'It's just a blessing': Daughter of funk icon James Brown discusses her father's legacy

Many believe icons should be given their flowers while they can still smell them. Unfortunately, for a lot of the world's greatest legends, like funk musician James Brown, recognition is often given posthumously.

But Hamilton County Commission President Alicia Reece believes it's never too late to honor and celebrate the unsung contributions of Cincinnati's greatest Black musicians. That's why she, with the support of the Greater Cincinnati community, created the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame in 2021.

After three years in the making, an official grand opening celebration for the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame will take place on Saturday, July 22, where all inductees will finally be honored with the physical walk they were promised.

While all inductees, past and present, are worthy of this honor, there's something extra special about immortalizing the career of the "Godfather of Soul."

"He started a lot of people's careers right there, Bootsy Collins being just one," Brown's daughter, Dr. Deanna Brown-Thomas, told The Enquirer. "So, to go back and to give due ... I think that's a great thing because my dad has been a part of so many people's lives in the music business. ... It's just a blessing to be able to give people their flowers and show them how much he was appreciated in that area."

Without further ado, here's a look at the life and legacy of James Brown.

Life and legacy of James Brown, 'Soul Brother No. 1'

Often referred to as "The Hardest Working Man in Show Business," "Soul Brother No. 1" and "Mr. Dynamite," Brown is perhaps the most famous musician to have gotten his start in Greater Cincinnati and one of the most influential entertainers of the 20th century.

Brown was born on May 3, 1933, in a small shack outside of Barnwell, South Carolina, but was raised by his aunt in Augusta, Georgia, per Brown's website. Despite quitting school after the seventh grade and serving a three-year sentence at a reformatory for petty theft, he was determined to make a name for himself in music.

After he was paroled in Toccoa, Georgia, in 1952, Brown began singing gospel music with a woman named Sara Byrd and her local church group. He eventually joined a local band known as the Gospel Starlighters, later known as The Avons, then as The Famous Flames.

Following the success of their first hit, "Please Please Please," Brown, along with The Famous Flames, signed to Federal Records, a subsidiary of King Records, in January 1956. During his time at the local record label, Brown, who eventually went solo, released several chart-topping hits such as "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," "I've Got The Feeling," "Out of Sight" and "Cold Sweat," which many music experts credit as the song that created funk as a music genre.

Brown's funky sound would also influence several bands in and out of Ohio, including Sly & The Family Stone, Funkadelic, and The Ohio Players. By 1967, Brown was the superstar of King Records with multiple top 10 records, a Grammy award and appearances in film and television.

According to Brian Powers, research librarian, music historian and author of "A King Records Scrapbook," nearly all of Brown's most influential music and biggest hits were recorded at King Records.

"He was running King Records. Dad brought the artists, he produced the songs, he was running things and he was the man at King Records," Brown-Thomas explained.

But Brown didn't only produce dance-worthy hits. He used his platform for social and political activism with the release of several civil rights anthems such as "Say it Loud (I'm Black and I'm Proud)" and "I Don’t Want Nobody to Give Me Nothing (Open Up the Door I’ll Get It Myself).” Brown also advocated for education and released the song "Don't Be a Dropout," which addressed school dropout rates in the 1960s.

In addition to musical success, Brown also made public speeches in schools, donated residuals to dropout prevention programs, was an entrepreneur and more.

Throughout his life, Brown would receive numerous awards and honors, including a 1986 induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, having died in 2006 at the age of 73 from congestive heart failure resulting from complications of pneumonia, Brown would not live long enough to witness Cincinnati, the city that propelled his career, induct him into its newly built Black Music Walk of Fame.

When asked what her father would've thought about his upcoming induction, Brown-Thomas stated, "First of all, he would've thanked God that he was given that honor."

An inspiration for future generations

Although Brown’s life was marked by many hardships, including the tragic death of his third wife, an ongoing battle with drug abuse and a string of domestic violence charges, his contributions to the music industry, especially in Cincinnati, are undeniable. As founder and president of The James Brown Family Foundation, which assists underprivileged children and impoverished families in Brown's hometown of Augusta, Georgia, Brown-Thomas has made it her mission to spread the life lessons her father instilled in her.

"Even though my dad was not a perfect man, he wasn't academically educated, but he was educated in life. I know how blessed I am to have had James Brown to be my father," she said.

Brown-Thomas added that she hopes the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame shows future generations that it doesn't matter where you come from or what you've been through, anyone can achieve greatness with hard work and dedication. She explained that her father gave his whole life to the music industry, and she hopes visitors are inspired by his life and legacy, which is still revered years after his death.

"You can come from what my father came from, which was a very poor and humble background, and you can be something, you can be somebody," she said. "It shows that even when you're dead and gone, people will remember you because of the good that you left."

More about the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame grand opening

The grand opening of the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame will take place at noon on Saturday, July 22, in front of the Andrew J. Brady Music Center. The grand unveiling will honor the 2023 inductees, including Brown, The Deele, Louise Shropshire and Philippé Wynne.

The Ohio Players will also perform a free concert to celebrate the occasion.

For more information, visit cincyblackmusicwalkoffame.org.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Daughter of funk icon James Brown on Black Music Walk of Fame honor