DEC. 25: James Joseph Brown, 73, the "Godfather of Soul," dies at 1:45 a.m. at Emory Crawford Long Hospital in Atlanta of a heart attack brought on by pneumonia.

Locked out of Mr. Brown's 62-acre Beech Island estate, Tomi Rae Hynie Brown, known as the entertainer's wife since 2001, kneels and bangs at the iron gates, telling a reporter she's been denied access.

DEC. 26: Trustee Buddy Dallas tells The Augusta Chronicle that Mrs. Brown "is not Mrs. Brown. She is not his widow," but rather his estranged girlfriend. When she and the singer exchanged vows in 2001, she was still married to a Pakistani immigrant. But he had three or four other wives when he married Mrs. Brown in 1997. That marriage was later annulled on grounds that he married her to fraudulently obtain U.S. citizenship and the union was never consummated. Mrs. Brown is staying at a downtown hotel with her 5-year-old son James.

DEC. 28: Mr. Brown's body lies in repose on the Apollo Theater stage in New York City. Lines to walk past the casket begin forming around midnight, eventually stretching the length of five city blocks. The casket arrives in a white, horse-drawn hearse.

DEC. 29: A private funeral is held at Mr. Brown's daughter Deanna Brown Thomas' church in North Augusta. Activist Dick Gregory, boxing promoter Don King and rapper Hammer attend.

DEC. 30: Augusta Mayor Deke Copenhaver declares a Day of Mourning. Mr. Brown is honored at the arena bearing his name with a "homegoing," the largest funeral in Augusta's history, costing the city $48,000. Eight thousand people pack the arena. The Revs. Sharpton and Jesse Jackson preside. Famous Flames founder Bobby Byrd sings Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine, with Mr. Brown's daughter Venisha Brown dancing. When the song ends, longtime emcee Danny Ray drapes a cape over his boss's body one last time.

After the funeral, Mr. Brown's body is taken to his Beech Island compound, where it is placed in a guarded, temperature-controlled room.

JAN. 1, 2007: Charlie Reid, of C.A. Reid Sr. Memorial Funeral Home, tells The Chronicle that the gold-plated coffin will not be buried, but rather put in a mausoleum the public can view.

JAN. 3: Mrs. Brown has a tearful one-on-one interview with Larry King, saying that she has been ostracized by Brown daughters Deanna Thomas and Yamma Lumar, and that it "has to do with money." In the same broadcast, Brown attorney Debra Opri makes veiled threats against Mrs. Brown, saying she violated her contractual agreement not to discuss "the business and personal issues of James Brown."

JAN. 4: Deanna Thomas appears on Larry King Live, but declines to answer questions about Mrs. Brown. The Rev. Sharpton says Mrs. Brown has not been shut out, that she spoke at the Harlem funeral and sang at the Augusta funeral.

JAN. 5: Mrs. Brown tells The Chronicle that she'll submit her son to DNA testing so long as Mr. Brown's other children also undergo paternity tests.

The Augusta coliseum authority votes to have its executive committee see if the festival and the James Brown birthday bash can be merged.

JAN. 11: Mr. Brown's will is read in an informal meeting at the Aiken County Judicial Center, with his adult children present but not Mrs. Brown or James II. The will calls for his personal effects to be divided equally among six named heirs: daughters Venisha, Yamma and Deanna and sons Terry, Larry and Daryl: and says any omissions are intentional. The bulk of his holdings are in an irrevocable trust separate from the will, with the beneficiaries listed as Mr. Brown, the Brown Family Education Trust and the James Brown "I Feel Good" Trust. The trust gives unrestricted legal authority to trustees Buddy Dallas, David Cannon and Alford "Judge" Bradley to oversee his legacy, music rights, persona and 62-acre estate.

JAN. 18: Mr. Brown's coffin is moved off his estate to an undisclosed location, the same day his will is filed in Aiken County Probate Court.

JAN. 23: The coliseum authority votes to call off the May 3 "birthday bash" because it has received no answer from his estate about whether it can promote the charity event using Mr. Brown's name.

JAN. 23: Deanna Thomas's husband calls the Aiken County Sheriff's Office to the Beech Island estate and asks a deputy to search a group of attorneys. The attorneys were there to appraise assets and tend to a "security" matter, Mr. Dallas says. The deputy declines to search the men and allows them to go.

JAN. 24: The six named heirs file a petition demanding the removal of the three estate trustees, alleging that they have mismanaged the estate. Among the allegations are that Mr. Brown's liquid assets are in danger of being "lost or dissipated or stolen."

FEB. 1: Mrs. Brown files two petitions saying she is the "omitted spouse" and is entitled to either half or one-third of his estate. She also demands that she be allowed to return to the Beech Island home to retrieve her and her son's belongings. In a personal affidavit, she says the trustees "frequently mismanaged my husband's affairs" and often missed due dates on bills.

FEB. 5: Atlanta attorney Louis Levenson, representing the six Brown children and multiple grandchildren, subpoenas financial records from the three trustees, including tax returns, bank statements and property transactions, plus any video or audio tapes of Mr. Brown making statements about the setup of the trust.

Feb. 6: The Atlanta attorney files a motion asking that a special administrator be appointed to oversee the estate. The petition says the three trustees are also executors of his will, creating a conflict of interest because they "cannot investigate themselves" and claim to be owed money from the singer's estate.

Mr. Dallas tells The Chronicle that he has fired the guards at the estate and replaced them with a security agency. Some of the fired guards soon begin watching their replacements from across the street, for free, day and night, on behalf of the six children.

FEB. 7: Mr. Dallas says the trustees have named a committee to establish guidelines for educational grants to underprivileged children through the James Brown "I Feel Good" Trust.

The trustees file petitions about Mrs. Brown's marriage, the estate mismanagement allegations and the document removal. They allege that some of Mr. Brown's children have removed valuables from his home, hindering the appraisal of his estate.

FEB. 9: A court hearing before Aiken County Second Circuit Judge Jack Early starts. The judge delays making a decision on whether to remove the personal representatives or appoint a special administrator, saying he'll make up his mind within a week. He does allow Mrs. Brown back into the Beech Island estate to get some of her belongings.

FEB. 18: The Barnwell County Museum sponsors a tribute to its native son at Collins Park, with speakers and gospel music.

FEB. 27: A hearing to decide how DNA will be collected from Mr. Brown's body for potential paternity tests is canceled after attorneys reach a consensus.

FEB. 27: The Georgia House of Representatives adopts a resolution honoring Mr. Brown.

MARCH 8: Judge Early names Aiken attorney Bob Buchanan and Columbia lawyer Adele Pope "special administrators" to help the trustees execute the will and supervise.

MARCH 10: Mr. Brown's coffin is placed in an above-ground crypt at his daughter Deanna Thomas' Beech Island home. Mrs. Brown and her son attend. The Rev. Sharpton, who presides, says the body will be moved to a public mausoleum once the legal disputes are settled.

MARCH 26: The estate attorneys file a motion asking Judge Early to order DNA taken from James II for a paternity test.

APRIL 2: The Supreme Court declines to revive a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by former publicist Jacque Hollander claiming the singer raped her at gunpoint in 1988.

APRIL 3: Mr. Rosen says his client has filed a petition asking that a special guardian be appointed on behalf of her son James II. A DNA test cannot be done without a guardian, he says.

APRIL 9: The children named in Mr. Brown's will file a motion arguing that taking DNA from James II would be "premature" and an "unnecessary expense to the estate of James Brown."

The Augusta Commission votes against enhancements to the James Brown statue on Broad Streets: including lights, landscaping and coin-operated music.

APRIL 18: Atlanta-based Deep End Entertainment had reserved Augusta Common on June 16-17 for the "James Brown Music Festival," but the company misses a venue reservation deadline, and its owner says he's backing out because of the festival's controversial past. Given last year's turnout and the way it was handled, Mr. Isibor said it would have been difficult to book major bands without losing money.

APRIL 25: Judge Early appoints Charleston attorney Stephen Slotchiver to be James II's guardian ad litem.

MAY 4: About 4,000 people turn out at the Augusta Common on First Friday to celebrate what would have been Mr. Brown's 74th birthday. (His birthday was actually May 3.) The Soul Generals perform, joined by Mr. Brown's "cape man," Mr. Ray. Daryl Brown and Deanna Thomas had announced the free concert the week before as a thank-you to the community for its support after their father's passing.

MAY 5: CNN airs James Brown, Say It Proud, a one-hour documentary covering the life of Mr. Brown.

JUNE 13: In a hearing, the special administrators ask Judge Early for a court order compelling the three trustees to turn over financial documents dating back to 1999. He accommodates them.

JUNE 14: Augusta Museum of History Executive Director Nancy Glaser calls a meeting to gather ideas about how to honor Mr. Brown. Early plans call for an exhibit of loaned items and memorabilia that would stay on display at least three years, she says. The exhibit, funded through public-private partnerships, would open in May 2008, with a concert on Mr. Brown's birthday.

JULY 2: James II's guardian ad litem files a lawsuit seeking a claim of Mr. Brown's inheritance for the child, saying he was unintentionally left out. An affidavit by Mr. Dallas, however, says Mr. Brown called the child "Little Man," not son, and had requested that a paternity test be done after his death.

JULY 31: The special administrators file a motion asking Judge Early to remove "one or more" of the three trustees, alleging that they've mishandled the estate. Mr. Cannon is accused of possible misconduct.

AUG. 3: Mr. Dallas confirms for The Chronicle that two people have been verified as newfound progeny of Mr. Brown through DNA testing. One is LaRhonda Petitt, a 45-year-old retired flight attendant and teacher living in Houston.

AUG. 10: Mr. Cannon hands over a check for $350,000 and resigns as a trustee. During a hearing it's revealed that Mr. Brown was being given an "allowance" of $100,000 per month. Behind closed doors, the special administrators tell other attorneys that the trusts to be funded by music royalties appear to have zero balances.

Forlando Brown, one of Mr. Brown's grandsons, tells The Chronicle there is a rift in the family and that he, his brother and his father, Terry Brown, have been ostracized for siding with the trustees. His aunts and uncles are trying to break the trust to get their father's money, Forlando Brown says.

AUG. 22: Jeanette Mitchell, 36, a full-time mother of four living in Miami, comes forward as one of the newfound children confirmed through a paternity test. She also provides the newspaper a copy of her DNA test results.

AUG. 24: Ms. Petitt's Columbia-based attorney files papers asking that she be given an equal share in her father's estate as if he'd died without a will. She also wants reimbursement for the money that should have been paid to support her until she was 18. "He never gave my Mama a dime," she says.

SEPT. 10: Illinois passes a state law suspending the two-year statute of limitations on rape claims when the victim has been intimidated or manipulated into staying quiet. The change is a response to the courts' rejection of Woodstock, Ill., resident Jacque Hollander's lawsuit against Mr. Brown, which came 17 years after the alleged assault.

SEPT. 24: Mr. Cannon is accused in a court hearing of mishandling $7 million of Mr. Brown's money. Judge Early orders him to pay $373,000 within 10 days for a loan Mr. Brown received against his royalties; give the court $30,000 within 20 days to possibly cover attorney fees incurred when he did not to comply with a court order to turn over financial and legal documents; turn over personal and business financial records within 20 days; and deliver deeds and ownership documents for property he or his wife owns in South Carolina and Honduras and for companies he owns.

OCT. 19: Nicole Parris, a 39-year-old probation officer living in Canada, comes forward as a newfound daughter of Mr. Brown, providing DNA test results to prove it.

NOV. 7: Mr. Brown's first wife, Velma Brown, 73, files papers in Aiken County Probate Court claiming they never divorced. Her attorney, David Bell, of Augusta, says he couldn't find a divorce decree in Georgia. He says if one was never issued, any subsequent marriages are voided.

NOV. 8: The Chronicle finds the decree divorcing Mr. Brown and Velma Brown on file in Richmond County Superior Court. It was signed by Judge John Hardin on Aug. 26, 1969.

NOV. 15: Mr. Cannon takes the stand in a Bamberg County courtroom and refuses to answer questions about how much money he earned while working for Mr. Brown, invoking his Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate himself. His attorney says it's because he's being audited by the Internal Revenue Service. Mr. Cannon testifies that he doesn't have the financial resources to fork over the $373,000 he was ordered to pay but says he paid a Honduras contractor $866,000 in the past three months to build his retirement home there. Mr. Cannon testifies that the money came from his wife. Judge Early is irked to learn that Mr. Cannon and two other former estate employees filed amended tax returns for the singer's company, James Brown Enterprises Inc., after they'd been removed and ordered to keep their hands off estate business. Mr. Cannon is threatened with contempt of court, and there are hints of a possible criminal investigation.

NOV. 19: The Rev. Sharpton fills in for Mr. Brown and hands out the first of 1,000 turkeys at Dyess Park Community Center.

NOV. 20: Mr. Dallas and Mr. Bradley resign as estate trustees before a hearing on their possible firings. Ms. Pope and Mr. Buchanan become the new trustees.

NOV. 30: The Georgia Attorney General's Office files papers saying it's not in the best interest of the trusts to have Ms. Pope or Mr. Buchanan overseeing them. The two have mixed in money intended for the charitable trusts with estate funds, paid bills with the cash and ordered that no more educational expenses be paid, according to documents filed by Grace Lewis, Georgia's senior assistant attorney general. The two also would benefit if James Brown Enterprises: which owns the rights to his music and through which the singer's money flows: is declared an estate asset, Ms. Lewis argued, because they would receive larger commissions. Attorney generals in both South Carolina and Georgia oppose efforts to make James Brown Enterprises an asset of the estate because that would leave the trusts without any funds to help needy children or pay for the educations of his grandchildren.

DEC. 4: Mr. Dallas tells The Chronicle he was pressured to resign by Judge Early. He and Mr. Bradley say in court papers that he used "improper judicial influence," then violated state law when he named their replacements. Both men want to retract their resignations. They accuse Judge Early of sending a letter to all attorneys involved in the legal challenges that encouraged their lawyers to talk to them about resigning; getting estate attorneys, who did not represent either Mr. Dallas or Mr. Bradley personally, to send them a letter encouraging them to resign; and saying in chambers that if the two "did not resign, it would get ugly and that sanctions and attorney's fees would be imposed if we proceeded."

DEC. 18: Judge Early finds Mr. Cannon in contempt of court, ordering him to pay $433,000 by Jan. 25 or be locked up in a state prison for six months. The judge wants the $373,000 he ordered him to pay in September, plus $50,000 for attorneys' fees and a $10,000 fine. Mr. Cannon tells The Chronicle that he doesn't have the money, so he'll likely be going to jail. He explains to the newspaper that in 2006, he misdirected a $900,000 royalty check into Mr. Brown's trust fund which should have been used to pay off the 1999 bond. Mr. Brown paid him $350,000, then apparently spent the rest himself, Mr. Cannon says.

DEC. 20: The singer's annual Christmas toy giveaway goes on in his absence at the Imperial Theatre. The Rev. Sharpton once again stands in for his mentor.

DEC. 21: Judge Early sets a deadline of 120 days to address whether Tomi Rae Hynie Brown was Mr. Brown's common-law wife at the time of his death.