Funk - 1970 - 1980
Here is an example of Funk by James Brown
James Brown was born on May 3, 1933 and died on December 25, 2005. He was born in Barnwell, South Carolina. His parents are Susie and Joseph Brown. James is African American and Native American, Apache, to be exact. Brown also has some traces of Asian ancestry in him. During Brown’s childhood he and his family lived almost dirt poor. When Brown was two, his parents separated. After that his mother abandoned the family so Brown lived with his father until he was six. After that Brown’s father sent him to live with an aunt, who just happened to run a prostitution house. Even though Brown did have homes with people he stayed on his own a good deal. Brown somehow stayed in school until the seventh grade when he dropped out. Brown earned money shining shoes, sweeping out stores, selling and trading in old stamps, washing cars and dishes and singing in talent contests. Brown also danced for money to entertain troops from Camp Gordon. Brown also learned to play a harmonica that he had gotten from his father. Brown wanted to be an entertainer after he watched Louis Jordan perform.
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In 1952, while Brown was in reform school he met Bobby Byrd. Byrd saw Brown perform and enjoyed his singing. Because of this friendship, Byrd's family aided Brown in securing an early release from the school. The people in charge agreed to release Brown under the condition that he would get a job and not come back to Augusta or Richmond County. After that Brown had a short boxing career, played semi – professional baseball, and then finally turned to music. He is the originator of funk and is iconic in music and dance. Throughout a long and very successful career Brown had big influences on different musical genres. Brown performed in many concerts, first locally and then eventually across the country and around the world. In addition he also appeared in shows on television and in movies. When Brown died his band consisted of three guitarists, two bass guitar players, two drummers, three horns and a percussionist. Brown employed between forty and fifty people for the James Brown Revue, and members of the revue traveled with him on a bus to places all over the country performing shows. In 1986, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and in 1990 into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Brown died on Christmas Day 2006 from heart faliuire after getting sick on December 23 and being in the hospital for hours.
Fun Facts:
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