Early+Life

James Brown as overcame many problems on his way to becoming the "Godfather of Soul." James was abandoned by his mother and left with his father until he was six. His father sent him to live with an aunt, who ran a house of prostitution. Even though Brown lived with family, he spent most of the time on his own, hanging out on the streets and hustling to get by. Brown dropped out of schoool in the seventh grade. During his childhood, Brown earned money shining shoes, sweeping out stores, selling and trading in old stamps, washing cars and dishes and singing in talent contests.

As the Convoys of Troops from Camp Gordon taveled over a canal bridge near his aunt's house Brown performed buck dances for change to entertain them. Brown taught himself to play a harmonica given to him by his father. He learned to play some guitar from Tampa Red (who was "dating" one of the girls from his aunt's house), in addition to learning to play piano and drums from others. Brown was inspired to become an entertainer after watching Louis Jordan, a popular jazz and R&B performer during the 1940s. As an adult, Brown legally changed his name to remove the "Jr." designation.

Brown spent time practicing his various skills in Augusta-area stalls. At the age of sixteen, he was convicted of armed robbery and sent to a juvenile detention center upstate in Toccoa in 1949. While Brown was in reform school, he became acquainted with Bobby Byrd, who first saw Brown perform in prison. Byrd watched and admired Brown's ability to sing and perform. Byrd's family helped Brown secure an early release after serving three years of his sentence. The authorities agreed to release Brown on one condition, that he would get a job and not return to Augusta or Richmond County. After stints as a boxer and baseball pitcher in semi-professional baseball (a career move ended by a leg injury), Brown turned his energy toward music.



Richard Lloyd