James Brown
Date of birth: 1933-05-03
Place of birth: Barnwell, South Carolina, USA
Known for: Acting
Also known as: The Godfather of Soul, The Hardest-Working Man in Show Business, Mr. Dynamite, Soul Brother No. 1
Biography
James Brown (May 3, 1933 - December 25, 2006) was an American singer and songwriter, eventually referred to as "The Godfather of Soul"(GFOS). Brown started singing in gospel groups and worked his way on up. He has been recognized as one of the most iconic figures in the 20th century popular music and was renowned for his vocals and feverish dancing. He was also called "the hardest-working man in show business". Brown began his professional music career in 1956 and rose to fame during the late 1950s and early 1960s on the strength of his thrilling live performances and string of smash hits. In spite of various personal problems and setbacks he continued to score hits in every decade through the 1980s. In addition to his acclaim in music, Brown was also a presence in American political affairs during the 1960s and 1970s.
Movie Credits
The Blues Brothers
1980-06-16
Jake Blues, just released from prison, puts his old band back together to save the Catholic home whe
Rocky IV
1985-11-21
Rocky Balboa holds the world heavyweight championship, but a new challenger has stepped forward: Dra
When We Were Kings
1996-10-25
It's 1974. Muhammad Ali is 32 and thought by many to be past his prime. George Foreman is ten years
Blues Brothers 2000
1998-02-06
Finally released from prison, Elwood Blues is once again enlisted by Sister Mary Stigmata in her lat
Best of the 60s: The Story of Ready, Steady, Go!
2021-06-05
Best of the 60s is a documentary and a compilation from across the years of the iconic music series.
Soul Power
2009-06-10
Soul Power is a 2008 documentary film about the Zaire 74 music festival in Kinshasa which accompanie
James Brown: Body Heat
2004-09-28
In 1969 at a concert in Monterey James Brown announced his intention to retire from touring but it w
Live 8
2005-11-07
On 2 July 2005 an estimated 3 billion people came together in the fight against extreme poverty. LIV
When the Music's Over
1983-06-14
Rare clips of performance and interviews by a multiple of stars, all prematurely lost.
The Lost James Brown Tapes
1991-01-01
In 1979, James Brown flew to Santa Cruz, California to make a comeback performance. The filmed tapes
The Phynx
1970-03-06
A rock band is invented by the government as a cover to find hostages in a remote castle in Albania
Fathers and Songs: Music for Father's Day
2013-06-16
Fatherhood has proved a great subject for a variety of artists - some celebratory, some conflicted,
Nueva York: A Musical History of Latin New York
2021-12-10
When the film West Side Story was released in 1961, New York's reviled Puerto Rican community gained
Beat the Devil
2002-11-22
The Driver drag-races the Devil, in order to earn James Brown his soul.
The T.A.M.I. Show
1964-11-14
Hailed by one music reviewer as "the grooviest, wildest, slickest hit ever to pound the screen," "Th
James Brown - The Night James Brown Saved Boston
2008-04-05
On April 5, 1968, soul legend James Brown performed a concert in Boston that many say shielded that
James Brown - Live At Chastain Park
1985-01-01
The hardest working man in show business is back--and some say better than ever--in this live concer
James Brown Live At The Apollo '68
2008-08-05
This was one of a series of concerts James Brown gave at the Apollo in Harlem in March 1968. This pe
Paper Chasers
2003-05-07
Paper Chasers is a feature length documentary about the impact of hip hop entrepreneurs who have bui
Robots
2005-03-10
Rodney Copperbottom is a young robot inventor who dreams of making the world a better place, until t
The Real Rocky
2011-10-25
Chuck Wepner is a liquor salesman from Bayonne, N.J., who drives a Cadillac with “Champ” vanity plat
James Brown: Live at Montreux
1981-07-07
"Soul Brother No.1", "The Godfather Of Soul", "Mr Dynamite" are all titles that have been applied to
Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage
2021-07-23
Explore Woodstock 99, a three-day music festival promoted to echo unity and counterculture idealism
James Brown - The Man, The Music & The Message
2014-11-08
The Godfather of Soul tells his life story and features his greatest live performances.
James Brown: Love Power Peace
1971-03-08
Live at the Olympia, Paris, 1971 is the only recording that documents one of his live performances w
Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown
2014-04-27
James Brown changed the face of American music forever. Abandoned by his parents at an early age, J
The Midnight Special Legendary Performances 1974
1974-12-22
The Midnight Special is an American late-night musical variety series that aired on NBC during the 1
Ski Party
1965-06-30
Two college boys from SoCal attend a spring break vacation at a ski lodge in Idaho to get insider ti
RapLine
1993-09-10
Between 1990 and 1993, at a time when rap was not yet on the radio in France, Olivier Cachin hosted
Legends of Rock 'n' Roll
1989-01-01
Are you ready for some old-time rock and roll?! Then you are ready for the masters, the originators,
Yo! The Story of ‘Yo! MTV Raps’
2012-06-07
A provocative look into the seven-year history of the series that gave hip hop a voice and broke col
James Brown: Live
2004-12-10
For one special night back in the mid '80s, the air in Atlanta, Georgia heated up a few degrees. Wit
Casey Kasem's Rock 'n' Roll Goldmine: The Soul Years
2004-04-27
Radio disc jockey legend Casey Kasem presents this collection featuring momentous occasions in music
The Giants of Black Music
2003-03-24
Mother Popcorn - James Brown What's The Use Of Breaking Up - Jerry Butler MacArthur Park - Della R
James Brown: Soul Survivor
2003-10-29
James Brown's legacy has influenced rap, soul, funk and R&B. But along with his huge talent, there's
Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues
2022-09-08
Never-before-heard personal recordings and archival footage tell the story of Louis Armstrong's life
James Brown Live in Berlin
1991-05-01
The great James Brown and his band in concert, with a young Maceo Parker on saxophone. A live record
Frankie Laine: An American Dreamer
2006-01-23
"Frankie Laine: An American Dreamer" is a feature-length documentary. In this entertaining look at t
James Brown Soul Brother No. 1
1978-01-23
The James Brown Story
The Story of Funk: One Nation Under a Groove
2014-12-05
A documentary on funk and P-funk and the bands and artists that made it all happen: James Brown, Sly
George Clinton: Tales of Dr Funkenstein
2006-10-27
Don Letts's hilarious and colourful profile of the godfather of funk, whose 50-year career has defin
A Tale of James Brown
2016-01-23
Comedian/filmmaker Camille Solari spends the last year interviewing the legendary musical icon James
James Brown Live At The Boston Garden - April 5, 1968
2008-08-05
Live at the Boston Garden: April 5, 1968 is a concert film starring James Brown. Recorded at the Bos
The UB40: Story of Reggae
2001-08-01
Doctor Detroit
1983-05-06
A shy but gentle man named Clifford Skridlow is a professor of comparative literature at the financi
Cincinnati's Rock 'N Roll Legends
1995-01-01
An excellent comprehensive look at all the music that came out of Cincinnati, Ohio. Cincinnati "Roc
Undercover Brother
2002-05-31
An Afro-American organization, the B.R.O.T.H.E.R.H.O.O.D., is in permanent fight against a white org
Rhythm and Blues 40: A Soul Spectacular
2001-12-10
This show brings together legendary artists of the 1960s and 1970s for a once-in-a-lifetime event: B
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
2004-01-01
Discover how television has reflected the African American experience in this retrospective of the m
The Tuxedo
2002-09-27
Cabbie-turned-chauffeur Jimmy Tong learns there is really only one rule when you work for playboy mi
Finding the Funk
2014-01-31
Finding the Funk is a road trip in search of the past, present and future of Funk music. Starting wi
James Brown: Soul Train 1973-1974
1974-01-01
All of James Brown's performances on Soul Train from 1973 to 1974.
Africa Rising
2019-06-03
How African artists have spread African culture all over the world, especially music, since the hars
It's Black Entertainment
2002-02-08
A star-studded tribute (from the creators of That's Entertainment) to the contributions of Afro-Amer
1968: A Year of War, Turmoil and Beyond
2018-07-20
The Tet Offensive during the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement, the May events in France, the a
James Brown & Friends: A Night of Super Soul
1987-01-01
Godfather of soul James Brown performs with Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Billy Vera, Joe Cocker
The Apollo
2019-04-24
The history of New York City's Apollo Theater in Harlem is given the full treatment.
Pavarotti The Duets
2008-05-09
LUCIANO PAVAROTTI was the rare artist who could easily bridge the divide between classical and popul
The Midnight Special Legendary Performances: More 1977
2007-01-23
These are live performances from a television music show that aired late night on the NBC-TV network
Sex in '69: The Sexual Revolution in America
2009-01-01
Documentary on the sexual revolution in America.
James Brown: Live From The House Of Blues
1999-01-03
The hardest working man in show business brings down the House of Blues with a live concert event in
Nice Girls Don't Stay for Breakfast
2019-02-27
In the late 1990s, iconic photographer Bruce Weber barely managed to convince legendary actor Robert
The AGFA Mystery Mixtape Vault
2020-04-08
THE AGFA MYSTERY MIXTAPE VAULT is a 2-disc, 500-minute odyssey that collects eight feature-length VH
Sunday Best: The Untold Story of Ed Sullivan
2023-06-11
Ed Sullivan broke barriers by booking Black artists on his Sunday night variety show. This documenta
James Brown - Live at Chastain Park Atlanta 1980
2003-06-10
Experience the explosive energy of the “Godfather of Soul” in this unforgettable 1980 performance at
Say Hello to Our Good Friend Paul Shaffer
A feature documentary about Paul Shaffer, best known David Letterman’s longtime sidekick and Late Sh
Holy Man
1998-10-08
In a world governed by commerce, Ricky and Kate, dedicated employees, find their lives forever chang
Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music
2025-01-27
Untold stories behind the culture-defining and newsmaking musical performances, sketches and cameos
James Brown: Living in America
2007-03-07
Compilation of clips from various James Brown shows.
Full Length & Fabulous: The Beckhams' World Cup Party
2006-05-28
Go behind the scenes as the Beckhams throw a star-studded World Cup send-off party. This 2002 ITV do