Soul singer James Brown was born on May 3, 1933, in South Carolina, USA. He passed away on December 25, 2006.
At the age of 23, he made his debut with his first single, "Please Please Please," by James Brown with the Famous Flames. It immediately reached number 5 on the R&B chart and became a million-seller. In 1954, he actively participated in show business, appearing at New York's Apollo Theater. He thrilled fans with his "cloak show," in which he would kneel at the end of a live performance, shake off the cape that had been placed on him by a staff member, and resume singing.
He initially gained popularity with ballads, but in the 1960s, he began to pursue a harder sound. His songs, influenced by jazz and Latin rhythms, became popular on the American R&B charts. In 1963, his album "Live at the Apollo" reached number two on the US album chart. His single "I Got You" also reached number three in the US, and he continued to produce numerous hits.

In the 1980s, he released the collaborative single "Living in America" with Afrika Bambaataa, which was included on the soundtrack for the film "Rocky IV." He was sentenced to six years in prison for threatening his wife, but was paroled in 1991 and resumed his career as an artist. In July of the same year, he released his comeback album, "Love Over-Due."

He received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2003 BET Awards. He continued his career as an artist, but was hospitalized with pneumonia in 2006, where he passed away.