Godfather of Soul's haunting final words as a premonition of his death
James Brown, known as the Godfather of Soul, flourished in the 20th century from his moving live performances, making gospel a secular sound, and influencing people and future stars with his nuanced music. The singer rose to prominence during the 1950s as the lead singer of the Famous Flames and soon crafted his solo career soon after.
His theatrical performance on stage, falling to his knees, dancing into the splits, and popping the mic to the floor and back, was filled with an intensity that would've inspired a young Michael Jackson. James's career lasted 50 years, with a number of smash hits.
So, it's hard to imagine what the world would've been like without his music and influence. His living legacy meant he was one of the first 10 inductees into the prestigious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. For years, he acted as not only an icon but a cultural leader, writing political songs and giving awareness to Black Pride.
James Brown was considered one of the best performancers of the 20th century (PA)James was raised by his great-aunt in Georgia, who took him in after his parents divorced. It was during one of America's harshest times in the segregated South during the Great Depression in the 1930s that on one occasion because he was too poor, got sent home from school for "insufficient clothes."
His musical talent started to shine from a young age as his neighbours taught him how to play instruments like the drums, piano and guitar. It was in church his love for gospel music began, which led him to stardom.
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At the Alto Reform School, he formed a gospel group named the Flames (later the Famous Flames), which attracted the attention of rhythm-and-blues and rock-and-roll shouter Little Richard, who helped promote the group. In 1956 the group released their first song "Please. Please. Please" which sold three million copies, launching James' incredible career.
During the '60s James began known as Soul Brother Number One, and in the '70s as the Godfather of Soul. His career included 100 singles with almost 50 albums on the best-seller charts and live performances, such as Live at the Apollo which was on the charts for 22 weeks.
Jame Brown and the Famous Flames (Getty Images)Despite his long reign in music, James died at the age of 73 in the early morning on Christmas day in 2006 from fluid in his lungs and a heart attack. His widow, Tomi Rae, revealed that the star struggled with his condition for days before he passed.
"There was this public image he'd spent years creating and there was the real James Brown I lived with for nine years. I was the only person to see the real him. By the end, he was suffering terribly from arthritis in his legs. I had to massage him," she said.
"The last time he did the splits on stage he was so sore he couldn't get out of bed for 24 hours," she continued. "He had diabetes but was scared of needles so I had to monitor him taking his drugs three times a day. He hated growing old.
"He wanted to always be the young virile man from his glory days but by the end he was using Viagra. There were times he could not even make love." Tomi was there when James stuttered his final words, marking the end of a legendary era, which were: "I'm going away tonight."
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A poster of James (Getty Images)Tomi Rae, who was James' fourth wife, was only 25 years old when she met him at 64 in 1997, but despite the age gap, the pair soon got married in 2001 and have one son together James Junior. It was Junior who became James' youngest child out of his five children.
For a week after James' death, Tomi and Junior had to live in a run-down hotel in Georgia as she claimed James lawyer's locked them out of his 230-acre South Carolina estate at Beech Island. The dispute of who would inherit James' estate went on for over a decade, finally settling in 2021. In his will, it is believed that a lot of his fortune went to a trust for education, whilst his grandchildren inherited two million dollars each.
His marriage to Tomi caused some controversy after his death, with questions arising regarding the validity of their marriage. She would've inherited a majority of his money but the Supreme Court of South ruled in 2020 that Tomi had not annulled a previous marriage before James, therefore never making her James legal spouse.
According to The Times, his children have been able to benefit from his music streaming, licensing of songs for movie and TV adverts, alongside potential profits from selling his music catalog. It'd also believed they were able to keep his outfits and a few personal items.
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