A turkey, a toy, a tour.

James Brown was more than a soul-singer who changed the sound and the face of music. He was a man determined to give back and support those who supported him. He was a philanthropist who gave not only his money, but also his time.

In the 1960s, he lent his voice to a "stay-in-school" campaign and later went to Vietnam to perform for American troops. In 1970, he came to Augusta in the midst of its race riots and called for calm.

Beginning in 1991, he started his Thanksgiving-turkey and Christmas-toy giveaways.

"He was able to do it and he did," said Elif Pesmen, a personal assistant to Mr. Brown who has organized the giveaways for the past eight years.

"He wanted to give back. He didn't want to forget about where he came from," she said. "He just wanted to help people where he grew up, from this area. He knew what the struggle is when you don't have the turkey or have the toys for Christmas."

Those in Augusta know that to be true.

Over the past 15 years, thousands of people have lined up to receive the gifts from Mr. Brown, often waiting hours to meet him.

Timothy Brewster weaved his way through one of three lines in November 2005 to get his turkey.

"It was real nice. I enjoyed it. I got a chance to shake his hand and say 'I grew up on your records,'" he said.

Word of Mr. Brown's philanthropy, particularly at Thanksgiving and Christmas, is legend around Mr. Brewster's neighborhood, which borders Dyess Park, the site of the annual turkey giveaway.

"Everybody knows about it," he said, adding that the two's meeting over a bagged turkey has become his fondest memory of the man whose music he listened to again and again.

"I'm sorry I couldn't take a picture with him," Mr. Brewster said. "He was giving."