HOME OF THE WORKS ROBERT HOLLYWOOD SWINTON
robert_swinton@onyxcitylimits.com
symbol. Circa 1975.
Sorb of the Mind.
JOSEPH LEEhttp://homepage.mac.com/janimechx
PAUL E.
SCHULTZwww.geocities.com/space_lord68/studio831homepage.ht
ml MARK YOUNGhttp://hometown.aol.com/scfirefox/index.html
STUART
SAYGERhttp://members.core.com/~sayger/stuartsayger.com/index.ht
ml SUZANNE BAUMANhttp://www.fridge-mag.net/
OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL MEN TO EVER WALK THE PLANET,
THE INCOMPARABLE GODFATHER OF SOUL, JAMES BROWN.
HE HAS CELEBRATED AND RIGHTLY SO BECAUSE TO MY
GENERATION HE MADE US PROUD TO BE BLACK. I
REMEMBER WHEN BOTH 'COLORED' AND 'NEGRO' WERE THE
TERMS WE CALLED OURSELVES AND TO BE CALLED BLACK
WAS AN INSULT.
BUT A BROTHER WHO WAS DEPRIVED OF AN EDUCATION,
WHO WAS SENT TO PRISON AS A YOUNGSTER FOR STUPID
REASONS, A MAN WHO DANCED ON CITY CORNERS FOR A
LIVING, CHANGED THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE LIKE NONE
COULD HAVE. OH NO, I'M SAYING THAT HE WAS FLAWLESS
BECAUSE AS A HUMAN HE WAS, WE ALL ARE. JAMES BROWN
HEARD MUSIC IN HIS HEAD AS ALL THE GREATS ONE HAVE
AND CHANGED AND CREATED A SOUND THAT ONLY A MAN
WHO HAD GROWN UP IN AMERICA COULD HAVE.
THE MOTHER OF ALL INSTRUMENTS IS THE DRUM AND
JAMES BROWN USED THAT AS HIS BASIS FOR COMPOSING
AND CRAFTING A NEW GENRE OF SOUL CALLED FUNK,
WHICH LATER GAVE BIRTH TO RAP.
I MET 'THE GODFATHER OF SOUL' IN 1981 IN MYRTLE BEACH,
SC AT THE BEACH MUSIC AWARDS AND HE WAS A
GENTLEMAN, SPIRITUAL AND HONEST. I KNEW THAT I WAS
MEETING ONE OF MY IDOLS BUT HE WASN'T STANDOFFISH AS
MANY STARS ARE 'JAMES BROWN WAS COOL'. AND THOUGH
HE ONLY TRAVELED WITH HIS BAND LEADER, HE GAVE 1000
PERCENT - A TRUE PROFESSIONAL.
I GREW UP IN HARLEM AND ANYTIME HE CAME TO THE
APOLLO, IT WAS A MAJOR EVENT, ONE THAT YOU DIDN'T
WANT TO MISS. I HOPE THAT PEOPLE WILL REMEMBER THAT
HE DID A LIVE CONCERT IN BOSTON (FOR FREE) THE NIGHT
DR.MARTIN LUTHER KING WAS GUN DOWNED, SAVED THE
CITY. HE PERFORMED FOR THE TROOPS EVEN THOUGH OUR
GOVERNMENT GAVE HIM A HARD TIME WITH HIS TAXES. HE
LISTENED TO HIS AUDIENCE WHICH IS WHY HE REMAINED
ON THE CUSP OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND WHEN HE
WASN'T, EARLY HIP HOP DJ'S KOOL HERC, GRANDMASTER
FLASH AND OTHERS USED HIS MUSIC TO PROPEL RAP AND
BREAKDANCING. PLUS ALL OF THE THOSE GREAT ARTIST
THAT HE INSPIRED PRINCE, MICHAEL JACKSON, LENNIE
KRAVITZ AND THE LIST GOES ON AND ON.
AND OF COURSE HE INSPIRED ME SO NO MATTER WHAT HE
WILL ALWAYS BE, 'SOUL BROTHER NUMBER ONE', HIT ME.
