James Brown

Born: 1933-05-03

James Brown (May 3, 1933 - December 25, 2006) was an American singer and songwriter, eventually referred to as "The Godfather of Soul"(GFOS). Brown started singing in gospel groups and worked his way on up. He has been recognized as one of the most iconic figures in the 20th century popular music and was renowned for his vocals and feverish dancing. He was also called "the hardest-working man in show business". Brown began his professional music career in 1956 and rose to fame during the late 1950s and early 1960s on the strength of his thrilling live performances and string of smash hits. In spite of various personal problems and setbacks he continued to score hits in every decade through the 1980s. In addition to his acclaim in music, Brown was also a presence in American political affairs during the 1960s and 1970s.


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Rocky IV

as The Godfather of Soul
Released: 1985-11-21

Rocky Balboa proudly holds the world heavyweight boxing championship, but a new challenger has...

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as Diesel (archive footage) (uncredited)
Released: 2005-03-10

Rodney Copperbottom is a young robot inventor who dreams of making the world a better place,...

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The Tuxedo

as James Brown
Released: 2002-09-27

Cabbie-turned-chauffeur Jimmy Tong learns there is really only one rule when you work for...

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as Cleophus James
Released: 1980-06-16

Jake Blues, just released from prison, puts his old band back together to save the Catholic home...

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Blues Brothers 2000

as Cleophus James
Released: 1998-02-05

Finally released from prison, Elwood Blues is once again enlisted by Sister Mary Stigmata in her...

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When We Were Kings

as Self
Released: 1996-10-25

It's 1974. Muhammad Ali is 32 and thought by many to be past his prime. George Foreman is ten...

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Undercover Brother

as Self
Released: 2002-05-31

An Afro-American organization, the B.R.O.T.H.E.R.H.O.O.D., is in permanent fight against a white...

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Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2021-07-23

Explore Woodstock 99, a three-day music festival promoted to echo unity and counterculture...

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Ski Party

as Self
Released: 1965-06-30

Remember the beach movies of the sixties? They're back! Well, not quite, but since Avalon,...

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Doctor Detroit

as Bandleader
Released: 1983-05-06

A shy but gentle man named Clifford Skridlow is a professor of comparative literature at the...

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The Making of 'Rocky vs. Drago'

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2021-10-30

Fight alongside Sylvester Stallone as he creates a brand-new director's cut of Rocky IV: ROCKY...

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Live 8

as Self
Released: 2005-11-07

On 2 July 2005 an estimated 3 billion people came together in the fight against extreme poverty....

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Beat the Devil

as Mr. James Brown
Released: 2002-11-22

The Driver drag-races the Devil, in order to earn James Brown his soul.

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Soul Power

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2008-09-04

Soul Power is a 2008 documentary film about the Zaire 74 music festival in Kinshasa which...

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The Real Rocky

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2011-10-25

Chuck Wepner is a liquor salesman from Bayonne, N.J., who drives a Cadillac with “Champ” vanity...

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Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2014-04-27

James Brown changed the face of American music forever. Abandoned by his parents at an early...

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Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues

as Self (archive Footage)
Released: 2022-10-27

An intimate and revealing look at the world-changing musician, presented through a lens of...

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The History of Rock 'n' Roll

as Self
Released: 1995-03-06

The history of rock n' roll and pop music are explored are explored via interviews and footage...

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The Apollo

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2019-04-24

The history of New York City's Apollo Theater in Harlem is given the full treatment.

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The T.A.M.I. Show

as Self
Released: 1964-12-29

Hailed by one music reviewer as "the grooviest, wildest, slickest hit ever to pound the screen,"...

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Yo! The Story of ‘Yo! MTV Raps’

as uncredited
Released: 2012-06-07

A provocative look into the seven-year history of the series that gave hip hop a voice and broke...

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TV in Black: The First Fifty Years

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2004-01-01

Discover how television has reflected the African American experience in this retrospective of...

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The Phynx

as James Brown
Released: 1970-03-06

A rock band is invented by the government as a cover to find hostages in a remote castle in...

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Africa Rising

as Self - Musician (archive footage)
Released: 2019-06-03

How African artists have spread African culture all over the world, especially music, since the...

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It's Black Entertainment

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2002-02-08

A star-studded tribute (from the creators of That's Entertainment) to the contributions of...

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Nueva York: A Musical History of Latin New York

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2021-12-10

When the film West Side Story was released in 1961, New York's reviled Puerto Rican community...

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1968: A Year of War, Turmoil and Beyond

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2018-07-20

The Tet Offensive during the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement, the May events in France,...

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The Midnight Special Legendary Performances 1974

as Self
Released: 1974-12-22

The Midnight Special is an American late-night musical variety series that aired on NBC during...

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Sex in '69: The Sexual Revolution in America

as Self
Released: 2009-01-01

Documentary on the sexual revolution in America.

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Rhythm and Blues 40: A Soul Spectacular

as Self
Released: 2001-12-10

This show brings together legendary artists of the 1960s and 1970s for a once-in-a-lifetime...

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James Brown - The Night James Brown Saved Boston

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2008-04-05

On April 5, 1968, soul legend James Brown performed a concert in Boston that many say shielded...

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James Brown: Live at Montreux

as Self
Released: 1981-07-07

"Soul Brother No.1", "The Godfather Of Soul", "Mr Dynamite" are all titles that have been...

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James Brown Live At The Boston Garden - April 5, 1968

as Self
Released: 2008-08-05

Live at the Boston Garden: April 5, 1968 is a concert film starring James Brown. Recorded at the...

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Casey Kasem's Rock 'n' Roll Goldmine: The Soul Years

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2004-04-27

Radio disc jockey legend Casey Kasem presents this collection featuring momentous occasions in...

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Legends of Rock 'n' Roll

as James Brown
Released: 1989-01-01

Are you ready for some old-time rock and roll?! Then you are ready for the masters, the...

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James Brown Live At The Apollo '68

as Self
Released: 2008-08-05

Live at the Apollo (album) was recorded on the night of October 24, 1962, at Brown's own...

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Paper Chasers

as uncredited
Released: 2003-05-07

Paper Chasers is a feature length documentary about the impact of hip hop entrepreneurs who have...

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Pavarotti The Duets

as Self
Released: 2008-05-09

LUCIANO PAVAROTTI was the rare artist who could easily bridge the divide between classical and...

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Cincinnati's Rock 'N Roll Legends

as Self
Released: 1995-01-01

An excellent comprehensive look at all the music that came out of Cincinnati, Ohio. Cincinnati...

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James Brown: Body Heat

as Self
Released: 2004-09-28

In 1969 at a concert in Monterey James Brown announced his intention to retire from touring but...

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RapLine

as Self
Released: 1993-09-10

Between 1990 and 1993, at a time when rap was not yet on the radio in France, Olivier Cachin...

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James Brown - Live At Chastain Park

as Himself
Released: 1985-01-01

The hardest working man in show business is back--and some say better than ever--in this live...

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James Brown: Love Power Peace

as Self
Released: 1971-03-08

Live at the Olympia, Paris, 1971 is the only recording that documents one of his live...

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James Brown: Soul Survivor

as Self
Released: 2003-10-29

James Brown's legacy has influenced rap, soul, funk and R&B. But along with his huge talent,...

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The UB40: Story of Reggae

as Drummer
Released: 2001-08-01

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James Brown: Soul Train 1973-1974

as Self
Released: 1974-01-01

All of James Brown's performances on Soul Train from 1973 to 1974.

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James Brown: Live From The House Of Blues

as Self
Released: 1999-01-03

The hardest working man in show business brings down the House of Blues with a live concert...

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Best of the 60s: The Story of Ready, Steady, Go!

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2021-06-05

Best of the 60s is a documentary and a compilation from across the years of the iconic music...

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James Brown: Live

as Self
Released: 2004-12-10

For one special night back in the mid '80s, the air in Atlanta, Georgia heated up a few degrees....

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The Giants of Black Music

as Self
Released: 2003-03-24

Mother Popcorn - James Brown What's The Use Of Breaking Up - Jerry Butler MacArthur Park -...

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Finding the Funk

as Self
Released: 2014-01-31

Finding the Funk is a road trip in search of the past, present and future of Funk music....

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Fathers and Songs: Music for Father's Day

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2013-06-16

Fatherhood has proved a great subject for a variety of artists - some celebratory, some...

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The Simpsons

as James Brown (voice)
First aired: 1989-12-17

Set in Springfield, the average American town, the show focuses on the antics and everyday...

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The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

as Self
First aired: 1962-10-01

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under The Tonight...

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Miami Vice

as uncredited
First aired: 1984-09-16

The story of the Miami Police Department's vice squad and its efforts to end drug trafficking...

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The View

as Self
First aired: 1997-08-11

ABC Daytime's morning chatfest, currently featuring Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin,...

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The Mike Douglas Show

as Self - Co-Host
First aired: 1961-12-11

The Mike Douglas Show is an American daytime television talk show hosted by Mike Douglas that...

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The Mike Douglas Show

as Self
First aired: 1961-12-11

The Mike Douglas Show is an American daytime television talk show hosted by Mike Douglas that...

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The Ed Sullivan Show

as Self
First aired: 1948-06-20

The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June...

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Duckman

as uncredited
First aired: 1994-03-05

Duckman: Private Dick/Family Man is an American animated sitcom that aired from 1994–1997,...

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The Kennedy Center Honors

as Self
First aired: 1978-12-28

The Kennedy Center Honors is an annual honor given to those in the performing arts for their...

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New York Undercover

as Self
First aired: 1994-09-08

New York Undercover is an American police drama The series stars Detective J.C. Williams and...

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Playboy After Dark

as uncredited
First aired: 1969-01-18

Playboy After Dark is an American television show hosted by Hugh Hefner. It aired in syndication...

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The Hollywood Palace

as Self
First aired: 1964-01-04

The Hollywood Palace is an hour-long American television variety show that was broadcast weekly...

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Yo! MTV Raps

as Self
First aired: 1988-09-21

Popular rap music videos showcased along with live performances and interviews with notable rap...

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The Flip Wilson Show

as Self
First aired: 1970-09-17

The Flip Wilson Show is an hour long variety show that aired in the U.S. on NBC from September...

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Amen

as uncredited
First aired: 1986-09-27

Amen is an American television sitcom produced by Carson Productions that ran from September 27,...

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TFI Friday

as Self
First aired: 1996-02-09

TFI Friday was an entertainment show broadcast on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom from 1996 to...

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Shindig!

as Self
First aired: 1964-09-16

Shindig! is an American musical variety series which aired on ABC from September 16, 1964 to...

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Charlie Rose

as Self (Archive footage)
First aired: 1991-09-30

Charlie Rose is an American television interview show, with Charlie Rose as executive producer,...

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The Music Scene

as uncredited
First aired: 1969-09-22

The Music Scene is a television series aired by ABC as part of its Fall 1969 lineup, in the...

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The Hire

as Self
First aired: 2001-04-26

BMW film presents "The Hire", a series of eight short films produced for the Internet in 2001...

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70 Years of Youth Revolt

as Self (archive footage)
First aired: 2020-11-21

A look back at the social movements, revolts and youth subcultures from the post-war period to...

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Soul Deep: The Story of Black Popular Music

as Self
First aired: 2005-05-07

Soul music has conquered the world in the last 50 years - growing from the raw, electric rhythms...

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James Brown: Say It Loud

as Self (archive footage)
First aired: 2024-02-19

Traces the incredible trajectory of Brown’s life and career from a 7th grade drop-out arrested...

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Les Fous du Funk

as himself
First aired: 2015-01-01

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