AllMovie

This edition of Biography, the long running documentary series from A&E, explores the life of the self-proclaimed "Godfather of Soul" and "Hardest Working Man in Show Business" James Brown. Known for his energetic performances the video covers his early life and his carrer. In 1965 Brown released his seminal funk album Papa's Got a Brand New Bag followed by the classic 1966 singles "I Got You (I Feel Good)" and "It's a Man's, Man's, Man's World." Known as "Soul Brother Number One," Brown released a number of songs dealing with issues of race. While "Say It Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud" had become an anthem of the Black Power movement, Brown famously appeared on television after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. to plead for peace and calm in the face of anger and violence. In 1980, Brown had a memorable cameo role in the Dan Akroyd-John Belushi film The Blues Brothers. The year 1986 marked a bigger comeback for Brown: he won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance for his album Gravity, which included "Living in America," the hit theme song of the Sylvester Stallone film Rocky IV. That same year, Brown was inducted as a charter member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 1989, he published his autobiography, James Brown: The Godfather of Soul.