Nobody could dance like James Brown, a consummate entertainer, but my father could come close. He would shuffle across the carpet in his blue velvet house slippers while clapping his hands, every so often inserting a few twirls.
Of course, James Brown did not just have plenty of soul and panache. He was the Godfather of Soul, defining this genre with soul stomping music and non-stop foot wiggling, bugs-under-my-feet dance moves. Brown never stood still, always moving, bucking, squishing, sometimes dragging his foot across the floor while he squeezed a little breath in by closing his eyes as if he were in the throes of ecstasy.
Brown was also a haunted man, accused of spousal abuse. That’s not very soulful, especially when it involved the great Tami Terrell.
The music press will tell you that he enjoyed a revival during the 80’s, when his song “Living in America” became a hit, thanks to Rocky IV. But let’s be honest…if you hung around college campuses or loved smaller venues, James Brown was a staple, bringing his brand of soul to new audiences. There was never a revival because there was no dip.
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