Essay Sample on James Brown Musical Career

James Brown was an influential American, singer, dancer, songwriter, record producer and musician who made a significant impact on 20th-century dance and music (Parmar et al., 2014). Brown started his musical career as a gospel singer in Georgia and later joined the blues and rhythm, vocal groups. He started his musical career in the year 1933 and continued with his singing career for approximately 50 years (Parmar et al., 2014). Despite joining music at a very young age, he gained the first national public attention and popularity in the 1950s when he was a member of the famous Flames music group (Parmar et al., 2014). He was able to build his image as a focused live performer in R&B and frank music, thus earning the title of the godfather of soul. In the late 1960s, James managed to move away from the gospel and blues-based styles and forms to a more profound Africanized method of creating music (Cox, 2014). This change helped him to emphasize on the strip down and interlocking rhythms and style that highly impacted the creation of funk music. By early 1970s, he had formed the Job Music group which helped him to fully establish and develop try funk music (Cox, 2014). His significant effort in blues and rhythms helped him to b inducted in the rhythms and Blues Music Hall of fame and also helped him to receive other numerous awards from other different institutions. Although he fell out of the music career in the 1970s because of financial troubles, he managed to make a huge comeback in the 1980s through the classical movie of blue brothers and other hit songs (Parmar et al., 2014). He also became the first African American musician to be recognized in the rock and roll hall of fame. At the peak of his career, he engaged himself in other obligations such as ensuring that African American music gained acceptance and protecting the civil rights of African Americans. This paper intends to discuss how James Brown was a pioneer in helping normalize African Americans and make them recognized as musicians.

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James Brown was a pioneer in helping normalize the African Americans and make them recognized as musicians

Artistry and Band

Band

Throughout his music career, James brown was mostly engaged in different bands that helped him elevate his music and also increase his popularity across the United States. Some of these bands include blues and rhythm vocal group and the American gospel star lighters. After gaining a huge acceptance amongst the population, he formed the James brown band that he used to produce his popular songs, for instance, the papas got a brand new bag. Most of the bands that he was involved in were mainly composed of African Americans with different specialities such as drummers, guitarist, and percussionists. He also employed approximately 50 individuals in the brown revue and travelled with them across the country to perform in different shows. James brown formed these bands with the aim of helping African Americans to be normalized and recognized as musicians (Hoeren, 2015). He believed that African Americans also need to gain their position in the musical platform; therefore, he had united the African Americans in order to show they had the capability and potential. For instance, it is through his bands that he was able to create a platform for some of the legendary African American musicians such as Ray Charles and B.B King. He also used the bands to create and popularize the R&B and funk music style which became highly affiliated with the African Americans. By late 1960 this form or style of music had gained huge acceptance and popularity across the country, thus making the African Americans to be recognized in the music field (Hoeren, 2015). In order to ensure that the bands gained huge acceptance among other ethnic groups such as the whites, he was very strict in any event and demand at most perfection from the musicians and backup singers.

Concert Introduction, Format, and Repertoire

In order to gain a huge acceptance and to capture people’s attention in any event, one has to make a good and captivating introduction. This as one of the strategy that James Brown used to ensure that he caught people’s attention throughout his performance. Before brown and his band mad any stage entrance, his master of ceremony had to make an elaborate and effective introduction that was accompanied by numerous drumrolls. For instance, the master of ceremony had to introduce the entire band, their specific specialities and bands hit songs. This introduction helped to popularize the songs and the respective artists. For instance, the introduction made by Fat Gonder in brown’s 1963 show helped to popularize the life at Apollo album and also helped to ensure that the African Americans were normalized and viewed as capable musicians (Cox, 2014). James brown believed that his few changes and efforts would help to change how the other people viewed the African Americans music.

Brown's performances were also popular due to the length and intensity. His main aim was to offers the o viewers more than they expected and make them enjoy the entire performance. James browns event repertoire was mostly composed of his recent and hit songs and several r&b songs that helped to enhance the African American musician’s recognition. He also incorporated other elements such as; first; he danced as he performed his songs. He incorporated popular dance moves, for instance, mashed potato which made his songs more captivating to the viewers. Secondly, he incorporated backup singers and horn players in his performance. Every individual involved in the performance had to wear a different outfit depending on the area of speciality; for instance, the male backup singers were required to wear cummerbunds and tuxedoes. Some of the commonly featured backup singers in browns performances include Marva Whitney and Vicki Anderson. The main aim of using different color outfits was to create a good visual impression that helped to increased African-American supporters and acceptance. For instance, the attendance rate of browns performances increased with most of the fans being drown from other ethnic communities such as the whites. James browns decision to incorporate all these elements in his performance played also helped to popularize the R&B and funk music style, which was mainly associated with the African Americans.

Social activism

Education Advocacy

Brown was involved in social activism to ensure that all youths, despite their ethnic background, had a chance to fulfil their education dreams. This objective was motivated by the fact that he was denied the chance to complete his education because he could not afford nice clothes like the other kids from other high-income families. In the 1960s, most of the African American children had to drop out of school, thus denying them the chance to be recognized and to excel in the fields thy intended to venture (Cox, 2014). For instance, African Americans failed to gain acceptance in the music platform since most people viewed them as uneducated. In order to drive his agenda, brown released numerous pro-education songs that sensitized the need to ensure that every child across accessed and completed his or her education. To show his dedication, he used the royalties raised from the pro-education songs to finance the dropout prevention program that he started in the United States. His effort and dedication towards this program helped him to be recognized by the American president for acting as a good role model to the American youths. The recognition also enabled him to share the plight of African Americans with the American president. Throughout his entire musical career, he also made various public speeches, particularly in schools on the need and importance of equality in education. This objective helped to create a platform for the African Americans who also wanted to be recognized and to excel in various fields, for instance, in the musical field. In order to ensure that his dream of achieving equality in education was achieved, he also implemented other measures that include; first; he directed that his state income should be directed towards creating an international company that helped the disadvantaged children and offered scholarships to his grandchildren. Secondly, he also advocated against the killing of young African children in the American streets. He believed that stopping the killing would grant the children a chance to chase their dreams. On most occasions, he took the initiative of giving the street children money and other items to sustain them. Even after his death, his initiative helped to ensure that the African Americans were treated fairly while those who joined the musical field were able to gain much-needed acceptance.

After the assassination of Martin Luther king junior in the year 1968, brown also managed to stop the brutal killing and violence against the youth who were protesting in the United States (Hoeren, 2015). He achieved this by performing a live televised concert in Boston that helped to prevent the demonstrations and riots. His effort as very successful since most of the youths, particularly the African Americans remained at home watching the concert. This strategy helped to prevent probable cases of violence and brutal killing against the African American youths who intended to take part in the riots. A few months after the event he released a protest anthem that inspired and unified all American generations.

Fighting for the civil rights of the African Americans

Throughout his musical career, James brown also actively fought for the civil rights of the African Americans who were yet to be recognized across the country. In order to achieve his civil rights objective, brown released a song known as America is my home. He used this song to advocate for patriotism and to encourage his listeners, particularly the African Americans not to pity themselves. Through his song, he advised the African Americans that there is no other way of gaining acceptance and recognition within the society other than uprising and fighting for their rights without fear. He believed that the American federal government deserved to give every American individual an equal chance despite his or her color. He partnered with other civil rights organizations across the country and used his songs to drive the organization's objects. His significant efforts throughout his entire career helped to change how people viewed African Americans. For instance, the American population changed their perception towards the African American musicians and their respective musical style. James Brown also used the civil rights movements to gain political views and support. For instance, he used his influential position to support Nixon in the American presidential race (Parmar et al., 2014). Although this decision had a negative impact on his music career, he thought that supporting President Nixon would help bring or create the change that he needed. His efforts were however not in vain since the democratic leaders who joined various political positions were able to progress his civil rights movement hence enabling the African Americans to gain the needed recognition in music and other key platforms.

Conclusion

James Brown was an influential American, singer-dancer, songwriter, record producer and musician who helped to ensure that the African Americans gained the much-coveted freedom and acceptance. Brown used his musical career and to progress his black rights initiative across the country.