Music Bloodline

James Brown

The Godfather of Soul transformed the sounds of R&B into a tight, driving style, laying the foundations of funk.

Biography

Through the gospel-impassioned fury of his vocals and the complex polyrhythms of his beats, James Brown was a crucial midwife in not just one, but two revolutions in black American music. He was one of those most responsible for turning R&B into soul, and he was, most would agree, the figure most responsible for turning soul into funk during the late '60s and early '70s. Plus, his voice and rhythms have been sampled on innumerable hip-hop recordings. And no other musician, pop or otherwise, put on a more exciting, exhilarating stage show: Brown's performances were marvels of athletic stamina and split-second timing. ~ Richie Unterberger