James brown/soul music case study;
soul music has been performed by more dominantly afro-americans, coming from the states in the early 1960's. Soul music would preach in the style of gospel, but with a blues/jazz influence. This technique would effectively emphasise the emotion and, hence the name, soul of the artist, also by using sighs, and high pitched screams.
Considered 'the Godfather' of soul, American born James Brown could almost be considered the face of the genre. Brown was a walking example of soul, more dancing example as his stand out live performances were like no other artists live performance.
Born in 1933 in south Carolina, James lived in extreme poverty until he was about 5, where he moved into one of his aunts brothels in Georgia. He started singing in talent shows, coming first place at a competition at the Augusta Lenox theatre. In this time he learnt to play the guitar, harmonica and piano. At the age of 16 he was convicted of robbery and sent to a juvenile detention centre, there he formed a gospel group, eventually being paroled in 1952.
in 1953, he joined the avons, after one of their members was killed, this band lasted up until 1961, from there Brown joined a number of bands, having hit after hit in the R&B charts, later on in his career, James would perform a 'cape routine' during the song 'please, please, please' where he would fall to his knees holding the microphone stand, falling from exhaustion. he would have his MC Danny Ray help him off the stage, draping a cape over him. the backing singers would sing 'please don't go',causing brown to throw off the cape and perform an encore. he performed very late on into his life, stretching up to 2006, where in late December, he sadly died of heart failure.
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