James Brown's Last Gig. Plus: Plans for the Biopic

Thousands of people have begun to flock to the Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York, to pay their final respects to James Brown.

While just about everyone in the world, from presidents to celebrities, has eulogies for the singer of "Sex Machine," both Usher and Fergie are very publicly vying for roles in the upcoming Spike Lee-directed biopic of James Brown, that was announced the day after he passed away.

The biggest endorsement Usher could have ever gotten came when he performed with the "Godfather of Soul" at the 2005 Grammy Awards, where Brown anointed the "Confessions" singer the "Godson of Soul."

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Song Stories

“1999”

Prince | 1982

“I don’t consider myself a great poet,” Prince told Rolling Stone. “I just know I’m here to say what’s on my mind.” In the case of the apocalyptic party anthem “1999,” he was worried about then-president Ronald Reagan’s foreign policies. The song’s melody is based on a riff borrowed from the Mamas and Papas’ “Monday, Monday,” and Prince originally envisioned the first verse with three-part harmony but later split the vocals between himself and members of the Revolution. Because Warner Bros., with whom Prince was locked in a contractual battle, owned the original’s masters, Prince rerecorded the song and appropriately released that version in 1999.

More Song Stories entries »

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