I don't usually do obits here. There are better places than this measly blog for one. But I was shocked to discover that James Brown died sometime while the rest of us were ripping open presents and eating the turkey dinner.
I'm not the world's biggest James Brown fan, but it would be hard for any American to not have some James Brown song in their Top 100 list.
One of the major musical influences of the past 50 years, James Brown was to rhythm and dance music what Bob Dylan was to lyrics.
From Jagger to Michael Jackson, David Bowie to Public Enemy, his rapid-footed dancing, hard-charging beats and heartfelt yet often unintelligible vocals changed the musical landscape.
"He was a whirlwind of energy and precision, and he was always very generous and supportive to me in the early days of the Stones," Jagger said. "His passing is a huge loss to music."
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