A native of Barnwell, South Carolina, Brown was born to parents of Apache and Asian descent. He was given up for foster care at age five and later raised in poverty by his aunt in a brothel. He would sometimes be sent home from school for “insufficient clothing.” A street hussler, Brown was inspired to become an entertainer after watching Louis Jordan, a popular jazz and R&B performer during the 1940s.
In 1955, Brown joined Bobby Byrd and the Famous Flames. A few years later, he went solo and released the signature tunes “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag” and “I Got You,” both top pop & R&B hits. In 1973, Brown provided the score for the blaxploitation film, “Black Caesar.” In 1974, he toured Africa and performed in Zaire before the “Rumble in the Jungle” fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman.
As a band director, Brown insisted on using the title Mr. or Ms. for everyone in his band; he felt it was a sign of respect if people called each other by their proper title.
Brown held the record as the artist who charted the most singles on the Billboard Hot 100 without ever hitting number-one on that chart. He placed nearly 100 singles and almost 50 albums on the best-seller charts. His legacy was left many places, including the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
