"The hardest-working man in show business." died today

December 25, 2006, 05:54:19 PM

Tis a sad sad day, James Brown, the 'godfather of sould' died of pneumonia this morning, He was supposed to be here on the 14th of January. Guess my weekend just opened up :(

This kinda puts a damper on festivities. All our great entertainers are dying, every month or two another one is gone...

Scott

"The hardest-working man in show business." died today

Reply #1 – December 25, 2006, 08:31:07 PM

I went to high school with a dude named Walter that always wore this "GODFATHER" ballcap and I didn't know why (probably because I am white and he has this incredible natural chocolate tan). Anyway, after we graduated he asked me to play guitar in his funk band and I got around to asking him what the "Godfather" deal was all about. Now his dad was a talented local D.J. that had a lot of roots in the African-American community here, so his answer really didn't surprise me: the hat was a tribute to James Brown. I figured, James Brown, Godfather of Soul, "Godfather" hat, now I get it.

Then he told me that his dad and James were good friends from waaaaaaay back when, and that James Brown was in his dad's wedding. And that James Brown was actually Walter's godfather. Things took on a whole new meaning then. How cool is that?!

Unfortunately Walter lost both his father and James Brown this year. But in a way it's rather fitting that they both go relatively close together in time.

R.I.P. Godfather (and Frank).
Hope God's got his funk on!

"The hardest-working man in show business." died today

Reply #2 – December 25, 2006, 09:18:45 PM

This is quite sad news epically with Peter Boyle dieing a few weeks ago.