James Brown

American musician (1933–2006)

Source-basedFalling

Lived 1933–2006, aged 73United States

United States MusiciansSinger / Musician

Fame53.0
Momentum2.4
United States rank#198
Musicians rank#65
Wikipedia174.2K

Wikipedia
88 languages
Cross-language footprint
Rank in United States
#198
Musicians
Era
1933–2006
Aged 73

Summary

Updated 2026-05-29

Funk's architect spent five decades in perpetual motion, racking up nicknames like most people collect dust. His records became the most sampled foundation in hip-hop.

Biography

About

James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, musician, and record producer. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th-century music, he is referred to by various nicknames, among them "Mr. Dynamite", "the Hardest-Working Man in Show Business", "Minister of New Super Heavy Funk", "Godfather of Soul", "King of Soul", and "Soul Brother No. 1". In a career that lasted more than 50 years, he influenced the development of several music genres. Brown was one of the first ten inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on January 23, 1986. His music has been h…

Gallery