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James Brown

JAMES BROWN

YEAR

1986

INDUCTED BY

Steve Winwood (Traffic)

CATEGORY

Performers

What’s in a name?

When it comes to James Brown, the name is all you need. He’s Soul Brother Number One, the Godfather of Soul, Mr. Dynamite and then some. He is the indefatigable forefather of soul, funk and rap, and a performer like no other.

James Brown

James Brown

HALL OF FAME
ESSAY

By Michael Hill

James Brown once said of Elvis Presley, “He taught white America to get down.” Brown himself did Elvis one better in that regard: he encouraged everyone to do it. Brown, an indefatigable performer who still maintains a grueling touring schedule for has fine-tuned funk revue, has earned many titles over the years.

He’s been called “the Hardest-Working Man in Show Business.” As an impoverished child of the Depression, Brown picked cotton, shined shoes and danced for spare change on the streets. He also served time in a reformatory and tried his hand at boxing and baseball. When a leg injury put an end to his big-league pitching aspirations, Brown turned to music.

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Class of 1986
a man whose individual style of singing, writing, playing, and moving - second to none.
Steve Winwood
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