TRANSCRIPT:
Hi, I’m Mark Rapp, and this is Rapp on Jazz.
Before he became known as the Godfather of Soul, James Brown was a musically talented child growing up near the South Carolina-Georgia border. Born in Barnwell County, South Carolina, he moved to Augusta, Georgia, in the late 1930s. By the age of twelve, he was already performing gospel, blues, and pop music with a group called the Cremona Trio.
In his late teens, Brown joined Bobby Byrd’s band, which later became known as The Famous Flames. They signed with King Records, and in 1956, they released their first single, “Please, Please, Please.” This hit launched Brown’s career, and two years later, “Try Me” reached number one on the R&B charts.
Brown’s unstoppable energy, gospel-infused soul, and electrifying performances set him apart as an artist.
This has been Rapp on Jazz, a co-production of ColaJazz and South Carolina Public Radio, made possible by the ETV Endowment of South Carolina.