Editing James Brown (section)

==Music career==
===1954–1961: The Famous Flames ===
{{main|The Famous Flames}}
Brown joined Bobby Byrd's group in 1954.{{sfn|Rhodes|2008|p=17}} The group had evolved from the Gospel Starlighters, an [[a cappella]] gospel group, to an R&B group with the name the Avons.{{sfn|Rhodes|2008|p=17}} He reputedly joined the band after one of its members, Troy Collins, died in a car crash.<ref name="birthoffunk">{{cite web |last=Thompson |first=Dave |date=October 29, 2011 |url=http://www.goldminemag.com/article/trace-the-birth-of-funk-back-to-james-brown |title=Trace the Birth of Funk Back to James Brown |work=[[Goldmine (magazine)|Goldmine]] |access-date=July 19, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121002191734/http://www.goldminemag.com/article/trace-the-birth-of-funk-back-to-james-brown |archive-date=October 2, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> Along with Brown and Byrd, the group consisted of Sylvester Keels, Doyle Oglesby, Fred Pulliam, Nash Knox and Nafloyd Scott. Influenced by R&B groups such as [[Hank Ballard]] and [[the Midnighters]], [[the Orioles]] and [[Billy Ward and his Dominoes]], the group changed its name, first to the Toccoa Band and then to the Flames.{{sfn|Rhodes|2008|p=18}}<ref name="birthoffunk" /> Nafloyd's brother Baroy later joined the group on bass guitar. Brown, Byrd and Keels switched lead positions and instruments, often playing drums and piano. Johnny Terry later joined, by which time Pulliam and Oglesby had long left.{{sfn|Rhodes|2008|p=24}}

Berry Trimier became the group's first manager, booking them at parties near college campuses in Georgia and South Carolina.{{sfn|Rhodes|2008|p=19}} The group had already gained a reputation as a good live act when they renamed themselves the Famous Flames.{{sfn|Rhodes|2008|p=21}} In 1955, the group contacted [[Little Richard]] while performing in [[Macon, Georgia|Macon]].<ref>{{cite web|title=My mate the sex machine: Mick Jagger on his movie about his 'inspiration' James Brown|first=Annette|last=Witheridge|url=http://www.irishmirror.ie/showbiz/celebrity-news/mick-jagger-up-movie-james-3954885|work=Irish Mirror Online|date=August 2, 2014|access-date=October 3, 2014|archive-date=October 6, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006160427/http://www.irishmirror.ie/showbiz/celebrity-news/mick-jagger-up-movie-james-3954885|url-status=live}}</ref> Richard convinced the group to get in contact with his manager at the time, Clint Brantley, at his nightclub.{{sfn|Rhodes|2008|p=22}} Brantley agreed to manage them after seeing the group audition.{{sfn|Rhodes|2008|p=25}} He then sent them to a local radio station to record a demo session, where they performed their own composition "[[Please, Please, Please (James Brown song)|Please, Please, Please]]", which was inspired when Little Richard wrote the words of the title on a napkin and Brown was determined to make a song out of it.{{sfn|Rhodes|2008|p=25}}<ref>{{Cite book|last=Merlis|first=Bob |chapter=foreword|title=Heart and Soul – A Celebration of Black Music Style in America: 1930–1975 |publisher=Billboard Books |year=2002|isbn=978-0-8230-8314-5}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=News from Macon and Warner Robins, GA, and beyond|work=The Telegraph|url=http://www.macon.com/2014/07/26/3218915/midstate-residents-who-knew-godfather.html|access-date=October 3, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140727182150/http://www.macon.com/2014/07/26/3218915/midstate-residents-who-knew-godfather.html|archive-date=July 27, 2014}}</ref> 

The Famous Flames eventually signed with [[King Records (USA)|King Records]]' [[Federal Records|Federal]] subsidiary in Cincinnati, Ohio, and issued a re-recorded version of "Please, Please, Please" in March 1956. The song became the group's first R&B hit, selling over a million copies.<ref>White, Cliff (1991). Discography. In ''Star Time'' (p. 55) [CD liner notes]. London: Polydor Records.</ref> None of their follow-ups gained similar success. In 1957, Brown replaced Clint Brantley as manager and hired Ben Bart, chief of [[Universal Attractions Agency]]. In 1957 the original Flames broke up, after Bart changed the name of the group to "James Brown and His Famous Flames".{{sfn|Rhodes|2008|p=29}}

In October 1958, Brown released the ballad "[[Try Me (James Brown song)|Try Me]]", which hit number one on the R&B chart in the beginning of 1959, becoming the first of seventeen chart-topping R&B hits.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rockhall.com/hof/inductee.asp?id=56 |title=Inductees: James Brown, performer |work=Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum |access-date=January 9, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061202170408/http://www.rockhall.com/hof/inductee.asp?id=56 |archive-date=December 2, 2006 }}</ref> Shortly afterwards, he recruited his first band, led by J. C. Davis, and reunited with Bobby Byrd who joined a revived Famous Flames lineup that included [[Baby Lloyd Stallworth|Eugene "Baby" Lloyd Stallworth]] and [[Bobby Bennett (The Famous Flames)|Bobby Bennett]], with Johnny Terry sometimes coming in as the "fifth Flame". Brown, the Flames, and his entire band debuted at the [[Apollo Theater]] on April 24, 1959, opening for Brown's idol, [[Little Willie John]].<ref name="birthoffunk" />{{sfn|Rhodes|2008|p=33}} 

Federal Records issued two albums credited to Brown and the Famous Flames. Both contained previously released singles. In 1960, Brown began multi-tasking in the recording studio involving himself, his singing group, the Famous Flames, and his band, a separate entity from the Flames, sometimes named the James Brown Orchestra or the James Brown Band. In 1960, the band released the top ten R&B hit "[[(Do the) Mashed Potatoes]]" on Dade Records, owned by [[Henry Stone]], billed under the pseudonym "Nat Kendrick & the Swans" due to label issues.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.henrystonemusic.com/store/kendrick.htm |title=Nat Kendrick & The Swans. |publisher=Henry Stone Music, Inc |access-date=January 28, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061214093304/http://www.henrystonemusic.com/store/kendrick.htm |archive-date=December 14, 2006 }}</ref> As a result of its success, King president [[Syd Nathan]] shifted Brown's contract from Federal to the parent label, King, which according to Brown in his autobiography meant "you got more support from the company". While with King, Brown, under the Famous Flames lineup, released the hit-filled album [[Think! (James Brown album)|''Think!'']] and in 1961 released two albums with the James Brown Band earning second billing. With the Famous Flames, Brown sang lead on several more hits, including "[[Bewildered]]",  "[[I'll Go Crazy (James Brown song)|I'll Go Crazy]]" and "[[Think (The "5" Royales song)|Think]]", songs that hinted at his emerging style.<ref name="birthoffunk" />

===1962–1966: Mr. Dynamite===
In 1962, Brown and his band scored a hit with their cover of the instrumental "[[Night Train (composition)|Night Train]]", becoming a top five R&B single. That same year, the ballads "[[Lost Someone]]" and "[[Baby You're Right]]", the latter a [[Joe Tex]] composition, added to his repertoire and increased his reputation with R&B audiences. On October 24, 1962, Brown financed a live recording of a performance at the Apollo and convinced Syd Nathan to release the album, despite Nathan's belief that no one would buy a live album due to the fact that Brown's singles had already been bought and that live albums were usually bad sellers.

[[File:James Brown and Flames.jpg|thumb|upright=1.15|Brown (middle) and [[the Famous Flames]] (far left to right, [[Bobby Bennett (The Famous Flames)|Bobby Bennett]], [[Baby Lloyd Stallworth|Lloyd Stallworth]], and [[Bobby Byrd]]), performing live at the [[Apollo Theater]] in New York City, 1964]]
''[[Live at the Apollo (1963 album)|Live at the Apollo]]'' was released in June 1963 and became an immediate hit, eventually reaching number two on the [[Billboard 200|Top LPs chart]] and selling over a million copies, staying on the charts for 14 months.<ref>Guralnick, P. (1986). ''Sweet Soul Music: Rhythm and Blues and the Southern Dream of Freedom'', 235. New York: Back Bay Books. {{ISBN|0-452-26697-1}}.</ref> In 1963, Brown scored his first top 20 pop hit with his rendition of the [[standard (song)|standard]] "[[Prisoner of Love (1931 song)|Prisoner of Love]]". He launched his first label, [[Try Me Records]], which included recordings by Tammy Montgomery, later to be famous as [[Tammi Terrell]], Johnny & Bill (Famous Flames associates Johnny Terry and Bill Hollings) and the Poets, which was another name used for Brown's backing band.<ref name="birthoffunk" /> During this time, Brown began an ill-fated two-year relationship with 17-year-old Tammi Terrell when she sang in his revue. Terrell ended their personal and professional relationship because of Brown's abusive behavior.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Tammi Terrell: The Tragic Story Of Motown's Forgotten Star|work=Sabotage Times|url=https://sabotagetimes.com/music/tammi-terrell-the-tragic-story-of-motowns-forgotten-star|access-date=November 2, 2017|url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107024016/https://sabotagetimes.com/music/tammi-terrell-the-tragic-story-of-motowns-forgotten-star|archive-date=November 7, 2017}}</ref>

In 1964, seeking bigger commercial success, Brown and Bobby Byrd formed the production company, Fair Deal, linking the operation to the [[Mercury Records|Mercury]] imprint, [[Smash Records]].<ref name="birthoffunk" /><ref>{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=mn0000128099|tab=biography|title=James Brown: Biography|author=[[Richie Unterberger]]}}.</ref> King Records fought against this and was granted an [[injunction]] preventing Brown from releasing any recordings for the label. Prior to the injunction, Brown had released three vocal singles, including the blues-oriented hit "[[Out of Sight (song)|Out of Sight]]", which further indicated the direction his music was going to take.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.history-of-rock.com/james_brown.htm | title=The History of Rock 'n' Roll: The Golden Decade 1954–1963 | access-date=February 25, 2007 | archive-date=March 3, 2007 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070303081108/http://www.history-of-rock.com/james_brown.htm | url-status=live }}</ref> Touring throughout the year, Brown and the Famous Flames grabbed more national attention after delivering an explosive show-stopping performance on the live concert film ''[[The T.A.M.I. Show]]''. The Flames' dynamic gospel-tinged vocals, polished choreography and timing as well as Brown's energetic dance moves and high-octane singing upstaged the proposed closing act, [[the Rolling Stones]].

Having signed a new deal with King, Brown released his song "[[Papa's Got a Brand New Bag]]" in 1965, which became his first top ten pop hit and won him his first [[Grammy Award]].<ref name="pc51" /> Brown signed a production deal with [[Loma Records]].<ref>{{Cite magazine|date=June 5, 1965|title=Turners, Brown, Ink With Loma|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/60s/1965/CB-1965-06-05.pdf|magazine=Cash Box|pages=36}}</ref> Later in 1965, he issued "[[I Got You (I Feel Good)|I Got You]]", which became his second single in a row to reach number-one on the R&B chart and top ten on the pop chart. Brown followed that up with the ballad "[[It's a Man's Man's Man's World]]", a third Top 10 Pop hit (No. 1 R&B) which confirmed his stance as a top-ranking performer, especially with R&B audiences from that point on.<ref name="pc51" />

===1967–1970: Soul Brother No. 1===
[[File:James Brown Music Scene 1969.jpg|thumb|Brown performing in 1969]]
By 1967, Brown's emerging sound began to be defined as funk music. That year he released what some critics cited as the first true funk song, "[[Cold Sweat]]", which hit number-one on the R&B chart (Top 10 Pop) and became one of his first recordings to contain a drum [[Break (music)|break]] and also the first that featured a harmony that was reduced to a single [[chord progression|chord]].<ref>George, N. (1988). ''The Death of Rhythm & Blues'', 101. New York: Pantheon Books. {{ISBN|0-394-55238-5}}.</ref><ref>Vincent, R. & Clinton, G. (1996). ''Funk: The Music, The People, and The Rhythm of The One'', 123. New York: St. Martin's Griffin. {{ISBN|0-312-13499-1}}.</ref> The instrumental arrangements on tracks such as "[[Give It Up or Turnit a Loose]]" and "[[Licking Stick-Licking Stick]]", both recorded in 1968, and "[[Funky Drummer]]", recorded in 1969, featured a more developed version of Brown's mid-1960s style, with the [[horn section]], guitars, bass and drums meshed together in intricate rhythmic patterns based on multiple interlocking [[riff]]s.


Changes in Brown's style that started with "Cold Sweat" established the musical foundation for Brown's later hits, such as "[[I Got the Feelin']]" (1968) and "[[Mother Popcorn]]" (1969). By this time Brown's vocals frequently took the form of a kind of rhythmic declamation, not quite sung but not quite spoken, that only intermittently featured traces of [[Pitch (music)|pitch]] or [[melody]]. This became a major influence on the techniques of [[rapping]], which would come to maturity along with [[hip hop music]] in the coming decades. Brown's style of funk in the late 1960s was based on interlocking syncopated parts: strutting bass lines, syncopated drum patterns, and iconic percussive guitar riffs.<ref>Slutsky, Allan, Chuck Silverman (1997). ''The Funkmasters-the Great James Brown Rhythm Sections''. {{ISBN|1576234436}}.</ref> 

The main guitar ostinatos for 1969's "[[Ain't It Funky]]" and "[[Give It Up or Turnit a Loose]]", are examples of Brown's refinement of [[New Orleans]] funk; irresistibly danceable riffs, stripped down to their rhythmic essence. On both recordings, the tonal structure is bare bones. The pattern of attack points is the emphasis, not the pattern of pitches as if the guitar were an African drum or idiophone. Alexander Stewart states that this popular feel was passed along from "New Orleans—through James Brown's music, to the popular music of the 1970s".<ref>Stewart, Alexander (2000: 306). "Funky Drummer: New Orleans, James Brown and the Rhythmic Transformation of American Popular Music". ''Popular Music'', v. 19, n. 3. October 2000, pp. 293–318.</ref> Those same tracks were later resurrected by countless hip-hop musicians from the 1970s onward. As a result, James Brown remains to this day the world's most [[sampling (music)|sampled]] recording artist. Two tracks that he wrote, are synonymous with modern dance, especially with [[house music]], [[jungle music]], and [[drum and bass music]], which were sped up exponentially, in the latter two genres.

"Bring it Up" has an Afro-Cuban [[guajeo]]-like structure. All three of these guitar riffs are based on an onbeat/offbeat structure. Stewart says that it "is different from a [[bell pattern|time line]] (such as [[clave (rhythm)|clave]] and [[tresillo (rhythm)|tresillo]]) in that it is not an exact pattern, but more of a loose organizing principle."<ref>Stewart (2000: 306).</ref>

It was around this time as the musician's popularity increased that he acquired the [[Honorific nicknames in popular music|nickname]] "Soul Brother No. 1", after failing to win the title "King of Soul" from [[Solomon Burke]] during a Chicago gig two years prior.<ref>Peter Guralnick, "Song of Solomon", ''The Boston Phoenix'' (March 6, 1984), Section 3:3.</ref> Brown's recordings during this period influenced musicians across the industry, most notably groups such as [[Sly and the Family Stone]], [[Funkadelic]], [[Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band]], [[Booker T. & the M.G.s]] as well as vocalists such as [[Edwin Starr]], [[David Ruffin]] and [[Dennis Edwards]] from [[the Temptations]], and [[Michael Jackson]], who, throughout his career, cited Brown as his ultimate idol.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.contactmusic.com/news/jackson-attends-browns-public-funeral_1017673 |title=James Brown – Jackson Attends Brown's Public Funeral |access-date=July 20, 2012 |archive-date=October 12, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012130040/http://www.contactmusic.com/news/jackson-attends-browns-public-funeral_1017673 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Brown's band during this period employed musicians and arrangers who had come up through the jazz tradition. He was noted for his ability as a bandleader and songwriter to blend the simplicity and drive of R&B with the rhythmic complexity and precision of [[jazz]]. Trumpeter Lewis Hamlin and saxophonist/keyboardist [[Alfred "Pee Wee" Ellis]], the successor to previous bandleader Nat Jones, led the band. Guitarist [[Jimmy Nolen]] provided percussive, deceptively simple [[riff]]s for each song, and [[Maceo Parker]]'s prominent saxophone solos provided a focal point for many performances. Other members of Brown's band included stalwart Famous Flames singer and sideman Bobby Byrd, trombonist [[Fred Wesley]], drummers [[John "Jabo" Starks]], [[Clyde Stubblefield]] and [[Melvin Parker]], saxophonist [[St. Clair Pinckney]], guitarist Alphonso "Country" Kellum and bassist [[Bernard Odum]].

In addition to a torrent of singles and studio albums, Brown's output during this period included two more successful live albums, ''[[Live at the Garden (James Brown album)|Live at the Garden]]'' (1967) and ''[[Live at the Apollo, Volume II]]'' (1968), and a 1968 television special, ''[[James Brown: Man to Man]]''. His music empire expanded along with his influence on the music scene. As Brown's music empire grew, his desire for financial and artistic independence grew as well. Brown bought radio stations during the late 1960s, including [[WCHZ (AM)|WRDW]] in his native Augusta, where he shined shoes as a boy.<ref name="pc51">{{Pop Chronicles|51|5}}</ref> In November 1967, James Brown purchased radio station [[WEMG (Tennessee)|WGYW]] in [[Knoxville, Tennessee]], for a reported $75,000, according to the January 20, 1968 ''[[Record World]]'' magazine. The call letters were changed to WJBE reflecting his initials. WJBE began on January 15, 1968, and broadcast a Rhythm & Blues format. The station slogan was "WJBE 1430 Raw Soul". Brown bought [[WQLL|WEBB]] in [[Baltimore]] in 1970.

Brown branched out to make several recordings with musicians outside his own band. In an attempt to appeal to the older, more affluent, and predominantly white [[adult contemporary]] audience, Brown recorded ''Gettin' Down To It'' (1969) and ''[[Soul on Top]]'' (1970)—two albums consisting mostly of romantic ballads, jazz standards, and homologous reinterpretations of his earlier hits—with the Dee Felice Trio and the [[Louie Bellson]] Orchestra. In 1968, he recorded a number of funk-oriented tracks with [[the Dapps]], a white [[Cincinnati]] band, including the hit "[[I Can't Stand Myself (When You Touch Me)|I Can't Stand Myself]]". He also released three albums of [[Christmas music]] with his own band.

===1970–2006: Godfather of Soul===
{{main|The J.B.'s}}
In March 1970, most of Brown's mid-to-late 1960s road band walked out on him due to financial disputes, a development augured by the prior disbandment of the Famous Flames singing group for the same reason in 1968. Brown and erstwhile Famous Flames singer Bobby Byrd, who chose to remain in the band during this tumultuous period as co-frontman, effectively serving as a proto-[[hype man]] in live performances, recruited several members of [[The Pacemakers (funk band)|the Pacemakers]], a Cincinnati-based ensemble that included bassist [[Bootsy Collins]] and his brother, guitarist [[Catfish Collins|Phelps "Catfish" Collins]]; augmented by the remaining members of the 1960s road band, including Fred Wesley, who rejoined Brown's outfit in December 1970, and other newer musicians, they formed the nucleus of [[the J.B.'s]], Brown's new backing ensemble.<ref name="city-journal_org">{{cite web|last=Penman|first=Ian|title=Did He Feel Good?|url=http://www.city-journal.org/2012/bc0608ip.html|work=City Journal|publisher=Manhattan Institute|access-date=December 22, 2013|date=June 8, 2012|archive-date=December 24, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224111055/http://www.city-journal.org/2012/bc0608ip.html}}</ref>

Shortly following their first performance together, the band entered the studio to record the Brown-Byrd composition, "[[Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine]]". The song —with its off the beat play Brown called "The One"—<ref name="city-journal_org" /> and other contemporaneous singles further cemented Brown's influence in the nascent genre of funk music. This iteration of the J.B.'s dissolved after a March 1971 European tour (documented on the 1991 archival release ''[[Love Power Peace]]'') due to additional money disputes and Bootsy Collins's use of [[LSD]]; a new lineup of the J.B.'s coalesced around Wesley, St. Clair Pinckney and drummer John Starks.
[[File:James Brown & Lars Jacob 1972.jpg|thumb|upright|Brown with a [[disc-jockey]] after a concert in [[Tampa]], 1972]]
In 1971, Brown began recording for [[Polydor Records]]. Many of his sidemen and supporting players, including Fred Wesley & the J.B.'s, Bobby Byrd, [[Lyn Collins]], [[Vicki Anderson]] and former rival [[Hank Ballard]], released records on the [[People Records|People]] label.

During the [[1972 United States presidential election|1972 presidential election]], James Brown openly proclaimed his support of [[Richard Nixon]] for reelection to the presidency over Democratic candidate [[George McGovern]].<ref>{{cite web |title=James Brown: Soul Survivor |work=American Masters |publisher=PBS |date=October 29, 2003 |access-date=October 28, 2011 |url=http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/james-brown/soul-survivor/532/ |archive-date=November 9, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111109155751/http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/james-brown/soul-survivor/532/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The decision led to a boycott of his performances and, according to Brown, cost him a big portion of his black audience.{{sfn|Brown|Tucker|1986|p=233}} As a result, Brown's record sales and concerts in the United States were in a lull in 1973, as he failed to land a number-one R&B single that year. In 1973 he also faced problems with the [[Internal Revenue Service|IRS]] for failure to pay [[back taxes]], charging he hadn't paid upwards of $4.5 million; five years earlier, the IRS had claimed he owed nearly $2 million.<ref name="jbencyclopedia" />

[[File:James-Brown 1973.jpg|thumb|Brown performing, 1973]]
In 1973, Brown provided the score for the [[blaxploitation]] film ''[[Black Caesar (film)|Black Caesar]]''. In 1974 he returned to the No. 1 spot on the R&B charts with "[[The Payback (song)|The Payback]]", with the [[The Payback|parent album]] reaching the same spot on the album charts. He reached No. 1 two more times in 1974, with "[[My Thang]]" and "[[Papa Don't Take No Mess]]".{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}

"Papa Don't Take No Mess" was his final single to reach the No. 1 spot on the R&B charts. His other Top Ten R&B hits during this latter period included "[[Funky President (People It's Bad)|Funky President]]" (R&B No. 4) and "[[Get Up Offa That Thing]]" (R&B No. 4).

[[File:James Brown (1977).jpg|thumb|upright|James Brown, 1977]]
Although his records were mainstays of the vanguard New York underground [[disco]] scene, exemplified by DJs such as [[David Mancuso]] and [[Francis Grasso]], from 1969 onwards, Brown did not consciously yield to the trend until 1975's ''[[Sex Machine Today]]''. By 1977, he was no longer a dominant force in R&B. After "Get Up Offa That Thing", thirteen of Brown's late 1970s recordings for Polydor failed to reach the Top 10 of the R&B chart, with only "[[Bodyheat]]" in 1976 and the disco-oriented "[[It's Too Funky in Here]]" in 1979 reaching the R&B Top 15 and the ballad "[[Kiss in '77]]" reaching the Top 20. 

After 1976's "Bodyheat", he failed to appear on the Billboard Hot 100. As a result, Brown's concert attendance began dropping and his reported disputes with the IRS caused his business empire to collapse. In addition, several longtime bandmates, including Wesley and Maceo Parker, had gradually pivoted to Parliament-Funkadelic, which reached its critical and commercial apogee in the mid-to-late 1970s. The emergence of disco forestalled Brown's success on the R&B charts, because its slicker, more commercial style had superseded his rawer, one-chord funk productions.

By the release of 1979's ''The Original Disco Man'', Brown seldom contributed to the songwriting and production processes, leaving most of it to producer [[Brad Shapiro]]. This resulted in the song "It's Too Funky in Here" becoming Brown's most successful single in this period. After two more albums failed to chart, Brown left Polydor in 1981. It was around this time that Brown changed the name of his band from the J.B.'s to the Soul Generals, or Soul G's. The band retained that name until his death.

Despite Brown's declining record sales, promoters Gary LoConti and Jim Rissmiller helped Brown sell out a string of residency shows at the [[Reseda Country Club]] in Los Angeles in early 1982. Brown's compromised commercial standing prevented him from charging a large fee. However, the great success of these shows marked a turning point for Brown's career, and soon he was back on top in Hollywood. Movies followed, including appearances in ''[[Doctor Detroit]]'' (1983) and ''[[Rocky IV]]'' (1985). He guest-starred in the ''[[Miami Vice]]'' episode "Missing Hours" (1987). Previously, Brown appeared alongside a litany of other Black musical luminaries in ''[[The Blues Brothers (film)|The Blues Brothers]]'' (1980).

In 1984, he teamed with rap musician [[Afrika Bambaataa]] on the song "[[Unity (Afrika Bambaataa and James Brown song)|Unity]]". A year later he signed with [[Scotti Brothers Records]] and issued the moderately successful album ''[[Gravity (James Brown album)|Gravity]]'' in 1986 with a popular song "[[How Do You Stop]]". It included Brown's final Top Ten pop hit, "[[Living in America (James Brown song)|Living in America]]", marking his first Top 40 entry since 1974 and his first Top Ten pop entry since 1968. Produced and written by [[Dan Hartman]], it featured prominently on the ''Rocky IV'' film and soundtrack. Brown performed the song in the film at Apollo Creed's final fight, shot in the Ziegfeld Room at the [[MGM Grand Las Vegas|MGM Grand]] in [[Las Vegas Valley|Las Vegas]], and was credited in the film as the Godfather of Soul. 1986 also saw the publication of his autobiography, ''James Brown: The Godfather of Soul'', co-written with Bruce Tucker. In 1987, Brown won the Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for "Living in America".

In 1988, Brown worked with the production team [[Full Force]] on the [[new jack swing]]-influenced ''[[I'm Real (James Brown album)|I'm Real]]''. It spawned his final two Top 10 R&B hits, "[[I'm Real (James Brown song)|I'm Real]]" and "[[Static (James Brown song)|Static]]", which peaked at No. 2 and No. 5, respectively. Meanwhile, the [[Break (music)#Break beat (element of music)|drum break]] from the second version of the original 1969 hit "Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose", the recording included on the compilation album ''[[In the Jungle Groove]]'', became so popular at hip hop dance parties, especially for [[break dancing|breakdance]], during the early 1980s that hip hop pioneer  [[Kurtis Blow]] called the song "the national anthem of hip hop".<ref>[http://www.rhino.com/Features/liners/72851lin.html Liner notes – "Kurtis Blow presents: The History of Rap, Volume I"]. Rhino Records. Retrieved January 9, 2007. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070202220420/http://www.rhino.com/features/liners/72851lin.html|date=February 2, 2007 }}</ref>

[[File:James brown-08.jpg|thumb|Brown performing in 1998]]
After his stint in prison during the late 1980s, Brown met Larry Fridie and Thomas Hart who produced the first James Brown biopic, entitled ''James Brown: The Man, the Message, the Music'', released in 1992.<ref>{{Citation|last=Hart|first=Thomas A. Jr.|title=James Brown: The Man, the Music, & the Message|date=May 5, 2008|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1239407/|others=Dick Clark, James Brown, Casey Kasem|access-date=February 3, 2018|archive-date=February 10, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170210230528/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1239407/|url-status=live}}</ref> He returned to music with the album ''Love Over-Due'' in 1991. It included the single "[[(So Tired of Standing Still We Got to) Move On]]", which peaked at No. 48 on the R&B chart. His former record label Polydor released the four-CD box set ''[[Star Time (album)|Star Time]]'', spanning Brown's career to date. Brown's release from prison prompted his former record labels to [[reissue]] his albums on CD, featuring additional tracks and commentary by music critics and historians. 

In 1991, Brown appeared on rapper [[MC Hammer]]'s video for "[[Too Legit to Quit (song)|Too Legit to Quit]]". Hammer had been noted, alongside [[Big Daddy Kane]], for bringing Brown's unique stage shows and their own energetic dance moves to the hip-hop generation. Both listed Brown as their idol. Both musicians sampled his work, with Hammer having sampled the rhythms from "[[Super Bad (song)|Super Bad]]" for his song "Here Comes the Hammer", from his best-selling album ''[[Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em]]''. Big Daddy Kane sampled many times. Before the year was over, Brown–who had immediately returned to work with his band following his release–organized a pay-per-view concert following a show at Los Angeles' [[Wiltern Theatre]], that was well received.

On June 10, 1991, James Brown and a star-filled line up performed before a crowd at the Wiltern Theatre for a live pay-per-view at-home audience. ''James Brown: Living in America – Live!'' was the brainchild of Indiana producer Danny Hubbard. It featured
[[M.C. Hammer]] as well as [[Bell Biv Devoe]], [[Heavy D]] & the Boys, [[En Vogue]], [[C+C Music Factory]], [[Quincy Jones]], [[Sherman Hemsley]] and [[Keenen Ivory Wayans]]. [[Ice-T]], [[Tone Loc]] and [[Kool Moe Dee]] performed paying homage to Brown. This was Brown's first public performance since his parole from the South Carolina prison system in February. He had served two-and-a-half years of two concurrent six-year sentences for aggravated assault and other felonies.

Brown continued making recordings. In 1993 his album ''Universal James'' was released. It included his final ''Billboard'' charting single, "[[Can't Get Any Harder]]", which peaked at No. 76 on the US R&B chart and reached No. 59 on the UK chart. Its brief charting in the UK was probably due to the success of a remixed version of "I Feel Good" featuring [[Dakeyne]]. Brown released the singles "How Long" and "Georgia-Lina", which failed to chart. In 1995, Brown returned to the [[Apollo Theater|Apollo]] and recorded ''[[Live at the Apollo 1995]]''. It included a studio track titled "Respect Me", which was released as a single. Again, it failed to chart. 

[[File:James Brown 2001.jpg|thumb|upright|Brown during the [[NBA All-Star Game]] jam session, 2001]]
Brown's final studio albums, ''I'm Back'' and ''[[The Next Step (James Brown album)|The Next Step]]'', were released in 1998 and 2002 respectively. ''I'm Back'' featured the song "[[Funk on Ah Roll]]", which peaked at No. 40 in the UK but did not chart in his native US. ''The Next Step'' included Brown's final single, "[[Killing Is Out, School Is In]]". Both albums were produced by Derrick Monk. Brown's concert success remained unabated and he kept up with a grueling schedule throughout the remainder of his life, living up to his previous nickname, "The Hardest Working Man in Show Business", in spite of his advanced age. In 2003, Brown participated in the [[PBS]] ''[[American Masters]]'' television documentary ''James Brown: Soul Survivor'', which was directed by [[Jeremy Marre]].

Brown performed in the [[Super Bowl XXXI halftime show]] in 1997.

Brown celebrated his status as an icon by appearing in a variety of entertainment and sports events, including an appearance on the [[World Championship Wrestling|WCW]] pay-per-view event, [[SuperBrawl X]], where he danced alongside wrestler [[Ernest Miller|Ernest "the Cat" Miller]], who based his character on Brown, during his in-ring skit with [[Robert Kellum|the Maestro]]. Brown appeared in [[Tony Scott]]'s short film ''[[The Hire: Beat the Devil|Beat the Devil]]'' in 2001. He was featured alongside [[Clive Owen]], [[Gary Oldman]], [[Danny Trejo]] and [[Marilyn Manson]]. Brown made a [[cameo appearance]] in the 2002 [[Jackie Chan]] film ''[[The Tuxedo]]'', in which Chan was required to finish Brown's act after having accidentally knocked out the singer. In 2002, Brown appeared in ''[[Undercover Brother]]'', playing himself.

[[File:Jamesbrown3.jpg|thumb|Brown performing, June 2005]]
In 2004, Brown opened for the [[Red Hot Chili Peppers]] at several [[Hyde Park, London|Hyde Park]] concerts in London.<ref name="Fornication">{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cd1Mfte7wuEC&q=red%20hot%20chili%20peppers%20james%20brown%20hyde%20park&pg=PT507 | title=Fornication: The Red Hot Chili Peppers Story | publisher=Omnibus Press | author=Apter, Jeff | year=2004 | location=London | isbn=9781844493814 | access-date=October 26, 2020 | archive-date=August 13, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230813221903/https://books.google.com/books?id=cd1Mfte7wuEC&q=red%20hot%20chili%20peppers%20james%20brown%20hyde%20park&pg=PT507 | url-status=live }}</ref> The beginning of 2005 saw the publication of his second book, ''I Feel Good: A Memoir of a Life of Soul'', written with Marc Eliot. In February and March 2005, he participated in recording sessions for an intended studio album with Fred Wesley, Pee Wee Ellis, and other longtime collaborators. Though he lost interest in the album, which remains unreleased, a track from the sessions, "[[Gut Bucket (James Brown song)|Gut Bucket]]", appeared on a compilation CD included with the August 2006 issue of ''[[Mojo (magazine)|MOJO]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.charles-thomson.net/worldfunk.html |title=Portfolio – Features |publisher=Charles Thomson |access-date=February 12, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105032344/http://www.charles-thomson.net/worldfunk.html |archive-date=November 5, 2013}}</ref> 

He appeared at [[Edinburgh 50,000 – The Final Push]], the final [[Live 8]] concert on July 6, 2005, where he performed a duet with British pop star [[Will Young]] on "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag". In the Black Eyed Peas album "Monkey Business", Brown was featured on a track called "They Don't Want Music". The previous week he had performed a duet with another British pop star, [[Joss Stone]], on the United Kingdom chat show ''[[Friday Night with Jonathan Ross]]''. In 2006, Brown continued his Seven Decades of Funk World Tour. 

His final major U.S. performance was in San Francisco on August 20, 2006, as headliner at the Festival of the Golden Gate (Foggfest) on the Great Meadow at [[Fort Mason]]. The next day, he performed at an 800-seat campus theatre at [[Humboldt State University]] in [[Arcata, California]]. His last shows were greeted with positive reviews, and one of his final concert appearances at the Irish [[Oxegen 2006|Oxegen festival in Punchestown in 2006]] included a record crowd of 80,000 people. He played a full concert as part of the BBC's Electric Proms on October 27, 2006, at The Roundhouse,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/electricproms/2006/jamesbrown/ |title=Electric Proms – James Brown The Godfather of Soul |publisher=BBC |date=October 27, 2006 |access-date=April 11, 2014 |archive-date=January 16, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116151903/http://www.bbc.co.uk/electricproms/2006/jamesbrown/ |url-status=live }}</ref> supported by the Zutons, with special appearances from Max Beasley and the Sugababes.

Brown's last televised appearance was at his induction into the [[UK Music Hall of Fame]] in November 2006, before his death in December. Before his death, Brown had been scheduled to perform a duet with singer [[Annie Lennox]] on the song "Vengeance" for her new album ''Venus'', which was released in 2007.