December 26, 2006
James Brown died on Christmas day, a typically dramatic move for the 73-year-old, self-described “Godfather of Soul,†who was known for dramatic endings in concert.
The news of his death caught me off guard, because I hadn’t heard much about the performer in years. Although Brown’s music career was in its sunset years, he was still touring and singing regularly. He was hospitalized with pneumonia just a couple days before, and died of heart failure not long after telling a friend he would perform in Times Square for New Year’s Eve.
The man earned another of his many nicknames, “The hardest working man in show business,†to the very end.
