is his righteous duty to smite them. He pisses me off way more now than he did when I was twelve.

17) This whole bit with the volcano! Miguel goes too far and says that the gods should not be questioned or else they will be forced to release their awful wrath...but Tzekel-Kan wants to see that. Only they’re not gods! So he and Tulio turn away to try and figure it out and we get this...

There’s an old addage in writing: “A coincidence to get a character out of trouble is lazy.” However in this case I’m 100% okay with that because it’s just funny as hell.

18) How many of us have used this GIF?

19) Chel.

Chel is a nice way of making the duo a trio. Voiced wonderfully by Rosie Perez, she is just as crafty and cunning as Tulio (if not more so) but also understand Miguel’s sense of adventure. The pair balance each other out already, bit if Miguel acts too dreamer-y or Tulio is too gold hungry they throw each other out of whack (as this film shows). Chel helps stabilize them by film’s end and is a lot of fun to watch. Also, bonus points for being an animated female character with a body that is physically possible.

20)

Chel [on why she wants a life of adventure]: “You’ve got your reasons...and I’ve got mine. Let’s not make this personal, okay?”

WHAT ARE HER REASONS!?!? WE NEVER LEARN!!! I MUST KNOW!!!

21) So Chel needs to prove to Tulio and Miguel she’s a good con artist...

[Chel shows the pair the dice she stole from Tulio]

Tulio: “How did you get those?”

Miguel: “Where was she keeping them?”

I’m with Miguel, that’s the more important question.

22) Oh Miguel...

23) It’s Tough to be a God.

The only time this film is a traditional musical (ie: the characters themselves break into song & dance), and considering Kevin Kline’s and Kenneth Branagh’s singing here that might not be the worst thing. The interesting thing is that their version doesn’t even appear on the soundtrack. Instead we get a duet with Elton John and Randy Newman.

24) I need to remember this excuse.

Tulio [trying to convince Tzekel-Kan not to make a human sacrifice to the gods/them]: “The stars are not in position for this tribute.”

Miguel: “Like he said...”

(GIF source unknown [if this is your GIF please let me know].)

25) I don’t identify totally with Miguel or totally with Tulio, but with parts of them. Like I identify with Tulio being kind of the dreamer who thinks things are possible, but this is a very me thing to say:

Tulio [after Miguel tells him he worries too much]: “No, I worry just the right amount! You can never worry too much!”

Same, Tulio. Same.

26) Remember how I said this movie was edgy to 12 year old me. Well it features a scene where Chel tries to seduce Tulio. Like, more than wanting a kiss. But like she shows off her shoulders for a back massage, they’re later found on the ground together all disheveled, it’s not even very subtle when you know what’s going on. Twelve year old me was very innocent.

27) I love their banter.

Miguel [when he and Tulio end up in a big arena to play ball for the locals]: “Well don’t blame me!”

(GIF source unknown [if this is your GIF please let me know].)

28) The ball game is a lot of fun to watch, if for no other reason then Chel on the sidelines.

Chel: “Foul! That was a foul!”

And then it’s her idea to use the armadillo as a ball replacement to cheat.

29) So earlier in the film we got this line from Miguel:

(GIF source unknown [if this is your GIF please let me know].)

And then later in the film Miguel tries to convince Chief Tannabok that the boat they are using to leave isn’t good enough (because Miguel wants to stay) when in fact it’s perfect. When Miguel admits his mistake, we got this line from the chief.

Chief: “Hey, to err is human.”

Miguel goes to get in the boat, but then he looks over his shoulder at the chief and the chief looks at him knowingly. And they don’t say anything else about it.

I love that. I love that the chief isn’t an idiot, but he knows. He knows and he knows it’s good for his people and he knows Miguel is a good guy and...I just love it!

30) I love little things like this.

[A giant stone jaguar, controlled by Tzekel-Kan, attacks the city. It grabs a warrior, ruffs him up A LOT, then lets him fall to the ground.]

Warrior [patting himself down]: “I’m okay!!!”

[Jaguar steps on warrior]

Warrior [from under Jaguar’s foot]: “I’m still okay!”

31) Remember how I talked about Chekov’s Fake Fight?

Tzekel-Kan [when he was Miguel & Tulio cornered]: “I know what you are and I know what you are not. And you are not GODS!”

Tulio [after a beat]: “Y-you’re not a god!?”

The pair then continue to have a very real argument where they say some pretty cold things to each other...

Tulio: “You’re buying your own con!”

Miguel: “At least I’m not DATING mine!”

But it has the same effect. Tzekel-Kan is distracted, enjoying their fighting, and the audience is as surprised as he is when the pair work in sync again and punch the guy out. It’s a nice way of playing the scene out.

32) Friends Never Say Goodbye. A very sad song that plays when it seems like Tulio and Miguel are going to take separate paths in life and are really mad at each other. It actually has some nice truths to it, and again is slightly different on the soundtrack. Elton John is backed up by the Backstreet Boys for the song on the album. I hope that didn’t ruin it for some of you.

33) The film ends with the citizens of El Dorado crashing a pillar into their gate so as to keep Cortes from finding the city, only it is falling too soon. So Chief Tannabok grabs some of the ropes and holds it back for a while. And this is probably REALLY mean of me and I apologize in advance but I just thought of this:

I’m so sorry.

34) According to IMDb:

A series of sequels featuring Miguel, Tulio, Chel, Altivo and even the armadillo going after other legends about gold was planned, similar to the Shrek (2001) series, but following the disappointing box-office results they were immediately canceled.

While that would’ve been interesting I’m kinda glad this film just stands on its own. It’s a nice little gem that way.

I love this film, and think a lot of people out there will too. People don’t really talk about it these days except to talk about how no one talks about it. It’s a nice variation from standard Disney fare, the music is great, freaking Miguel & Tulio are just awesome, and it is just such an enjoyable/adventure filled film. I think you should all watch it now! It’s on Netflix if you have it. So go. Go follow that trail! (Too easy?)

[newyorkisartsyfartsy]

By: Kiersten Wood

By: Kiersten Wood

Question 1: Bieber Fever Spreads the Plague

Justin Bieber Epitomizes the Rising Generations’ Vices with His Single “Love Yourself”

A terrible song comes crashing down on the radio every month, with pop-sensations living their two and a half minutes of fame of grocery store speakers and car stereos. Soon, the next pop star rolls around as the newbie in the industry. That’s tolerable. But what isn’t tolerable is the incessant repetition of poorly written music matched with equally poor soundtracks that play far past their prime. And just like that, there’s no escape. Canadian pop-star Justin Bieber checks this box for his most irritating hit “Love Yourself” from his Purpose album.

For six consecutive weeks, “Love Yourself”  maintained its standing as number one song. Not only was the repetitive playing of the song isn’t its only flaw. The semi-acoustic (and unoriginal) sound is matched with his rudimentary lyrics filled with contempt that neglect to fully pursue his self-awareness. One line of the song could be taken out of the song and anyone would have trouble differentiating it from that of a mediocre second-grader’s diary scribbles: “My mama don't like you and she likes everyone.” Has the artisan of songwriting been boiled down so greatly that this inane line is accepted, even praised?

Moreover, the song lyrics actually convey a misogynistic message, which is a theme seemingly overlooked by the self designated “Beliebers” out there. Towards the end of his song, he sings, “if you like the way you look that much/ Oh baby you should go and love yourself.” Is it unacceptable for a woman to feel good about herself in Justin’s presence? A woman should be encourage to feel confident in her own skin, but according to Justin, that would just mean hurting his fragile ego. He also justified breaking up with the unnamed ex-lover for disagreeing with him: “every time you told me my opinion was wrong.” First Amendment right, Justin. Is he spreading androcentric ideas that alpha-men determine a one-sided relationship, where the woman lacks self-love and a valid opinion? I can’t help to this this is the case, especially as I watch little girls and boys humming to his songs on the radio.

Topped with this is his inexcusable misogynistic behavior. Like that time when Justin decided to mock female gym-goers by spitting in one woman’s water bottle, and telling the woman to leave the gym and “shut the f*** up” every time her rep hit 20. Or, when he graffitied   sexist and racist content in Rio. Overall, Justin Bieber lacks the high moral ground and maturity that the younger generation should be idolizing.

Question 2: Homophobia in the 1960’s Theater

Stanley Kauffmann’s “Homosexual Drama and Its Disguises” Exposes the Malice of Prejudice

In 1966, Stanley Kauffmann rose as one of the most influential members of the theater community: the daily drama critic at the New York Times. Published on January 23, 1966, his piece “Homosexual Drama and Its Disguises” argued that gay playwrights were unfit to write about anything outside the realm of gayness, which he actually goes as far to call a “psychological illness.” Saturated with homophobic language (calling homosexually a “neurosis” and an abnormality compared the to “normal” viewers), this essay is tinged with odious prejudice and malicious stereotypes. This piece is homophobic through and through. But it’s also massively impactful. Vital in understanding the trajectory of our past, Kauffmann’s language and stance is nothing short of upsetting, which was unfortunately a common acceptated bias. He notes that modern gay-centric theater was “equally neurotic, equally undesirable socially,” aiming directly at writers Tennessee Williams, Edward Albee and William Inge.

Kauffmann had no idea what was to come. Only two years following his publication, “The Boys in the Band” (written by Mart Crowley) wowed audiences, serving as a groundbreaking play on gay men in theater. With urgency, “The Boys in the Band” gave a voice to the severely underrepresented community of homosexual men, fueling a gay movement that spread beautifully through the world of the performing arts (1993 “Angels in America” and 1995 “Jeffrey”). By exposing the homophobic thought of the media, Kauffmann triggered the backlash against homophobia. Without his critical-and devastatingly offensive-eye, the homophobic whispers and silent stares of disgust might not have surfaced in the same far-reaching way. And in response, this critique had the ability to set flame to the fight for equal rights.

The history of gay-bashing is a part of our historical national narrative. We can’t erase it because that would mean neglecting to see the vices of our past. It stands as a warning that close mindedness hsa insidious effects. And this criticism forces readers now to think about how homosexuality was the normative culture, how it was culturally accepted to shun those who are different. Inadvertently, Kauffmann’s criticism exposed the erosion of human values that brought the question of equality to the surface.

Question 3: Celestial Beauty of “The Moon Song” by Scarlett Johansson

Breathy voice. Single ukulele. Profound lyrics. Everything about Scarlett Johansson’s song, from film Her, makes you float above ground, on a cloud “a million miles away.” Listening to this song evokes a feeling of safety and escape that much of the overproduced, over-hyped music of today’s culture grazes over. It’s simply you and the song.

Lulling you to a state of utter peace and contentment, the short piece has you swaying to Johansson's graceful vocals. In merely fifteen lines, you’re taken on the journey from a “dark” place to a beautiful escape “a million miles away” with the person you love. The lack of description of said person leaves the listener to fill the picture, leaving room for you to image the whoever would make you feel loved, and that everything will be okay. She sings: “with you my dear, I’m safe and we’re a million miles away.” She transports you to a mental state of bliss with whoever you hold dear. Personally, this song reminds me distinctly of the kinds of songs my grandmother used to sing to me throughout my childhood. Whenever I was ill or couldn’t sleep, she’d whisper lullabies with the same tenderness as Johansson’s “Moon Song.”

Question 4: Changing Times: Favorite Musical Artists Change

Seasons changed. Days got shorter. Leaves fell. A lot has changed since the semester began, and for me, that includes my taste in music. On my “Let’s Get Acquainted” worksheet, I listed my favorite musical artist as Ben Howard. I probably haven’t listened to Ben Howard since writing that. Interestingly, though, my love of “unique and authentic” has remained, as my new favorite artist was actually introduced in class: Billie Eilish. Her writing is reflective of current topics, including cultural critiques in a myriad of her songs. One such song is the “idontwannabeyouanymore” single that exposed the destructive impacts of unattainable beauty ideals.

From Ben Howard’s folk/indie rock, to Eillish’s alternative pop/electronica, the style of music has changed drastically. Eilish has also resonated with me more so than Howard, possibly because she’s a young artist who sings about real life problems that many women face: body dysmorphia, beauty standards, public scrutiny. Filling out the sheet now, I would have paid homage to the pop-prodigy that brought tears to my eyes upon hearing “Ocean Eyes.” I would have praised the star’s willingness to put her reputation at risk in order to make a statement about oversexualizing women in the music industry (wearing sweatpants in music video for “idontwannabeyouanymore”). Billie Eilish has effectively made it to my list of top artists, occupying a new place in my heart.

[tarar16]

[Verse 1] Words like fire underneath your breath And the child inside, a nervous wreck Within this insecurity We were always so alone Hello, hello, goodbye, hello, hello Hello [Chorus 1] Oh, this city got a lot to learn Crossin' the bridges Gonna watch them burn All fucked up, nowhere to go All fucked up, nowhere to go Words like fire underneath your breath [Verse 2] We're left for dead Cold as stones The echoes in my head just won't leave me alone Hello [Chorus 2] Oh, this city got a lot to learn Crossin' the bridges Gonna watch them burn All fucked up, nowhere to go All fucked up, nowhere to go Oh, this city got a lot to learn Crossin' the bridges Gonna watch them burn All fucked up, nowhere to go All fucked up, nowhere to go Words like fire underneath your breath [Bridge] You were living an extraordinary life With nothing left to do but fall apart Let it fall apart [Chorus 2] Oh, this city got a lot to learn Crossin' the bridges Gonna watch them burn All fucked up, nowhere to go All fucked up, nowhere to go Oh, this city got a lot to learn Crossin' the bridges Gonna watch them burn All fucked up, nowhere to go All fucked up, nowhere to go Words like fire underneath your breath Words like fire underneath your breath . . .

“Words like Fire” by Death Valley Dreams