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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
"Others may have followed in my wake, but I was the one who turned racist minstrelsy into Black soul—and by doing so, became a cultural force." So claims Brown in the opening pages of his garrulous, vernacular memoir written with the aid of Eliot (author of bios on the Eagles and Bruce Springsteen). And Brown makes a convincing argument, tracing his gutsy transformation from dirt-poor grade school dropout to gospel singer, legendary showman and musical innovator who broke the color barrier of 1950s and '60s pop by melding African-American rhythm and blues with gospel and rock to become the Godfather of Soul. Along with fascinating details about life in the music industry, Brown relates how soul music, which begins on the upbeat (traditional blues began on the downbeat) was a "statement of race, of force, of stature, of stride" and "the perfect marching music for the civil rights era." The "rock-a-soul" that Brown created (along with rockers Elvis Presley, Little Richard, Chuck Berry and others) "was not just about rebellion—it was the rebellion itself," he says. Chronicling such peace-seeking yet controversial events as his 1968 U.S.O. tour of Vietnam and his landmark Boston Garden performance the day after Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, Brown cites his own example as a "self-made and therefore self-owned Black man." Though he sometimes attributes his legal, financial and political woes to a racist establishment too eager to judge a black man before his day in court, Brown remains a deeply positive force dedicated to the "international language of music." This is a fascinating memoir of a trailblazer in music and civil rights.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From School Library Journal
Adult/High School–The 72-year-old Godfather of Soul reflects on the dramatic ups and downs of his life, from the time that doctors pronounced him stillborn until the present. In the '60s, he was the first entertainer to rent out theaters and work for himself. He also created Fair Deal Productions to reflect his vision of how the music industry should operate. He purchased several radio stations, pushed young people to finish their education, and created scholarships for poor black students. Brown identifies performers who influenced his style, such as saxophonist Louis Jordan and singer Jackie Wilson. Likewise, he names celebrities who have modeled themselves after him, including Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson. He discusses his role as a pioneer of soul and funk music and points out how disco and rap have affected his career. This inspirational memoir illustrates Brown's strong will to overcome and succeed despite numerous personal tragedies and professional setbacks. He refers to prison time of a decade and a half ago as "poor man's medicine." After the deaths of his son and his third wife, he survived emotionally by throwing himself into his work. Aspiring entertainers can benefit from the business, artistic, and personal advice that Brown interweaves throughout the book.–Joyce Fay Fletcher, Rippon Middle School, Prince William County, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
See all Editorial Reviews
"Others may have followed in my wake, but I was the one who turned racist minstrelsy into Black soul—and by doing so, became a cultural force." So claims Brown in the opening pages of his garrulous, vernacular memoir written with the aid of Eliot (author of bios on the Eagles and Bruce Springsteen). And Brown makes a convincing argument, tracing his gutsy transformation from dirt-poor grade school dropout to gospel singer, legendary showman and musical innovator who broke the color barrier of 1950s and '60s pop by melding African-American rhythm and blues with gospel and rock to become the Godfather of Soul. Along with fascinating details about life in the music industry, Brown relates how soul music, which begins on the upbeat (traditional blues began on the downbeat) was a "statement of race, of force, of stature, of stride" and "the perfect marching music for the civil rights era." The "rock-a-soul" that Brown created (along with rockers Elvis Presley, Little Richard, Chuck Berry and others) "was not just about rebellion—it was the rebellion itself," he says. Chronicling such peace-seeking yet controversial events as his 1968 U.S.O. tour of Vietnam and his landmark Boston Garden performance the day after Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, Brown cites his own example as a "self-made and therefore self-owned Black man." Though he sometimes attributes his legal, financial and political woes to a racist establishment too eager to judge a black man before his day in court, Brown remains a deeply positive force dedicated to the "international language of music." This is a fascinating memoir of a trailblazer in music and civil rights.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From School Library Journal
Adult/High School–The 72-year-old Godfather of Soul reflects on the dramatic ups and downs of his life, from the time that doctors pronounced him stillborn until the present. In the '60s, he was the first entertainer to rent out theaters and work for himself. He also created Fair Deal Productions to reflect his vision of how the music industry should operate. He purchased several radio stations, pushed young people to finish their education, and created scholarships for poor black students. Brown identifies performers who influenced his style, such as saxophonist Louis Jordan and singer Jackie Wilson. Likewise, he names celebrities who have modeled themselves after him, including Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson. He discusses his role as a pioneer of soul and funk music and points out how disco and rap have affected his career. This inspirational memoir illustrates Brown's strong will to overcome and succeed despite numerous personal tragedies and professional setbacks. He refers to prison time of a decade and a half ago as "poor man's medicine." After the deaths of his son and his third wife, he survived emotionally by throwing himself into his work. Aspiring entertainers can benefit from the business, artistic, and personal advice that Brown interweaves throughout the book.–Joyce Fay Fletcher, Rippon Middle School, Prince William County, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
See all Editorial Reviews
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
FOR MANY OF THOSE SO-CALLED BABY BOOMERS WHO grew up pour, fast, and tough on the mean streets of America's grittiest cities, James Brown was their first living cultural icon. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
James Brown, Please Please Please, New York City, Little Richard, Famous Flames, Kennedy Center, Little Willie John, Tomi Rae Brown, Brand New Bag, Chuck Berry, Papa's Got, Ray Charles, Elvis Presley, Louis Jordan, Syd Nathan, White House, South Carolina, Alan Freed, Frank Sinatra, Godfather of Soul, Bob Hope, Bobby Byrd, Don Barry, Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | First Pages | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
FOR MANY OF THOSE SO-CALLED BABY BOOMERS WHO grew up pour, fast, and tough on the mean streets of America's grittiest cities, James Brown was their first living cultural icon. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
James Brown, Please Please Please, New York City, Little Richard, Famous Flames, Kennedy Center, Little Willie John, Tomi Rae Brown, Brand New Bag, Chuck Berry, Papa's Got, Ray Charles, Elvis Presley, Louis Jordan, Syd Nathan, White House, South Carolina, Alan Freed, Frank Sinatra, Godfather of Soul, Bob Hope, Bobby Byrd, Don Barry, Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | First Pages | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 10
books:
See all 10 books this book cites
- Colin Powell (Black Americans of Achievement) by Warren Brown on page 36, and page 242
- Colin Powell (Welcome Books) by Mary Hill on page 242
- Candy Man by Vincent King on page 178
- Michael Jackson (Livewire Real Lives) by Mike Wilson on page 3
- Medgar Evers (Melrose Square Black American Series) by Jennie Brown on page 30
See all 10 books this book cites
What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?
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53% buy the item featured on this page: I Feel Good: A Memoir of a Life of Soul |
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24% buy James Brown: The Godfather of Soul $15.25 |
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12% buy The James Brown Reader: Fifty Years of Writing About the Godfather of Soul $11.56 |
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