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James Brown was one of the major figures of 20th-century music. Often called the "Godfather of Soul," his unique style of rhythm and blues fused with jazz and soul evolved into what is still described today as funk music. An energetic stage performer blessed with an extraordinary voice, Brown enjoyed a career that lasted over 50 years, and was performing and recording just a few weeks before his death on December 25, 2006.

Browse the gallery and relive some of the highs and lows of this legendary performer.

▲James Joseph Brown was born on May 3, 1933, in Barnwell, South Carolina. He began singing as a young child in talent shows, making his first public appearance in 1944 in Augusta's Lenox Theatre.

▲By age 12 the aspiring musician had learned to play the piano, guitar, and harmonica.

▲In 1949 Brown met singer Bobby Byrd, who invited him to join his group, The Avons (later known as The Famous Flames), which he eventually did in 1953. Pictured is the band with Byrd on piano and, interestingly, Brown playing drums.

▲By 1956 The Famous Flames had secured a record contract, with Brown emerging as a talented soul singer by the time of their first professional recording, 'Please, Please, Please.'

▲Here's Brown onstage at the Apollo Theatre in New York City in 1962. The Harlem venue was to become synonymous with the singer throughout his career. That year the band scored their first hit with 'Night Train.'

▲The Famous Flames' 1963 live recording at the Apollo was released as 'Live at the Apollo,' which peaked at number two in the pop album chart and went on to sell over a million copies.

▲Brown wears a cape as he is led offstage by MC Danny Ray and a member of the Famous Flames (standing left) at the Apollo Theatre. The cape routine became a trademark feature of Brown's stage shows.

▲By 1964 Brown was finding his own feet, and his own sound. The following year he released 'Papa's Got A Brand New Bag.' It won him his first Grammy Award, for Best R&B Performance.

▲Later in 1965, he issued 'I Got You,' which hit the top spot on the R&B chart. This was followed by the ballad 'It's a Man's Man's Man's World.' James Brown was by now one of the biggest names in the business.

▲'I Got You' was performed by James Brown and the Famous Flames in the film 'Ski Party' (1965). The band was cast as the resort's all-black ski patrol.

▲Brown and boxing champ Muhammad Ali (then known as Cassius Clay), smile and greet parade-goers while participating in the annual Bud Billiken parade in Chicago.

▲In May 1967 Brown recorded 'Cold Sweat,' regarded by many music critics as the first true funk song. The sound established the musical foundation for the singer's later hits. Meanwhile, he acquired the nickname "Soul Brother No. 1."

▲Released in August 1968, 'Say It Loud – I'm Black and I'm Proud' is a two-part single which dominated the R&B single chart for six weeks. It became an official anthem of the prominent Black Power movement.

▲Brown's 1968 'Soulful Christmas' album appeared festive enough, but tracks like 'Santa Claus Go Straight To The Ghetto' reminded listeners of the singer's affinity with equal rights and self-determination for black people, particularly during one of the most tumultuous years in American history.

▲The aforementioned cape routine closes Brown's performance on stage at the Newport Jazz Festival in Newport, Rhode Island. The Famous Flames had disbanded the previous year.

▲During the first half of the 1970s, Brown became the "Godfather of Soul" such was his influence on R&B musicians, artists, and acts. He influenced musicians like Sly and the Family Stone, Edwin Star, and Michael Jackson, who maintained throughout his career that Brown was his ultimate idol.

▲While the early 1970s proved productive and successful, by 1976 Brown could no longer punch his own weight musically. His was far too left field to fit in with the mainstream disco scene (though he charted in 1979 with the disco-orientated 'It's Too Funky in Here').

▲During the 1972 American presidential election campaign, Brown voiced his support for Richard Nixon in a move that alienated a big portion of his black audience. However, four years later, he openly campaigned for Jimmy Carter, and appeared at the presidential hopeful's fundraiser at the Royal Coach Inn in Atlanta, Georgia.

▲Brown, replete with mustache, in a 1977 publicity shot. With his music failing to chart, the singer looked elsewhere for success... and found it in the movies!

▲Brown as Reverend Cleophus James, a reverend of the Triple Rock Baptist Church. His musical sermon 'The Old Landmark' causes Jake (John Belushi) to have an epiphany. Brown also appeared as a bandleader in 'Doctor Detroit' (1983) and as himself in 1985's 'Rocky IV.'

▲The 'Rocky IV' soundtrack featured 'Living in America,' which marked Brown's first Top 40 entry since 1974 and his first Top 10 pop entry since 1968.

▲Despite his strict stance on substance and alcohol abuse, by the mid-1980s it was alleged that Brown himself had succumbed to substance abuse. This led to violent outbursts against his then-wife Adrienne Rodriguez, and his subsequent arrest on several occasions for domestic violence. The troubled star is pictured here in a 1988 police mugshot.

▲James Brown in happier days, with Tina Turner backstage at the 1982 Grammy Awards.

▲Personal problems aside, Brown continued to wow audiences with his colorful and energetic live shows. He's pictured on stage at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans, Louisiana in April 1988.

▲Between concert appearances, Brown remained in demand at celebrity shows and events around the world. Here the singer brings down the curtain on Thierry Mugler's presentation of his Autumn-Winter 1995 ready-to-wear collection in Paris.

▲US President George W. Bush poses for a photo with the singer during a Black Music Month event in June 2001 at the White House in Washington, D.C. The message was a shot against gun crime.

▲In 2002 Brown was involved in a lawsuit where a former employee, Lisa Ross Agabalaya, accused the singer of sexual harassment and wrongful termination of employment. He was acquitted of the former charge but was found guilty of the latter and was ordered to pay damages amounting to US$40,000.

▲Two years later Brown was again in trouble with the law. This 2004 mug shot shows the disheveled singer after his arrest and a charge of criminal domestic violence against his fourth wife, Tomi Rae Hynie.

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Tomi Rae Hynie was a backup singer in the James Brown Revue. She married the singer in December 2001, and subsequently toured with him.

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The early 2000s saw a resurgence in Brown's career, and the singer found himself in big demand, touring across America and Europe. He's pictured performing in 2002.

▲One of his final concerts took place in Zagreb, Croatia, on November 5, 2006 (pictured). Eights weeks later and back in the US, the singer became very ill and had to cancel a number of concerts, including a New Year's Eve television special.

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Unfortunately his condition only worsened. Admitted to the hospital on December 23, James Brown died on December 25 from congestive heart failure, resulting from complications of pneumonia. Pictured: a video of James Brown is shown during his December 30, 2006 funeral, in what was described as a "Homecoming" at the James Brown Arena in Augusta, Georgia. Among the high-profile mourners were Reverends Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton, as well as singer Michael Jackson.