James Brown

Object Details

Exhibition Label: James Brown invented funk and set the standard for dynamic live performance in American music. Inspired by preachers in the black church, Brown started out singing in gospel quartets. As the "Godfather of Soul," he transmuted gospel into secular music centered in the emotional conduit of the soul singer. As "the hardest working man in show business," Brown turned ballads into virtuosic theatrical turns—falling hard on his knees, busting into splits and half spins, popping the mike to the floor and back, each move ratcheting up the song’s emotional intensity. As "Soul Brother No. 1," Brown acted as a cultural leader, writing hit songs calling for racial pride. With funk, Brown created a stripped-down, rhythmically driven aesthetic that has influenced world music from reggae to Afrobeat. Much of popular music since the 1960s comes through James Brown’s moves and grooves. Hip-hop is unimaginable without him.

1966

Medium: Gelatin silver print
Dimensions: Image: 26.3 x 25.6cm (10 3/8 x 10 1/16"); Sheet: 35.4 x 27.8cm (13 15/16 x 10 15/16"); Mat: 55.9 x 40.6cm (22 x 16")

National Portrait Gallery

Topic: Interior\Performing Arts\Concert hall; James Brown: Male; James Brown: Performing Arts\Performer\Musician\Songwriter; James Brown: Performing Arts\Performer\Musician\Singer\Popular; James Brown: Performing Arts\Performer\Dancer; James Brown: Performing Arts\Performer\Musician\Singer\Rhythm and Blues; James Brown: Performing Arts\Performer\Musician\Bandmaster; Portrait

GUID (Link to Original Record): http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4d116767e-f247-4779-a41c-0bcd2a0b5d17