Born on May 3rd, 1933 in Barnwell South Carolina in a small wooden shack, James Joesph Brown the Godfather of Soul was an American singer, dancer, and songwriter whose career spanned 50 years. James Brown recorded 17 singles that reached number one on the Billboard R&B charts and has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Song Writers Hall of Fame. Rolling Stone magazine ranks him at number seven of it's greatest artists of all time. James Brown continued to record music and perform until his death in 2006.