Michael Said Goodbye to James Brown

The news about Michael traveling to America was true, but the reason had nothing to do with Christmas. Michael returned to America to say goodbye to James Brown (James Brown). Yesterday, Michael Jackson, along with countless fans and also members of James Brown’s family and friends, said goodbye to the father of soul music for good by attending the James Brown Hall in Augusta, Georgia. Upon arriving at the hall, Michael was met with thunderous applause from the audience. During the ceremony, sitting alongside Reverend Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, he was in the first row of seats, and from time to time he wiped his eyes with a handkerchief he was holding. Sharpton’s voice echoed through the hall when he said: “I don’t care what the media wants to say. James Brown wanted Michael to be with him today... He said, ‘I love Michael. Tell him not to be afraid of coming back home.’ They always accuse talented people. Tell him we need to set the music straight, and I want Michael and all those who took me as their example to come back and elevate the music.” After that, Michael—who had left the United States on June 13, 2005—walked onto the stage wearing sunglasses and black leather pants and jacket. Michael called James Brown his biggest inspiration and, with a hoarse voice, told the 9,000 people in the hall how, when he was six years old, every time the television aired James Brown’s program, his mother would call him to watch. “When I was a little boy, I didn’t have more than six years. My mother would call me—no matter what time it was—even if I was asleep, even if I was doing something else—she would call me to watch the master’s show. When I saw his dancing, I was mesmerized. I had never seen anyone perform like James Brown, and after that I understood that this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I love you so much, James Brown, and I’ll miss you. Thank you for everything.” During the ceremony, songs by James Brown were performed, and the performers also delivered their best renditions of his songs. In the end, the people in the hall—as well as Michael—said their final goodbye to James Brown by visiting his body, which lay in his coffin. In the 1960s, Brown’s powerful music and his resonant voice as he sang “Say it loud—I’m black and I’m proud” broke boundaries, even seeping into political and social life in America, giving fresh spirit to the struggle of Black people against racism. Jesse Jackson, leader of the American Black Party, said in praise of James Brown: “He was born in hardship, but he left us many things as legacy.” Al Sharpton also said: “No one has ever been like him—starting from the lowest level and reaching the highest level.” Brown created soul music (rhythmic blues), dance, and disco. At this ceremony, James Brown was awarded an honorary doctorate in music. This year, Brown had performed more than a hundred live shows, and he was even scheduled to perform at New Year’s Eve in Times Square in New York City. Source: eMJey / AP / Reuters