James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer and dancer. The founding father of funk music and a major figure of 20th-century popular music and dance, he is often referred to as The Godfather of Soul .n June 10, 1991 James Brown and a star-filled line up, performed before an audience at Los Angeles' Wiltern Theater before a live Pay Per View at home audience. James Brown: Living in America-Live! was the brainchild of Indiana Producer Danny Hubbard.