James Brown
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Year:
1986
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Inducted by:
Steve Winwood (Traffic)
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Category:
Performers
Introduction
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.
Steve Winwood Inducts James Brown
Steve Winwood of Traffic Inducts James Brown at the 1986 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony-
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Steve Winwood Inducts James Brown00:00:55 -
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James Brown Acceptance Speech00:02:14 -
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"I Got You (I Feel Good)"00:05:08 -
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Rev. Al Sharpton remembers James Brown00:04:20
Hall of Fame Essay
1986
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.
a man whose individual style of singing, writing, playing, and moving - second to none.
