James Brown & the Famous Flames

A massively influential figure, James Brown - born on May 3, 1933 in Barnwell, South Carolina - is remembered as the undisputed ‘godfather of soul’, his mix of frantic African rhythms with raw rock inspired generations of funk, soul, rock and R&B artists. Born in America's Deep South in the Depression era, Brown was brought up in extreme poverty, raised by an aunt who ran a brothel. Dropping out of school, he polished shoes, washed dishes, swept stores and entered talent contests playing harmonica. At 16, Brown was convicted of armed robbery and sent to a reform school, where he put on a show witnessed by musician/producer Bobby Byrd, who arranged his early release. After singing with Bobby Byrd’s sister Sarah in the Ever-Ready Gospel Singers, James Brown joined Byrd in his R&B group, The Avons. After several line-up changes, the group settled on the name the Famous Flames. After a meeting Little Richard and his manager, the band scored a deal with King Records’ Federal subsidiary label and released the single “Please, Please, Please” in 1956. The single was an enormous hit, selling over a million copies. The group released several other singles in 1956, but they did not achieve the same amount of chart success. In 1957, after a change in management, the group’s name was changed to James Brown and the Famous Flames, which angered the original members of the group, who left soon after. By 1959, James Brown was recording with his own band as well as reviving the Famous Flames with Bobby Byrd and new members. However, the Famous Flames were used as a vocal group and not James Brown’s backing band. For the next decade, he spent his time juggling sessions with the James Brown Band/Orchestra and the Famous Flames. His label, King Records, would confuse the issue by crediting the Famous Flames to recordings that they were not involved with. However, the hits that James Brown recorded with the Famous Flames include “Try Me” (1958), “Think” (1960), “Mashed Potatoes U.S.A.” (1962), “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag” (1965), “I Got You (I Feel Good)” (1965), “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World” (1966) and more. Federal and King also released albums throughout the 1960s credited to James Brown and the Famous Flames including The Amazing James Brown (1961), Cold Sweat (1967), and I Got the Feelin’ (1968). In 1968, the members of the Famous Flames split from James Brown and attempted to build a separate career but after a few singles as the Solars, they eventually broke up. James Brown continued his musical career, creating and performing until his death. James Brown died on December 25, 2006. Bobby Byrd died on September 12, 2007.

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