James Brown: influences, peers and legacy

Every connection with its receipt

James Brown built funk out of gospel shouting, jump blues showmanship and a rhythm section drilled like an army — every instrument a drum. This mix traces the Georgia church and chitlin'-circuit roots beneath that invention, the band members who turned his grunts into arrangements, and the hip-hop and pop generations who rebuilt music on his breakbeats.

The Kynda mix for James Brown

• Key Influence · Caldonia by Louis Jordan (1945). Brown repeatedly named Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five as the model for everything he did on stage: a tight, horn-driven small band, shouted vocals, comic timing and relentless rhythm aimed squarely at dancers. Jordan's jump blues templates — riff-based, danceable, built around a charismatic frontman barking over punched brass — are audible in the Famous Flames' 1950s revue and later in the horn stabs of the J.B.'s.-era funk machine.
• Influencia Obscura · Think by The "5" Royales (1957). The "5" Royales, from Winston-Salem, fused gospel quartet harmony with hard R&B and Lowman Pauling's biting, percussive guitar — a sound Brown openly admired. He cut his own version of their 'Think' in 1960, making it a signature hit, and returned to the song in 1973. Pauling's choked, rhythmic guitar is a clear ancestor of the scratchy one-chord vamping Jimmy Nolen later made the spine of 'Papa's Got a Brand New Bag.'
• Local Roots · Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul by Otis Redding (1965). Redding came out of the same middle-Georgia circuit — Macon, Augusta, Toccoa — that produced Brown and Little Richard, and the two were the region's rival soul titans, often compared on stage power and sweat. Both built careers on the Southern revue system of package tours and tent shows. 'Otis Blue' shows the other road out of that scene: Memphis-tempered restraint where Brown chose rhythmic brutality and audience command.
• Beyond the Medium · The Eagle Stirreth Her Nest by Rev. C. L. Franklin (1953). Franklin's recorded sermons were bestsellers on Chess and defined the Black preaching style Brown secularized: the whooped line, the rising repetition, the congregation's answering shouts, the moment speech tips into song. Brown grew up in sanctified churches in Augusta and absorbed the preacher's job of working a room to collective frenzy. 'Say It Loud' and the Apollo stage patter are essentially pulpit technique moved to a bandstand.
• Peer · Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963 by Sam Cooke (1985). Recorded in Miami months after Brown's Apollo triumph, Cooke's raw club set is the closest contemporary rival for the same prize: capturing a Black audience being worked into ecstasy by a gospel-trained singer. Cooke and Brown both crossed from the quartet circuit to R&B stardom and both fought for ownership of their business. RCA shelved this tape for decades precisely because it was too rough — too much like Brown's world.
• From the Canon · Live at the Apollo by James Brown (1963). Brown financed this recording himself after King Records' Syd Nathan refused, convinced no one would buy an album of songs they already owned. It reached number two on the pop chart and proved his real product was the performance: segues, screams, the audience's answering roar, a band drilled to follow hand signals. Everything later — the one-chord vamps, the showmanship as discipline — is visible here in embryo.
• Key Collaborator · I Know You Got Soul by Bobby Byrd (1971). Byrd founded the Famous Flames and personally got Brown out of a Georgia juvenile detention facility in 1952, bringing him into the group that became his vehicle. For two decades Byrd was the answering voice on 'Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine' and organist in the band. Brown co-wrote and produced this solo single, later immortalized when Eric B. & Rakim built 'I Know You Got Soul' on it.
• Legacy · It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back by Public Enemy (1988). The Bomb Squad built this record substantially from Brown's catalog — Clyde Stubblefield's 'Funky Drummer' break above all, which became arguably the most sampled drum pattern in history. Chuck D's declamatory delivery and the politics of 'Say It Loud — I'm Black and I'm Proud' run straight into 'Fight the Power.' Hip-hop's entire rhythmic foundation in this era is Brown's rhythm section, cut up and looped.

What influenced James Brown

• Gorgeous George. States Brown's cape routine was inspired by wrestler Gorgeous George. “Seeing him on TV helped create the James Brown you see on stage” (Wikipedia)
• Little Richard (1932). States Brown's cape routine was also inspired by Little Richard. (also via Tutti Frutti) “Brown's routine was inspired by a similar one used by the professional wrestler Gorgeous George , as well as Little Richard.” (Wikipedia)
• Sam Cooke. The article names James Brown among the acts influenced by Cooke's vocals. (also via Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963) “Cooke's vocal exploits would go on to influence many acts like Otis Redding , James Brown , Rod Stewart , Johnny Nash , Tina Turner , Wilson Pickett , Mick Jagger , Al Green , Paul McCartney , Diana Ross , Marvin Gaye , Steve Perry , and…” (Wikipedia)
• Howlin' Wolf. Notes Brown's early exposure to Howlin' Wolf's playing. “where he first heard the legendary blues musician Howlin' Wolf play guitar.” (Wikipedia)
• Tutti Frutti by Little Richard (1955). Tutti Frutti (Little Richard) — titan for James Brown “In 1955, the group contacted Little Richard while performing in Macon.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Fever by Little Willie John (1956). Fever (Little Willie John) — ghost for James Brown “Brown, the Flames, and his entire band debuted at the Apollo Theater on April 24, 1959, opening for Brown's idol, Little Willie John.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Caldonia by Louis Jordan (1945). Caldonia (Louis Jordan) — titan for James Brown “He learned to play the piano, guitar, and harmonica during this period, and became inspired to become an entertainer after hearing "Caldonia" by Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Good Rockin' Tonight by Roy Brown (1947). Good Rockin' Tonight (Roy Brown) — titan for James Brown (musicbrainz.org)
• Think by The "5" Royales (1957). Think (The "5" Royales) — ghost for James Brown “== James Brown & the Famous Flames version == In 1960, James Brown and the Famous Flames recorded a cover version of "Think".” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Stormy Weather. Stormy Weather (Andrew L. Stone) — culture for James Brown (themoviedb.org)
• The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X and Alex Haley (1965). The Autobiography of Malcolm X (Malcolm X and Alex Haley) — culture for James Brown (wikidata.org)
• Caldonia by Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five. States hearing this song inspired Brown to become an entertainer.
• The Eagle Stirreth Her Nest by Rev. C. L. Franklin (1953). The Eagle Stirreth Her Nest (Rev. C. L. Franklin) — culture for James Brown

Peers and kindred spirits

• Maceo Parker (1943). Parker joined James Brown’s band. (also via Us) “Maceo joined James Brown 's band with brother Melvin Parker in 1964.” (Wikipedia)
• Afrika Bambaataa. States Brown collaborated with Afrika Bambaataa on 'Unity'. “he teamed with rap musician Afrika Bambaataa on the song " Unity ".” (Wikipedia)
• Annie Lennox (1976). States Brown was scheduled to duet with Annie Lennox. “scheduled to perform a duet with singer Annie Lennox on the song "Vengeance" for her new album Venus” (Wikipedia)
• Joss Stone (2001). States Brown performed a duet with Joss Stone. “he had performed a duet with another British pop star, Joss Stone , on the United Kingdom chat show Friday Night with Jonathan Ross .” (Wikipedia)
• Will Young. States Brown performed a duet with Will Young. “where he performed a duet with British pop star Will Young on "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag".” (Wikipedia)
• Black Eyed Peas (1995). States Brown was featured on a Black Eyed Peas track. “In the Black Eyed Peas album "Monkey Business", Brown was featured on a track called "They Don't Want Music".” (Wikipedia)
• Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music by Ray Charles (1962). Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music (Ray Charles) — geography for James Brown “Following the deaths of Ronald Reagan and his friend Ray Charles, Brown said to CNN, "I'm kind of in an uproar.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963 by Sam Cooke (1985). Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963 (Sam Cooke) — peer for James Brown “Cooke's vocal exploits would go on to influence many acts like Otis Redding, James Brown, Rod Stewart, Johnny Nash, Tina Turner, Wilson Pickett, Mick Jagger, Al Green, Paul McCartney, Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, Steve Perry, and Stevie Wond…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Lonely Teardrops by Jackie Wilson (1958). Lonely Teardrops (Jackie Wilson) — peer for James Brown “His performance style is often cited as a significant influence on contemporary and later artists such as Elvis Presley, James Brown, and Michael Jackson.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• I Know You Got Soul by Bobby Byrd (1971). I Know You Got Soul (Bobby Byrd) — collaborator for James Brown “He rose to prominence in the mid-1950s as the lead singer of the Famous Flames, a rhythm and blues vocal group founded by Bobby Byrd.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Us by Maceo Parker (1974). Us (Maceo Parker) — collaborator for James Brown “Guitarist Jimmy Nolen provided percussive, deceptively simple riffs for each song, and Maceo Parker's prominent saxophone solos provided a focal point for many performances.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul by Otis Redding (1965). Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul (Otis Redding) — geography for James Brown “In 1963, during a concert held at Club 15 in Macon, Georgia, while Otis Redding was performing alongside his former band Johnny Jenkins and the Pinetoppers, Brown, reportedly wielding two shotguns, tried to shoot his musical rival Joe Tex.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Ton-Ton Macoute! by Johnny Jenkins (1970). Ton-Ton Macoute! (Johnny Jenkins) — geography for James Brown “In 1963, during a concert held at Club 15 in Macon, Georgia, while Otis Redding was performing alongside his former band Johnny Jenkins and the Pinetoppers, Brown, reportedly wielding two shotguns, tried to shoot his musical rival Joe Tex.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• In the Midnight Hour by Wilson Pickett (1965). In the Midnight Hour (Wilson Pickett) — peer for James Brown (musicbrainz.org)
• Doing It to Death by Fred Wesley & The J.B.'s (1973). Doing It to Death (Fred Wesley & The J.B.'s) — collaborator for James Brown “Fred Wesley (born July 4, 1943) is an American trombonist who worked with James Brown in the 1960s and 1970s, and Parliament-Funkadelic in the second half of the 1970s.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Portishead (1991). Performed live 1 time (1995) per setlist.fm (via Blind Man Can See It) (setlist.fm)

Who James Brown influenced

• Janelle Monáe (1985). Valnes compares Monáe’s dancing in the video to Brown’s. (also via Star Time, James Brown) “Matthew Valnes likens Monáe's dancing style in the music video for "Tightrope" to that of James Brown.” (Wikipedia)
• Michael Jackson by Michael Jackson. States Michael Jackson cited James Brown as his ultimate idol. (also via Live at the Apollo, James Brown, Off the Wall) “Michael Jackson , who, throughout his career, cited Brown as his ultimate idol.” (Wikipedia)
• Al Sharpton. States Brown mentored Al Sharpton. “I learned from James Brown that you're going to have to be dramatic in order to get people to see things that they are not inclined to see.” (Wikipedia)
• Prince (1958). Sex Machine (James Brown) — titan for Prince (via Sex Machine, Dirty Mind) “Dre, Little Richard, Dick Gregory, Prince, Jesse Jackson, Ice-T, Jerry Lee Lewis, LL Cool J, Lil Wayne, Lenny Kravitz, 50 Cent, Stevie Wonder and Don King.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Fela Kuti (1938). States James Brown's stylistic influence on Kuti's Afrobeat sound. (also via Live at the Apollo) “James Brown was an important American influence on Kuti's musical style.” (Wikipedia)
• Kraftwerk (1961). Kraftwerk cite James Brown's funk as an influence. “The group was also inspired by the funk music of James Brown and, later, punk rock.” (Wikipedia)
• Kendrick Lamar (1987). Critic identifies James Brown's funk as a musical influence on the track. “The music surrounding that story draws equally from 1970s and '80s funk as perfected by James Brown, George Clinton and Michael Jackson.” (Fresh Air (WHYY/NPR))
• Bill T. Jones (1952). Jones describes imitating James Brown's performance style during his first public dance moment. “I did everything I'd ever seen James Brown do, right? I improvised.” (Bill T. Jones - Still/Here (public broadcasting))
• Miguel (1985). Miguel calls James Brown the last innovator in soul music. “Miguel revealed his desire to have worked with James Brown , whom he considers the "last innovator for me when it comes to soul".” (Wikipedia)
• Sly and the Family Stone. States Sly and the Family Stone were influenced by Brown's recordings. “Brown's recordings during this period influenced musicians across the industry, most notably groups such as Sly and the Family Stone , Funkadelic , Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band , Booker T. & the M.G.s” (Wikipedia)
• Funkadelic. States Funkadelic were influenced by Brown's recordings. “Brown's recordings during this period influenced musicians across the industry, most notably groups such as Sly and the Family Stone , Funkadelic , Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band , Booker T. & the M.G.s” (Wikipedia)
• Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band. States this band was influenced by Brown's recordings. “Brown's recordings during this period influenced musicians across the industry, most notably groups such as Sly and the Family Stone , Funkadelic , Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band , Booker T. & the M.G.s” (Wikipedia)
• Booker T. & the M.G.s. States Booker T. & the M.G.s were influenced by Brown's recordings. “Brown's recordings during this period influenced musicians across the industry, most notably groups such as Sly and the Family Stone , Funkadelic , Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band , Booker T. & the M.G.s” (Wikipedia)
• Edwin Starr. States Edwin Starr was among vocalists influenced by Brown. “vocalists such as Edwin Starr , David Ruffin and Dennis Edwards from the Temptations , and Michael Jackson” (Wikipedia)
• David Ruffin. States David Ruffin was among vocalists influenced by Brown. “vocalists such as Edwin Starr , David Ruffin and Dennis Edwards from the Temptations , and Michael Jackson” (Wikipedia)
• Dennis Edwards. States Dennis Edwards was among vocalists influenced by Brown. “vocalists such as Edwin Starr , David Ruffin and Dennis Edwards from the Temptations , and Michael Jackson” (Wikipedia)
• MC Hammer. States MC Hammer listed Brown as his idol. “Both listed Brown as their idol.” (Wikipedia)
• Big Daddy Kane (1968). States Big Daddy Kane listed Brown as his idol. “Both listed Brown as their idol.” (Wikipedia)
• When the World Is Running Down, You Make the Best of What's Still Around. States The Police referenced James Brown in their lyrics. “The Police refer to "James Brown on the T.A.M.I. Show " in their 1980 song " When the World Is Running Down, You Make the Best of What's Still Around ".” (Wikipedia)
• It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back by Public Enemy (1988). It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (Public Enemy) — legacy for James Brown “As the 1970s continued, Brown continued to record songs of social commentary, most prominently 1972's "King Heroin" and the two-part ballad "Public Enemy", which dealt with drug addiction.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Off the Wall by Michael Jackson (1979). Off the Wall (Michael Jackson) — legacy for James Brown “& the M.G.s as well as vocalists such as Edwin Starr, David Ruffin and Dennis Edwards from the Temptations, and Michael Jackson, who, throughout his career, cited Brown as his ultimate idol.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Dirty Mind by Prince. Dirty Mind (Prince) — legacy for James Brown “Dre, Little Richard, Dick Gregory, Prince, Jesse Jackson, Ice-T, Jerry Lee Lewis, LL Cool J, Lil Wayne, Lenny Kravitz, 50 Cent, Stevie Wonder and Don King.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• D'Angelo. D'Angelo includes James Brown in his account of the music he absorbed. “he "went through this tunnel, through gospel , blues , and a lot of old soul , old James Brown , early, early Sly and the Family Stone , and a lot of Jimi Hendrix ".” (Wikipedia)
• Mothership Connection by Parliament (1975). Clinton describes the album’s grooves as modeled on James Brown’s. “we did all these James Brown -type grooves, but with street talk and ghetto slang.” (Wikipedia)
• Usher. Usher credits James Brown with teaching him about performance and showmanship. “James Brown introduced me to soul. Because of him I was given a clear view of what a real performance is and should be. I learned showmanship from him” (Wikipedia)
• Here Comes the Hammer. States MC Hammer's song sampled rhythms from Brown's 'Super Bad'. (via Super Bad) “Hammer having sampled the rhythms from " Super Bad " for his song "Here Comes the Hammer", from his best-selling album Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em .” (Wikipedia)
• Kurtis Blow. Kurtis Blow calls Brown's song the national anthem of hip-hop, marking its foundational influence. (via Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose) “hip-hop pioneer Kurtis Blow called the song "the national anthem of hip-hop"” (Wikipedia)
• Parliament-Funkadelic. Sex Machine (James Brown) — titan for Parliament-Funkadelic (via Sex Machine) “I was a big fan of Star Trek, so we did a thing with a pimp sitting in a spaceship shaped like a Cadillac, and we did all these James Brown-type grooves, but with street talk and ghetto slang." Like Sun Ra, Clinton wanted to see black pe…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Talking Heads (1975). Sex Machine (James Brown) — titan for Talking Heads (via Sex Machine) (musicbrainz.org)
• The Roots (1987). The Payback (James Brown) — titan for The Roots (via The Payback) (musicbrainz.org)
• Miles Davis (1926). Davis's taste for James Brown fed into his funk-era sound.
• Eddie Murphy (1961). Live at the Apollo (James Brown) — titan for Eddie Murphy (via Live at the Apollo)