Unreleased recordings lost in fire

James Brown's attorney says singer stored many irreplaceable items in building that burned Friday

Web posted May 3, 2000

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By Johnny Edwards
Staff Writer

While investigators await lab results on a suspicious fire that ravaged James Brown's office building last week, representatives say the singer is reeling from a devastating loss of unreleased recordings and personal mementos.

James Brown Enterprises on West Augusta Parkway was a virtual museum of music history, housing artifacts from a career spanning four decades. Although the singer also kept valuables in his home in Beech Island, a slew of trinkets, awards and irreplaceable photographs were stored in the building, according to his attorney.

``What has occurred really is an outrage,'' Buddy Dallas said.

Master tapes of unreleased material -- including a live concert at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem, N.Y., and studio tapes made on Peach Orchard Road -- were destroyed in the Friday night blaze, according to Mr. Dallas.

Among the memorabilia kept in the building were the preacher's robe Mr. Brown wore in The Blues Brothers movie and a pair of boxing gloves from the set of Rocky IV, in which he performed the song Living In America. There were also capes worn in concerts and a ceremonial American Indian headdress given to him by a Connecticut Pequot tribe that made him an honorary member.

There were gold records, some of which can't be replaced because the record companies no longer exist, Mr. Dallas said. There was a photo of the Apollo astronauts who played I Got You (I Feel Good) in space. There were keys to cities. There was a photo of the Godfather of Soul with Pope John Paul II, in addition to photos of Adrienne Brown, his deceased wife.

Mr. Dallas said he has no idea who would have wanted to damage the building where concerts and programming for Mr. Brown's radio station, WAAW, were coordinated. He said a door to the building was found ajar Friday, and an alarm system apparently did not engage.

To the rock 'n' roll collectibles industry, Mr. Brown's artifacts are particularly valuable because he broke through black/white barriers at a time of turbulent racial relations, said Mark Baker, author of Rock 'n' Roll Memorabilia and a writer for Goldmine's Price Guide to Rock `n' Roll Memorabilia.

Mr. Brown joins Tom Petty, Brenda Lee and Eric Burden of The Animals in a list of artists who have lost personal effects to fire, according to Howard Kramer, associate curator of the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland.

``I certainly hope it's not the bulk of his collection,'' Mr. Kramer said.

Reach Johnny Edwards at (706) 823-3225 or jedwards92@hotmail.com.