NATE OWENS/STAFF

James Brown feels good about local show

Web posted October 6, 2000

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 On stage

By Steven Uhles
Staff Writer

There are soul singers and rhythm and blues artists and funk musicians - and then there is James Brown.

He's a musical visionary who singlehandedly brought soul music to mainstream audiences, developed the propulsive, riff-oriented music that became known as funk and drew up the political and musical blueprint for the hip-hop revolution.

On Thursday, he brings his jambalaya of musical styles home for a rare appearance at the Augusta-Richmond County Civic Center.

``We go around the world and sell out everywhere we go,'' Mr. Brown said, ``But Augusta hasn't seen James Brown's show in a long time.''

Recognized as a true musical revolutionary, Mr. Brown said that his music was originally influenced by the gospel and jazz he heard as a young man.

``I was a gospel singer,'' he said. ``All day Sunday we would sing gospel music, and then in the evening we would go to jazz. I knew that I wanted music that was comfortable, easy to listen to while being commercial and up to date.''

The result was a form that blended the syncopated rhythms from jazz with the soulful delivery of gospel. Combined with Mr. Brown's unique delivery and magnetic stage presence, the music influenced musicians from the Rolling Stones to Beck.

On Sept. 27, he spoke of Thursday's performance at Augusta-Richmond County Civic Center from his radio station in downtown Augusta. CHRIS THELEN/STAFF

``We started it all,'' Mr. Brown said with a laugh. ``We started hip-hop, disco, all the rappers. Everybody is into James Brown.

``When Frank Sinatra, God bless him, was still around, George Michael called him and told him he had just cut a James Brown Record. Mr. Sinatra told him, `That's not new. Everybody copies James Brown.'''

Mr. Brown, an artist renowned for his energetic live performances, said that he wants the Augusta audience to leave his concert with a sense of having witnessed a concert with universal appeal.

``I want the people to realize that we do a clean show,'' he said, ``a show without vulgarity. This is a show for the whole family. This is a wholesome show, and we're proud to be a part of that.''

Mr. Brown said that he also wants to contribute to the Augusta area, which he has always considered home.

James Brown opens Woodstock '99 Friday, July 23, 1999, on the site of the former Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome, N.Y. There were 150,000 people on site at daybreak and organizers expected another 70,000 to arrive by mid-day. ASSOCIATED PRESS

``There's something about the fact that I was once shining shoes right out there,'' he said, pointing out the picture windows of his radio station on the corner of Broad Street and the aptly named James Brown Boulevard. ``I want my kids, my grandchildren and my great-grandchildren to be proud of Augusta. I want old ladies to be able to cash their checks without getting mugged, and I want the drug-infested areas cleaned up.''

A longtime supporter of downtown Augusta's revitalization efforts, Mr. Brown has located his radio station on Broad Street and last week bought a building on the corner of Tenth and Broad streets that has been the site of several banks and was the temporary site of the federal courthouse. Mr. Brown wants to make the building a home for his business offices and a media complex.

Mr. Brown is far from ready to retire. Getting on stage and singing his songs is still what he loves to do. One song remains a favorite. ``Please, Please, Please,'' he said. ``The very first one. I still get a kick out of singing it, and I'll always realize that song started it all for me.''

Among the acts opening for Mr. Brown will be the Chi-Lites, the Stylistics, Tony Howard, Hynie and Johnson.

JAMES BROWN "I Wanna Be, I Wanna Be...Loved" •  MP3 format •  Real Audio format •  Windows Media format

On stage

Who: James Brown

When: 7 p.m. Thursday

Where: Augusta-Richmond County Civic Center, 601 Seventh St.

Admission: $26-$36.

Call: 722-3521.

Reach Steven Uhles at (706) 823-3626 or suhles@hotmail.com.

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