Editing James Brown (section)

===Political views===
During the [[1968 United States presidential election|1968 presidential campaign]], Brown endorsed [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] presidential candidate [[Hubert Humphrey]] and appeared with Humphrey at political rallies. Brown was labeled an "Uncle Tom" for supporting Humphrey and also for releasing the pro-American funk song, "America Is My Home", in which Brown had lambasted [[Opposition to United States involvement in the Vietnam War|protesters of the Vietnam War]] as well as the politics of pro-black activists. Brown began supporting [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] president [[Richard Nixon]] after being invited to perform at Nixon's inaugural ball in January 1969.{{sfn|Brown|Tucker|2002|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=7KNUsxQPRB8C&pg=PA281 281]}} 

Brown's endorsement of Nixon's campaign during the [[1972 United States presidential election|1972 presidential election]] negatively impacted his career during that period with several national Black organizations boycotting his records and protesting at his concert shows; a November 1972 show in Cincinnati was picketed with signs saying, "James Brown: Nixon's Clown". Brown initially was invited to perform at a Youth Concert following Nixon's inauguration in January 1973 but bailed out due to the backlash he suffered from supporting Nixon. Brown joined fellow black entertainer [[Sammy Davis Jr.]], who faced similar backlash, to back out of the concert. Brown blamed it on "fatigue".<ref name=Robinson>{{cite web|last=Robinson|first=Eugene|title=SOUL BROTHER NO. 1 JAMES BROWN ENDORSES RICHARD NIXON? BELIEVE IT|url=https://www.ozy.com/true-and-stories/when-james-brown-jammed-for-richard-nixon/390790/|work=Eugene Robinson|publisher=OZY|access-date=November 23, 2020|date=October 18, 2020|archive-date=November 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128113830/https://www.ozy.com/true-and-stories/when-james-brown-jammed-for-richard-nixon/390790/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Brown later reversed his support of Nixon and composed the song, "You Can Have Watergate (Just Gimme Some Bucks And I'll Be Straight)" as a result. After Nixon resigned from office, Brown composed the 1974 hit, "Funky President (People It's Bad)", right after [[Gerald Ford]] took Nixon's place. Brown later supported Democratic President [[Jimmy Carter]], attending one of Carter's inaugural balls in 1977.<ref name=Robinson/> Brown openly supported President [[Ronald Reagan]]'s reelection in [[1984 United States presidential election|1984]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Quoted: James Brown on Ronald Reagan|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/reliable-source/wp/2013/05/28/quoted-james-brown-on-ronald-reagan/|work=The Reliable Source|publisher=The Washington Post|access-date=November 23, 2020|date=May 28, 2013|archive-date=May 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210520043121/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/reliable-source/wp/2013/05/28/quoted-james-brown-on-ronald-reagan/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Brown stated he was neither Democratic nor Republican despite his support of Republican presidents such as Nixon and Reagan as well as Democratic presidents [[John F. Kennedy]], [[Lyndon B. Johnson]], and [[Jimmy Carter]].<ref>{{cite video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pB5pMBkjaZ4 | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/pB5pMBkjaZ4| archive-date=December 11, 2021 | url-status=live|title=James Brown on Conviction, Respect and Reagan |work=YouTube |publisher=PBS |access-date=May 16, 2014}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In 1999, when being interviewed by ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', the magazine asked him to name a hero in the 20th century. Brown mentioned John F. Kennedy and then-96-year-old U.S. Senator, and former [[Dixiecrat]], [[Strom Thurmond]], stating "when the young whippersnappers get out of line, whether Democratic or Republican, an old man can walk up and say 'Wait a minute, son, it goes this way.' And that's great for our country. He's like a grandfather to me."<ref>{{citation |author1=Hulse, Carl |author2=Loughlin, Sean |date=December 20, 1999 |title=Graham, Clinton agree to agree |work=Lakeland Ledger |page=A14 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1346&dat=19991220&id=Y1RIAAAAIBAJ&pg=6561,10663690 |access-date=March 31, 2020 |archive-date=February 25, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225190844/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1346&dat=19991220&id=Y1RIAAAAIBAJ&pg=6561,10663690 |url-status=live }}</ref> 

In 2003, Brown was the featured attraction of a Washington, D.C., fundraiser for the [[National Republican Senatorial Committee]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Theimer |first=Sharon |date=March 26, 2003 |title=Gephardt Campaigns, Prays for Troops |work=Associated Press News |url=https://apnews.com/b2da5bfb3a3edbbad7c9965fe6023e1b |access-date=December 22, 2013 |archive-date=December 3, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181203152152/https://apnews.com/b2da5bfb3a3edbbad7c9965fe6023e1b |url-status=live }}</ref> Following the deaths of Ronald Reagan and his friend [[Ray Charles]], Brown said to [[CNN]], "I'm kind of in an uproar. I love the country and I got – you know I've been around a long time, through many presidents and everything. So after losing Mr. Reagan, who I knew very well, then Mr. Ray Charles, who I worked with and lived with like, all our life, we had a show together in [[Oakland]] many, many years ago and it's like you found the placard."<ref>''[https://transcripts.cnn.com/show/acd/date/2004-06-10/segment/01 Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees] ''. CNN: June 10, 2004.</ref> Despite his contrarian political views, Brown mentored black activist [[Rev. Al Sharpton]] during the 1970s.<ref>{{cite web|last=Feuer|first=Alan|title=Sharpton in Mourning, Like a Son Without a Father|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/29/nyregion/29sharpton.html|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=November 23, 2020|date=December 29, 2006|archive-date=January 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200127100634/https://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/29/nyregion/29sharpton.html|url-status=live}}</ref>