From prison sentence to fight for Black lives: 5 revelations from 'James Brown: Say it Loud' docuseries
Five biggest revelations from A&E's 'James Brown: Say it Loud' docuseries
The iconic singer and dancer, James Brown aka the "Godfather of Soul," was known to have a complicated life. The four-part A&E docuseries, 'James Brown: Say It Loud', directed by Deborah Riley Draper, traces the late musician's rise to fame and his role in the civil rights movements, as well as touches on his not-so-glamorous side. Here are five stunning revelations from the new docuseries, which premiered on Monday, February 19.
1. James Brown was apparently abusive toward his wife Diedre Jenkins but his daughter made him realize his mistake
James, who himself had a difficult childhood, is said to have been abusive toward his second wife, Diedre Jenkins. However, his daughter Yamma Brown's courage apparently put a stop to his ill behavior and later found forgiveness for him. Yamma recalled the incident to PEOPLE Magazine, saying, "I remember being 5 or 6 and thinking, 'I just can’t take it anymore.' And you hear about this, where people’s kids stand up to their parent’s abuser before the parent will." She continued, "What I remember as clear as day... my mom had on a blue and white robe and he literally was screaming and hollering and hitting her and she was crying. I just remember going over there and trying to pull him off of her. And the look that he gave me was like, 'Who is this person?'. But it didn't even matter to me because at that moment I was just trying to protect my mother." Yamma also noted that before his death, James did apologize to Diedre to amend things.
2. James Brown played a key role in the original Black Lives Matter movement
James "saved Boston" after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr in April 1968. Following the death of the political philosopher, angry people of the US were on the streets but amid the chaos, the musician went on to perform at the Boston Garden. "That was a big deal. It saved Boston. There was no fighting and looting like it was going on in other major cities. In Boston, everyone was in a groove," revealed his daughter, Deanna Brown Thomas. Not only that, but he also created 'Say It Loud — I'm Black and I'm Proud' in 1968, intending to dismiss the stigma of being called "Black." In the docuseries, Oscar-winning filmmaker Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson dubs James' feat as "the original Black Lives Matter."
3. James Brown punished his bass player with a $50 fine for missing one note
As per James' son Larry Brown, his father "believed in perfection — and that the audience should get what they paid for. He was willing to do whatever it took to make sure perfection was there." His bass player, Fred Thomas, claimed, "I got fined $50 one time, for one note. He's playing 'If I Ruled the World' and I almost missed a note — I just kind of slid into it. It wasn't a train wreck but it was a little rough."
4. James Brown's support for President Richard Nixon proved harmful to him
Along with performing President Richard Nixon's inaugural ball in 1969, James endorsed him during his run for reelection in 1972. At the time, the musician reportedly said, "I believe in the future of the country lies with Mr Nixon. Some of the things that he's done has been very close to my heart as a minority, as a Black man. He's the man for the job." But his sponsorship harmed his career and his move was compared to someone who was "selling his community out." Later, in an interview, James said, "When the going got rough — a lot of people backed up and walked away from me."
5. James Brown called his time behind bars a 'two-year unwanted vacation'
In December 1988, James went to serve his six-year sentence at South Carolina’s State Park Correctional Center after being found guilty of pulling out a deadly weapon in public and escaping police. But he got freed after serving two-and-a-half years. As per Yamma, her father had said, "This was my two-year unwanted vacation." She noted, "He needed to rest, he needed to detox."
