James Brown, 'the Godfather of Soul', Died Early Today

From Wikipedia:

"James Joseph (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006), also known as The Godfather of Soul, was an African American entertainer who was recognized as one of the most influential figures in 20th century music.

Brown was admitted to the Emory Crawford Long Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia on December 24, 2006 after a dentist visit where he was found to have severe pneumonia. Brown died the next day on December 25, 2006, around 1:45 a.m. at the age of 73.

Frank Copsidas of Intrigue Music said the cause of death was uncertain. "We really don't know at this point what he died of," he said."

According to eMedicine: "Pneumonia is the 6th leading cause of death in the U.S. and is the most common infectious cause of death. The mortality rate is reported to be 1% in the outpatient setting but may increase to up to 25% in those requiring hospital admission."

James Brown "was renowned for his shouting vocals, feverish dancing and unique rhythmic style." (Wkipedia). Many videos showing memorable James Brown's performances during the years are uploaded to YouTube. There are also several hundreds photos on Flickr. Motocchio described what it felt to be at a James Brown concert:

"Tonight turned to be one of the most special nights in my life.... Marco and i went to JB's concert tonight!

he's 73 years old. but he's still damn good, and the concert was one perfect entertainment show. and, his charisma... when he appeared on the stage, everybody got crazy and screamed.... including us. when he was singing "it's a man's man's man's world," i understood very very well why bruce brothers got enlightened by a church minister played by him... his music really touches people's soul. he's truly the king of soul.


James Brown & Pavarotti

References:
James Brown, from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pneumonia, Bacterial. eMedicine.
James Brown, the 'Godfather of Soul,' dies at 73. CNN.
James Brown RIP: Jump Back, Jack, See You Later, Alligator. Steve Anderson.
Image source: James Brown performs at the Yunfeng Theater in Shanghai. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Updated: 12/01/2007