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James Brown 1933-2006

DECEMBER 25, 2006
James Brown, died Christmas day, 2006
I had the honor of painting his portrait this year for a Rolling Stone feature. I am a fair to poor dancer, but James Brown is so great, that if I'm listening to his groove, I FEEL like I'm dancing and looking cool doing it. From the AP "Along with Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan and a handful of others, Brown was one of the major musical influences of the past 50 years. At least one generation idolized him, and sometimes openly copied him. His rapid-footed dancing inspired Mick Jagger and Michael Jackson among others. Songs such as David Bowie's "Fame," Prince's "Kiss," George Clinton's "Atomic Dog" and Sly and the Family Stone's "Sing a Simple Song" were clearly based on Brown's rhythms and vocal style. If Brown's claim to the invention of soul can be challenged by fans of Ray Charles and Sam Cooke, then his rights to the genres of rap, disco and funk are beyond question. He was to rhythm and dance music what Dylan was to lyrics: the unchallenged popular innovator."
This is the audio description of the assignment I posted previously.
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