My next encounter with Brown was at the grand opening of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. I was working for WAMO and had the opportunity to interview him. When I told him where I was from and what station I worked for, his response: in my best James Brown voice “huh, the three rivers, how’s Brother Matt doing?”
I couldn’t believe it he connected me right away to the right city and remembered who worked at the station. It was a brief but oh so meaningful encounter. His hair was shoeshine black and his suit was a bright purple. I still have the cassette tape.
I think it is about time I move these prized interviews to CD. As for the movie “Get On Up,” the incident where Brown shoots a hole into the ceiling of his office building did not happen. Please read the story by Huffington Post blogger Charles Thomson “James Brown Biopic: Should Life Stories really Include Fabricated Incidents.” The Thomson article is a very well done story about what really occurred during that incident and what took place after.
Chadwick Boseman does a fine job as Brown, but I’m really curious from whose perspective this movie is told from. I googled books on Brown and came up with about a half dozen titles. Once I get through them watch for the next column on JB.
(Email the columnist at debbienorrell@aol.com)
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