James Joseph Brown was May 3, 1933, and lived until December 25, 2006. He was an American entertainer, record producer, and bandleader.

The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th-century music, he is often referred to by the honorific nicknames “the Hardest Working Man in Show Business”, “Godfather of Soul”, “Mr. Dynamite”, and “Soul Brother No. 1”.

During the 1972 presidential election, James Brown openly proclaimed his support of Richard Nixon for reelection to the presidency over Democratic candidate George McGovern. The decision led to a boycott of his performances and, according to Brown, cost him a big portion of his black audience. As a result, Brown’s record sales and concerts in the United States reached a lull in 1973 as he failed to land a number-one R&B single that year.

In a career that lasted more than 50 years, he influenced the development of several music genres. Brown was one of the first 10 inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at its inaugural induction in New York on January 23, 1986.

James Brown’s parents: Meet Susie Brown, Joseph Gardner Browns

Brown was born to 16-year-old Susie Behling; 1916–2004) and 21-year-old Joseph Gardner Brown (1912–1993) in a small wooden shack. During the Great Depression.

He is of African, Chinese, and Native American ancestry.

Source: Ghanafuo.com