James Brown: Photos Of The ‘Godfather Of Soul’ Through The Years

By:

1 of 9

James Brown: A Life In Photos

James Brown: A Life In Photos — James Brown, born May 3, 1933 in Barnwell, South Carolina, was an iconic funk and soul singer, whose career lasted over 50 years. Often refferered to as the “Godfather Of Soul”, James began as a gospel singer before building his reputation as part of the popular R&B act The Famous Flames. Singles like “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag”, “I Got You (I Feel Good)” and “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World”, “Get Up”, and “Say It Loud” solidified his place in music history. He had 17 singles that topped Billboard’s R&B charts. inducted into the first class of the Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame in 2013 as an artist and then in 2017 as a songwriter. He died Christmas Day 2006 from heart failure.

Here, he appears in a handsome portrait from 1992. Want to see more photos of James Brown through the years? Look no further! We picked his best photos for our gallery, here.

2 of 9

James Brown In 1968

James Brown In 1968 — James Brown looks cool before entertaining troops in Vietnam in 1968. He wore a yellow turtleneck as he combed his hair. He was once quoted saying, “The one thing that can solve most of our problems is dancing.”

3 of 9

James Brown In 1986

James Brown In 1986 — James Brown serenades the audience at London’s Wembley Arena in 1986. He wore a sparkling black on black tux during his high-energy set.

4 of 9

James Brown In London

James Brown In London — On fire! James Brown looks electric while in red during a London show. He once said of performing, “When I’m on stage, I’m trying to do one thing: bring people joy. Just like church does. People don’t go to church to find trouble, they go there to lose it. Thank God for the journey.”

5 of 9

James Brown In 1996

James Brown In 1996 — James Brown glows as he takes the mic in 1996. His hair was long and shiny. The star, who was known for his looks, was once quoted saying, “Hair is the first thing. And teeth the second. Hair and teeth. A man got those two things he’s got it all.”

6 of 9

James Brown In 2001

James Brown In 2001 — Stage presence! James Brown wore fringed white to perform at Live On The Lawn concert at Crathes Castle in Banchory, Scotland on Aug. 18, 2001.

7 of 9

James Brown Poses

James Brown Poses — James Brown smiles in a portriat taken in London. It appeared to be the late 80s.

8 of 9

‘Soul Power’

‘Soul Power’ — James Brown appears in an archival photos from the 2008 documentary ‘Soul Power’. He looked very groovy.

9 of 9

James Brown In ‘Soul Power’

James Brown In ‘Soul Power’ — James Brown was the center of attention while hanging out with his shirt opening a backstage photos. The vintage snap was included in the 2008 documentary ‘Soul Power’.

Click to Subscribe to Get Our Free HollywoodLife Daily Newsletter to get the hottest celeb news.

ad