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James Joseph Brown〔 (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, songwriter, and dancer. The founding father of funk music and a major figure of 20th-century popular music and dance, he is often referred to as "The Godfather of Soul". In a career that spanned six decades, Brown influenced the development of several music genres.〔Wiegand, D. (December 26, 2006). (James Brown: 1928–2006 – Godfather of soul changed music at frenetic pace ). ''San Francisco Chronicle''. Retrieved January 10, 2007.〕 Brown began his career as a gospel singer in Toccoa, Georgia. Joining an R&B vocal group called the Avons that later evolved to become The Flames, Brown served as the group's 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. Brown's 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.〔Collins, W. (January 29, 2002). (James Brown. ) ''St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture''. Retrieved January 12, 2007.〕 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". Brown also became notable 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 in 2006 from congestive heart failure. Brown recorded 16 singles that peaked at number-one on the ''Billboard'' R&B charts. Brown also holds the record for the most singles listed on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart which did not reach number-one.〔〔Whitburn, J. (2000). ''Top Pop Singles: 1955–1999'', 900. Menonite Falls, WI: Record Research. ISBN 0-89820-140-3.〕 Brown has been honored by many institutions including inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Songwriters Hall of Fame – James Brown Recordings )〕 In Joel Whitburn's analysis of the ''Billboard'' R&B charts from 1942 to 2010, James Brown is ranked as number one in The Top 500 Artists. Brown is ranked seventh on the music magazine ''Rolling Stones 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== James Joseph 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 "Joe" Gardner Brown (1911–1993), in a small wooden shack.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Ancestry of James Brown )〕 Brown's name was supposed to have been Joseph James Brown, Jr.; however, his first and middle names were mistakenly reversed on his birth certificate.〔James Brown. (1998). ''Notable Black American Men''. Farmington Hills, MI: Thomson Gale (Document no. K1622000047). Retrieved January 12, 2007, from the Biography Resource Center database.〕 Brown later legally changed his name to remove the "Jr." designation. His parents were both black; in his autobiography, Brown stated that he also had Chinese and Native American ancestry.〔Brown, J. & Eliot, M. (introduction). (2005). ''I Feel Good: A Memoir of a Life Soul''. New York: New American Library. ISBN 0-451-21393-9.〕 The Brown family lived in extreme poverty in Elko, South Carolina, which was an impoverished town at the time.〔Hirshey, G. (Funk's founding father. ) (January 10, 2007). ''Rolling Stone''. Retrieved January 27, 2007.〕 They later relocated to Augusta, Georgia, when Brown was four or five. Brown's family first settled at one of his aunts' brothels and later moved into a house shared with another aunt. Brown's mother later left the family after a contentious 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. Brown managed to stay in school until sixth grade. Brown 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 from near his aunt's home. Brown learned how to play piano, guitar and harmonica during this period. Brown became inspired to become an entertainer after seeing footage of Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five performing "Caldonia" in a short film.〔(【引用サイトリンク】publisher=http://how-to-become-an-entrepreneur.blogspot.com/ )〕 During his teen years, Brown briefly had a career as a boxer. At 16, Brown was convicted of robbery and was sent to a juvenile detention center in Toccoa. Brown formed a gospel quartet with four fellow cellmates, including Johnny Terry. Stories differ as to how Brown was eventually paroled, including a story that Bobby Byrd's family had helped to secure an early release, while another stated that Brown got his parole after a car and motor manufacturing company owner, S.C. Lawson, agreed to be a sponsor after Brown had promised to look for a job guaranteed for two years. Brown was paroled on June 14, 1952. Upon his release, Brown joined a gospel group and worked at several jobs, including the Lawson Motor Company and as a janitor at a local school. Brown and Bobby Byrd reportedly met following his release from prison and the two became friends. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「James Brown」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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