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Tag: james brown

  • Jamie Foxx, Maxwell, Jill Scott, Flea, Doja Cat and more react to the death of D’Angelo

    Notable reaction to the death of R&B and neo-soul icon D’Angelo , who died Tuesday at 51.

    Jamie Foxx

    “I remember hearing your music for the first time… I said to myself damn whoever this is they are anointed… Then when I finally got a chance to see you… Like everyone when they saw the most incredible music video of our time… I was blown away… I thought to myself I have to see this person in concert… I had my chance to see you at the house of blues… You came out and got right down to business… Your voice was silky and flawless… I was graciously envious of your style and your swag…

    That’s why today real tears run down my face … to hear the news that God has taken one of his special creations home… I know God doesn’t make mistakes… But this one hurts like hell… rest up my friend… you will be missed forever… But your music and your impression will be felt for generations to come…. REST IN POWER AND BEAUTIFUL MUSIC….. You are one of one….” — on Instagram.

    This July 6, 2012 file photo D'Angelo performs at the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans. (Photo by Cheryl Gerber/Invision/AP, File)

    Miguel

    “Who didn’t want to be D’Angelo? You know what I mean? It’s like, who of us didn’t wanna be D’Angelo? His choices, the musicality, the songwriting, the feeling, the emotion in his music…

    It was like he came out of nowhere in terms of his sound and yet it was still familiar. And it’s really rare, you know, he was a one of one artist. And 51 is way, way too soon. I never saw coming. I was looking forward to the next. “Black Messiah”— the work, the musicianship, the dedication to the sound, they rehearsed that album for months upon months before even recording it, is my understanding. … Every one of his albums for me, they’re all classic albums.” — the alternative R&B singer Miguel, in an interview with The Associated Press

    Maxwell

    “because u were , we are all because.” — the Grammy-Award winning R&B singer said on Instagram.

    Jill Scott

    “I told you a long time ago — You ain’t gon understand everything & everything ain’t meant 4 U, nor I, to understand. I never met D’Angelo but I love him, respect him, admire his gift. This loss HURTS!! Love to my family that are family to him. I’m so sorry. R.I.P. GENIUS.” — on X.

    Kelly Rowland

    “This one hurts, DEEP! The way this man, poured himself in the music! The stories I’ve heard of his brilliant process…….im just speechless…… He TRULY IS 1 of 1. Simply gutted by this loss! May God Bless D’Angelo’s family and loved Ones. We lost a GIANT.” — the singer, actor and former member of Destiny’s Child, on Instagram.

    Flea

    “One of my all time favorites whose records I went to again and again. Noone did anything funkier over the last 30 years. I never knew him but humbled myself before his music. What a rare and beautiful voice and an inimitable approach to songwriting. What a musician!!! He changed the course of popular music. Fly free with the angels D’angelo, we will listen to you forever and always be moved. I drop to my knees and pray.” — the co-founder and bassist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers said on Instagram.

    Tyler, the Creator

    “On my 9th birthday, march 6 2000, i landed at Sam Goody at the south bay galleria. i had $20 in birthday money and my eyes set on leaving with one thing. VOODOO by D’Angelo.

    i couldnt understand how someone could write something so simple but personal but broad but genius. thats how special he was. a savant. a true alien.

    i am so lucky to have gotten my copy of VOODOO when i did. we are so lucky to have been alive to enjoy his art. my musical dna was helped shaped by this man. forever grateful. safe travels.” — the rapper, on Instagram.

    Jennifer Hudson

    “This really hurts ! We lost a true original today. It just doesn’t seem real!! It can’t be . D’Angelo, your voice will live on forever. Rest well, King !!!” — the singer, actor and talk show host, on Instagram.

    Nile Rogers

    “My friend Gary Harris brought this musician named D’Angelo over to my NYC apt. He was trying to figure out what to do with the music he’d brought with him. I listened to every cut…not just out of respect but because it was smoking. At the end of the encounter he asked me, “What should I do with it?” I remember this as if it were yesterday. I said, “Put it out. It’s perfect!” Being the #artist he is, I guess he had to explore some ways to make it better. About a year later I heard one of those songs on the radio. It was #genius and it was exactly what he had played for me. I know…I still have the original cassette. — the legendary musician, record producer and co-founder of Chic, on X.

    Black Thought

    “We came up together— young, gifted, Black, and full of fire. Today I lost a brother, a kindred spirit, a genius whose light changed music and changed me. Rest in power, D. This world will never sound the same.” — rapper, singer and lead MC of The Roots, on Instagram.

    H.E.R.

    “This is one of the only people that could get me to come out of a hiatus. I’m so devastated. I don’t know if anyone understands how much he meant to me or even to all of us. We still don’t really know how to celebrate our legends while they are here but I digress. I’m so grateful I got to meet him, and sing with him, and know him. I only wish we could’ve spent more time creating.” — the Grammy-Award winning R&B singer and guitarist, on Instagram.

    Bootsy Collins

    “Danggit! Say it ain’t so, but we just lost a friend, a creator & legend, D’Angelo! Prayer’s going out to his family & friends! We all lolve u lil-brother. R.I.P…” — the bassist, singer, and songwriter known for his work with James Brown and as a member of the Parliament-Funkadelic collective, on X.

    Doja Cat

    “Rest in peace D’angelo. My thoughts, love and prayers go out to his family and friends. A true voice of soul and inspiration to many brilliant artists of our generation and generations to come.” — the singer, rapper and pop performer, on X.

    Rosie Perez

    “Omg! This is so sad! I knew he was fighting for some time too. But man, this is so sad. At great artist-Gone too soon. My sympathies to his loved ones and family. #RIP D’Angelo” — the actor, on X.

    DJ Premier

    “Such a sad loss to the passing of D’angelo. We have so many great times. Gonna miss you so much. Sleep Peacefully D’. Love You KING.” — the legendary DJ and hip-hop producer, on X.

    Bartees Strange

    “I can’t think of a musician other than Prince that I revere more. He is one of the great players and bandleaders. I was always inspired by the fact that he also struggled. And we all knew that. We don’t get artists like this often. He really touched my life, and I was sure one day I’d get to see him play. I can’t believe he died so young. I’m very sad. I love that he grew into something new from his past life. — the acclaimed indie musician said on Instagram.

    9th Wonder

    “I am sitting in this airport, in tears. The greatest soul musician, of a generation. Is gone. Michael Archer, I love you, man…. Rest in Power to The Great. D’Angelo…. I am broken…..” — the record producer, on Instagram.

    Bryan Michael Cox

    “We lost a GIANT today. The last time I shed tears for an artist when they transitioned was Prince… I shed some today. Rest In Eternal Power, Michael D’Angelo Archer.” — the R&B songwriter, on Instagram.

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  • Buckhead Art & Co. debuts newest exhibit on James Brown, “Echoes of the Flame”

    Buckhead Art & Co. debuts newest exhibit on James Brown, “Echoes of the Flame”

    Portrait of James Brown by Dean Beresford. Photo by Noah Washington/The Atlanta Voice

    Legacy filled the room. June is Black Music Month and this year brings a special tribute to the legendary artist and Augusta native, the late James Brown. 

    On June 15th, Buckhead Art & Company, in collaboration with the James Brown Foundation, debuted the James Brown exhibit, “Echoes Of The Flame.” Running until June 30th, the exhibit showcases multiple artists paying homage to the iconic “Get On Up” singer.

    LaMont Z. Russell, events and marketing manager for Buckhead Art & Company, explained that the idea originated with a phone call to the gallery. The proposal for the show in Buckhead was made possible through collaboration with the James Brown estate and Primary Wave, the record company that holds the rights to Brown’s music as well as music by Whitney Houston, Burt Bacharach, and Prince.

    Noah Washington

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  • A&E’s ‘James Brown: Say It Loud’ doc explores a complicated genius

    A&E’s ‘James Brown: Say It Loud’ doc explores a complicated genius

    click to enlarge

    Courtesy of A&E

    James Brown: Say It Loud pulls no punches.

    One powerful takeaway from James Brown: Say It Loud, the extraordinary two-night, four-hour documentary premiering at 8 p.m. Monday Feb. 19 on A&E, is the tragically fleeting nature of fame and legacy.

    As the subtitle of Hour Two suggests, there was a time when James Brown was arguably “The Most Powerful Black Man in America.” He virtually invented the ferocious blend of jazz and gospel that became known as funk. His Live at the Apollo album expanded the horizons of the recording industry, and his songs became a soundtrack for the civil rights movement. As Essence magazine editor-at-large Mikki Taylor observes, “He gave you sex and protest at the same time.”

    A multimillionaire music mogul and entrepreneur decades before Jay-Z, his Deep South holdings included a private jet and three radio stations, one of which he shined shoes next to as a child. He had an open-door invitation to the White House, and you do remember the phrase that follows “Say it Loud” in Brown’s revolutionary R&B anthem, don’t you? “I’m Black… and I’m proud,” Rev. Al Sharpton reflects in the doc, slowly caressing each word. “He changed the self-image of Negro to Black overnight, with the addendum of being proud. He changed how white America looked at us when we stick our chests out.”

    But think about it: despite influencing the dance moves of artists from Michael and Prince to Beyoncé and Usher’s halftime show; despite performing relentlessly into his 70s and recording 17 No. 1 R&B hits; despite being possibly the most sampled artist of all time, especially in the hip-hop era; despite being one of the first artists inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame… how often do you hear James Brown’s name mentioned in the public discourse today? How often do you hear his records played, even on Black radio stations or SiriusXM oldies channels?

    Super bad.

    It was well past time for this richly detailed, warts-and-all history lesson, executive produced by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and Mick Jagger who both appear frequently onscreen. (Hey, you don’t suppose Mick “borrowed” a few moves from James over the years? Jagger also produced the biopic Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown 10 years ago, but this may be the big payback.) It was scheduled to premiere in 2023, to coincide with what would have been Brown’s 90th birthday, but delays pushed it to Black History Month.

    click to enlarge There was a time when James Brown was arguably “The Most Powerful Black Man in America.” - Courtesy of A&E

    Courtesy of A&E

    There was a time when James Brown was arguably “The Most Powerful Black Man in America.”

    Its length — two hours Monday, another two hours beginning at 8 p.m. Tuesday — allows Say It Loud to be impressively comprehensive, and it pulls no punches. Neither did Brown. The third installment opens with a viewer discretion warning, and it’s merited: the hour goes into disturbing detail about Brown’s appalling physical abuse of the women in his life, including his three wives and his dancers on tour. The documentary also reminds us of his image-damaging endorsement of President Richard Nixon, his levying fines on band members in mid-concert for the slightest errors, his drug use and prison sentence on gun charges, and his career resurgences after appearing in the films The Blues Brothers and Rocky 4. Like anyone considered a genius in his or her field, James Brown was a morass of conflicts and contradictions.

    Besides the aforementioned contributors, Say It Loud weaves insights and memories from a wide range of music and pop culture authorities, as well as fellow recording legends like LL Cool and Bootsy Collins, and contemporaries who knew him well. (One of them, longtime entertainment reporter Don Rhodes of the Augusta Chronicle, died last year before seeing the finished product.) The fact the documentary prominently features three of Brown’s children — Dr. Yamma (as in Mt. Fujiyama), Deanna, and Larry Brown — gives it an aura of legitimacy, but the fact Brown had at least seven children that he knew of can’t be ignored.

    However, the most prominent voice relating the story of James Brown: Say It Loud is… James Brown. Through a masterful weaving of video clips, audio recordings, and some never-before-seen archival footage, “Soul Brother No. 1” largely tells his story in his own words. If you didn’t know he died of congestive heart failure and pneumonia on Christmas Day 2006, you could be convinced the Godfather of Soul is still putting out hits.

    You’ll be reminded that JB was born into a situation so bleak that poverty would have been an upgrade and was sent to prison at 15 for stealing a car battery… that he took a lot of his style from Little Richard, and occasionally performed as Richard when the latter was double booked… and overcame all obstacles to eventually headline a music festival in Zaire in connection with the Ali-Foreman fight and sing duets with Luciano Pavarotti in Italy. And Detroit figures notably in James Brown: Say It Loud, too.

    The Motown sound, as carefully curated by Berry Gordy, is seen as stark contrast to the rhythmic shrieks and grunts that defined Brown’s music. Largely because of Motown’s presence, the Fox Theatre is depicted as one of the few places in America, along with such as the Apollo in Harlem and the Regal in Chicago, where Black artists could perform for auditorium-sized crowds. Brown is shown guesting on Detroit Black Journal and with Dr. Sonya Friedman, the metro Detroit psychologist and former national talk-show host. And don’t blink or you might miss our dark Dick Clark, host Nat Morris, chatting up Brown in brief clips from our legendary dance show The Scene.

    The last hour is painful to watch. It shows Brown’s body and skills deteriorating in his last years and spends much time detailing his memorial services at the James Brown Arena in Georgia and the Apollo. Be advised. But it ends in a blaze of glory with his 1966 appearance singing “Please, Please, Please” on The Ed Sullivan Show, so it may be worth the hurt.

    Either way, James Brown: Say It Loud is bursting with mighty, memorable music throughout and dance moves no one has yet been able to duplicate. If ever this was a man’s world, James Brown was the man. And this outstanding biography proves it.

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    Jim McFarlin

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  • A new Netflix show keeps the memory of Blockbuster alive | CNN

    A new Netflix show keeps the memory of Blockbuster alive | CNN

    A version of this story appeared in Pop Life Chronicles, CNN’s weekly entertainment newsletter. To get it in your inbox, sign up for free here.



    CNN
     — 

    Change is good, yes?

    I’ve been thinking about mixing it up when it comes to this newsletter, but I’d like to hear from you. What would you like to read about? Are there some sections you like more than others? Do you feel like I’m missing something that will liven up your brunch conversations?

    Drop me a line and let me know.

    In the meantime, let’s get to this week’s round-up.

    ‘Blockbuster’

    True confession: I have my old Blockbuster membership card somewhere around here.

    I was a regular at my neighborhood store in Baltimore which is why I was thrilled when I learned of this new comedy series based on the #throwback movie rental chain.

    In the eponymous show, Randall Park plays Timmy Yoon, “an analog dreamer living in a 5G world” who manages the last Blockbuster location out there. He’s out to prove his store provides “something big corporations can’t: human connection.”

    What a great message. The series is streaming on Netflix now. Yes, you read that right – you can now stream a show about movie rentals.

    ‘Hip Hop Homicides’

    Pop Smoke performs at a listening party on February 6, 2020 in New York City.

    Sadly, with the recent death of rapper Takeoff, this new WEtv show feels more timely than ever.

    Produced by 50 Cent and Mona Scott-Young, and hosted by Van Lathan, the series will be “taking a ‘big picture’ look at the epidemic of violence in hip hop.” Given that at least one rapper has lost his life every year to gun violence since 2018, the topic is ripe for examination.

    The first episode, which looks at the 2020 murder of rapper Pop Smoke, is available on WEtv.

    ‘Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me’

    Selena Gomez attends the 28th Screen Actors Guild Awards on February 27 in Santa Monica, California.

    Celebrity confessionals are popular for good reason.

    They serve as a reminder that, no matter how young, rich, famous or good looking you may be, life can still be a challenge.

    That appears to be the message within Selena Gomez’s new documentary “My Mind & Me,” in which she gets vulnerable about her world and her mental health. In my opinion, this sort of first-person advocacy is one of the best uses of a celeb’s platform – because it can help others to realize that they are not alone.

    “Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me” is streaming on Apple TV+.

    ‘Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me’

    James Brown performs during the Super Bowl XXXI half-time show on January 26, 1997 at the Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.

    A strange phone call reveals a question from beyond the grave – was The Godfather of Soul murdered?

    Almost 40 years ago, a songwriter found herself in musician James Brown’s inner circle, though the relationship would nearly destroy her career. Decades later, she finds herself trying to solve the mystery of Brown’s death. When she makes a call to CNN reporter Thomas Lake, the two stumble into a world of secrets, intimidation, and suspected foul play.

    “The James Brown Mystery” podcast is currently streaming on CNN Audio.

    (From left) Melanie Chisholm, Emma Bunton, Melanie Brown, Geri Halliwell and Victoria Beckham of the Spice Girls perform during the Closing Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games on August 12, 2012.

    Spice up your life!

    To celebrate the 25th anniversary of their second album’s release, the iconic British girl group have curated a new version of the record, “Spiceworld25,” bringing together the hits, their favorite B-sides, some live concert recordings and a “Spice Girls Party Mix” mash-up.

    It’s kind of wild that Melanie Chisholm, Emma Bunton, Melanie Brown, Geri Halliwell and Victoria Beckham have been around that long, but it’s also an opportunity to reminisce about how caught up in their girl power so many of us were – and still are it seems.

    The album is out now.

    Julia Roberts attends a screening of

    By far my favorite story of this week was the tale of how Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King paid the hospital bill for Julia Roberts’ birth. It was the perfect combination of “Wait, what?” and “How cool is that?”

    The story itself has been here and there on social media since Roberts shared it with journalist Gayle King in September as part of the History Channel’s “HISTORYTalks” series, but gained traction in particular during fans’ celebration of Roberts’ 55th birthday on October 28.

    No matter how the story broke through, I’m glad it did.

    Jennifer Coolidge gives an acceptance speech during the 74th Primetime Emmys at Microsoft Theater on September 12 in Los Angeles, California.

    “Welcome to the Jenaissance” read the headline of a recent Vogue magazine story on Jennifer Coolidge, and I think that perfectly captures it.

    “The White Lotus” star is having a moment – and we love to see it.

    Not only did Coolidge win an Emmy in September for her work on the hit HBO show, but she also has a role in the buzzy Netflix series “The Watcher.”

    Coolidge is getting a kick out of it as well. She told CNN’s Don Lemon this week that, “It’s way more enjoyable if you never expected the moment to happen.”

    “It’s the surprise of it all that makes it so fun,” she added during an interview which aired Wednesday on “CNN This Morning.” “I truly believe if I expected all this to happen it never would have.”

    In Hollywood, being 61 and still killing it on screen continues – sadly – to be a rare triumph. But Coolidge is an institution, having appeared in so many movies that have helped define pop culture, from “American Pie” to “Legally Blonde” to “Best in Show,” to name just a few.

    Long live her reign as the actress most likely to steal all the scenes.

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  • Five years ago, a circus singer called to say James Brown was murdered | CNN

    Five years ago, a circus singer called to say James Brown was murdered | CNN



    CNN
     — 

    One Tuesday afternoon in 2017, the phone rang at my desk in CNN Center. On the line was a woman who told me, “James Brown did not die the way they said he died. And I have proof of it.” The caller’s name was Jacque Hollander. She was a singer for the Carson & Barnes Circus.

    The circus singer made one wild claim after another. I took a few notes and politely ended the call. Even if she was telling the truth, I couldn’t imagine how she would prove it. James Brown, one of the greatest entertainers in American history, died at a hospital in Atlanta in 2006, officially of natural causes. I had no reason to suspect foul play.

    But the circus singer kept calling. She kept saying Brown had been murdered. She kept telling me she had evidence to back up all her claims. Finally, my editor said I might as well go see what this woman was talking about.

    And so, on a hot day in late spring, I took a trip to the circus.

    The story turned out to be even deeper and stranger than it seemed. Five years later, I am still untangling all the threads. Even after my investigative series was published in 2019, I knew there was more work to do. I discovered that James Brown’s life was more mysterious than his death: layered with deception and intrigue, haunted by the government agents he believed were following him. After he prevented a riot in Boston in 1968, Brown was convinced he’d drawn the attention of the FBI and the CIA.

    Since taking that strange phone call in 2017, I’ve interviewed more than 200 people—including the doctor who signed Brown’s death certificate and a friend who claimed to have taken a vial of Brown’s blood in the hope it would prove Brown was murdered. I’ve gathered records from at least 14 courthouses. I’ve downloaded text messages from the circus singer’s iPhone. I’ve sent a black stiletto shoe to a lab for forensic analysis.

    I’ve puzzled over the long-lost pages of a deceased informant’s notebook that might reveal whether James Brown’s third wife, Adrienne, was murdered — and, if so, who killed her.

    In 2021, CNN sued the CIA under the Freedom of Information Act to demand the release of confidential documents that could rewrite the history of the Godfather of Soul. The case is pending. To this day, the CIA will not confirm or deny these documents exist.

    What happened after the circus singer’s phone call is a story that unfolds over eight episodes in “The James Brown Mystery,” a new investigative podcast from CNN. It’s a story about secrets, surveillance, and suspicious deaths. It’s about the fear that Brown lived with until the day he died.

    And it’s about one woman’s quest to solve the mystery of the man who ruined her life.

    That quest continues, nearly 16 years after Brown’s death. Jacque Hollander is 67 now, recovering from heart surgery and living with a pacemaker. But the other day on the phone, she told me she hasn’t given up. She’s still convinced that someone murdered James Brown, and that someone murdered Adrienne Brown, and that the killers should be prosecuted.

    “Am I gonna quit? No,” she said. “I can’t just walk away from something I know is the truth.”

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