"The Godfather of Soul," "Mr. Dynamite," "Soul Brother Number One," James Brown would storm the stage as "the hardest working man in show business" while his Famous Flames laid down a barrage of tautly syncopated, protean R&B. Those and other self-imposed titles were justified by Brown's ferocity and endurance as a singer, songwriter, arranger and band leader. His explosive, early 1960s breakthrough into the foreground of American pop and rock, signaled by signature hits such as "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" and "I Feel Good," defined the grittier frontiers of soul music as Brown honed his crack band with ever leaner dance manifestos that would shape disco, rap and hip-hop. Born in poverty and raised in an Augusta, Ga., brothel, Brown would transform himself from a threadbare black kid buck dancing for small change into a masterful performer and shrewd businessman, as well as a cultural hero for the emerging black pride movement of the late '60s and early '70s. Even as he created the visceral musical vocabulary for funk, Brown also influenced its visual style and especially its physicality: Brown's delirious choreography, from his camel walk to slides, knee drops and splits, were direct models for Mick Jagger, Michael Jackson and countless other entertainers seeking sharp stage moves. 

(Image: Martin McNeil/Camera Press/Retna)