babynoz said:

Unbelievable! Idiots!

dag said:

I don't think it's a question of weakness at all. But I don't want to get too far off topic here.

BlueNote said:

I was cheering so loud my son was...

I tell ya, BET ain't helping matters. I think they're part of the problem.

Babynoz said:

Well, I'll try to explain the best way I can. You know Dick Gregory speaks his mind. In so many words, Mr.Gregory talked about how Dr. JB was a man of dignity, who stood tall about his beliefs and who he was as a person and refused to bend or beg to have his music "crossover" to White listeners. He basically stated that Dr. JB felt that he didn't have to go into the White side of town or to White owned clubs to have White people accept his music, or for it to "crosssover". Dr. JB felt during those times, that if they liked his music then they should come over to his side of town--so to speak--to listen to it and see him perform. Dr. JB had strong feelings about how it was ok for White people to walk in the front door of any Black club and listen and enjoy music by Black entertainers in Black/White venues, but felt it was unfair that Black people could not walk into White-owned clubs and sit and listen to music by White or Black entertainers in their clubs.

So apparently Dr. JB just let it naturally happen, and eventually White people accepted, listened and loved his music and would come to see him sing and perform. Eventually this led to his music crossing over to other cultures.
I remember reading his book where Elvis Pressley would come down to the Black club to see him perform because Elvis was curious and liked the "gospel" sound of Dr. JB's music.


Dick Gregory also joked about how the White media always calls him for his opinions of other White celebrities or famous people. So he stated that he got a call from the (White)media and they asked him what he thought of Bob Hope living until 100 years old, and he joked that Bob Hope’s family should visit the Rainbow Coalition and kiss Jesse Jackson’s feet for always saying “Keep Hope Alive”. Apparently this was suppose to be a joke, but I think the media was afraid of anything that Dick Gregory would say, as he has always been seen as controversial to the media.


Babynoz quote:


Dr. James Brown is right...how did we get to that point? Not to mention that sometimes we argue for the pettiest (if that is such a word) of things and show a lack of respect for each other, yet we're in the same struggle. It's definitely time for a change.



-----
"Why do we hate on each other sometimes when we are in the same struggle?"--2elijah
[Edited 12/30/06 17:37pm]

PurpleCharm said:

Prince must have written a song about JB's passing by now.

2elijah said:

Thanks a million 2elijah. I knew I was missing something because every time brotha Dick Gregory opens his mouth he's on point. I'm gonna have to buy a video of this funeral somewhere.

Thanks Babynoz....don't forget to watch BET tonight. 9pm eastern time. "Soul Brother No.1": (Dr.)James Brown. Yes they actually have something on that channel. It's only for a half-hour though.

update.
They showed a snippet of MJ, Prince, Usher, Beyonce...that's because they know where all that soul came from
[Edited 12/30/06 18:13pm]

Great ceremony.

Most touching moments for me:

- That guy from The Temptaions singing (sorry forgot his name)
- Jesse Jackson's Speech, especially the "scream/make some noise" part
- Watching MJ paying tribute and being totally into the whole ceremony; you could tell he so not did it for publicity but out of genuine respect
- The moment the Godfather was awarded with his "Dr." honors

Kind of annoying:

- Tomi Rae kind of overdid it for me a few times
- Parts of the audience that apparently didn't know how to respectfully behave
when that gospel group had finished and Rev. Al Sharpton had to ask the audience to not move in front of the Brown family and still that guy with the camera didn't move and took his pictures.

But all in all a great and appropriate ceremony.

R.I.P. Dr.James Brown, Godfather of Soul
[Edited 12/30/06 18:38pm]

OMG! The most touching thing I ever saw. I fell to the ground in tears when I saw Michael Jackson. The brother is wrecked. One of the most stricking things I heard was Al Sharpton speaking of his last conversation with James Brown in which JB said "But tell him we need to clean up the music and I want Michael to come back and lift the music back". JB still cared about music of today, and he wasn't stupid either. He knew no Will.I.Am or Timabland was going to clean up music. It's up to Michael, Prince and all those mofo's who started this mess (and it's true, Michael and Prince influenced every hip hop star out there today, so they made the mess they are the only ones who can clean it up). James Brown and Michael Jackson shared such an emotional and spiritual connection. I think James was probably inspired by Michael as much as Michael was by him. It lifted his spirits to see a new talent coming through who had the ability to effect music that way JB did. Beautiful, touching stuff.

DarlingDiana said:

Y'know, Prince is so cool with running after the ol' school masters: Clinton, maceo, M Davis, Larry Graham, Why did he never record anything with JB, (or for that matter little Richard) I'm sure there was some long-term ill-feeling between the two (3) of them

thedribbler said:

I just think it was as simple as that JB didn't like Prince. I think that concert back in the early 80s where JB invited MJ onstage who invited Prince onstage has something to do with it. MJ performed with dignity, delivered well and stayed respectful to JB. But Prince got up there, took his shirt off, humped a guitar and screamed into a microphone. I don't think that impressed JB too much. JB's a class act and what Prince did (although very cool) was not classy in the slightest, lol.

I think Dr. JB had a lot of respect for both MJ and Prince as they both grew older. Dr. JB witnessed Prince cleaning up lyrics in his music, so I don't think there was any riffs between them if any. Dr. JB's friend did say during the ceremony that Dr. JB told him he still had a lot of work to do with MJ and Prince, so I believe as time passed by, there was much forgiveness and respect between all of them, I think we can only hope MJ and Prince can continue to carry the torch with much respect.
[Edited 12/30/06 20:22pm]

Not surprised at Prince not showing. What a selfish emotional retard he is.

Pictures from the funeral already. I just feel so honored to have been there. It was one of the most surreal feelings ever.....not who all was in attendance,but seeing James's body in his casket. It gave me chills, and I wanted to cry....but didn't. I snapped a few pictures, but I'm not sure how they're gonna turn out. I was kinda surprised that MJ chose to show up at that ceremony as opposed to the one in NY or the private one that was Friday. The people in Augusta ain't used to someone like MJ coming through there. I've never been in the same arena as Bootsy or MJ.....shame it had to be in this circumstance.

Mong said:

Some people just can't handle funerals and choose to grieve in other ways. I doubt it has anything to do with being selfish.

I think it is selfish. It's only right to pay your last respects to somebody; by not attending owing to feeling uncomfortable with being in that situation, you're putting yourself first and being disrespectful to someone who is no longer around.

Was Prince even into JB? I don't think I've ever heard him mention JB as an infuence or a friend.

R.I.P. SOUL BROTHER # 1

DarlingDiana said:

Ok, i'm gona assume you havent been a prince fan long. Everything about Prince is James Brown influnced. Prince called him his main inspiration. JB was the first concert Prince ever attend, that's when he knew what he was gona do in life. Just as Micahel knew when he first saw JB on tv.


As for Prince not attending. We all deal with this type of things in are own way. Prince has showed his respect since the 25th. he's done it publicly by shutting down his site. only displaying the words James Brown. as well as paying tribute to him last night at his concert.



Also Michael attended both the private cermoney and public cermony in Augusta. i'm told.
[Edited 12/30/06 23:59pm]

DarlingDiana said:

EXCUSE ME ?????!!!!!

DarlingDiana said:

SSHHhhh...!

DarlingDiana said:

Why are you baiting in this memorial thread for James Brown?

Agreed. Can we please stop this? This is NOT the place to judge Prince as selfish or anything or to discuss anything else than James Brown and the ceremony, IMO.

I found Dick Gregory's speech amazing. I was very impressed by what he said about the little door we all come through to this earth and the big door we all go through to leave this earth and the road we all have to travel in between.

DarlingDiana said:

Sweet baby, we're going to let you slide on this one. After all, you were asking a question and you admitted that "I don't think".

AnckSuNamun said:

MJ did show up at the viewing in NYC. I spoke to the Head of security who was chatting with me and another friend before MJ showed up. He told us that's why he was there, he had to make sure MJ got in safely. When MJ's 2 limos showed up, the same security guy dashed over to it right away and MJ's driver was instructed to drive MJ around the back entrance of the Apollo, so not to stir up the crowd and make a circus scene, while JB's family, friends and fans were paying respects at the viewing of Mr. Brown. It was the right thing for them to do to keep things calm.
[Edited 1/1/07 7:50am]

DarlingDiana said:

DarlingDiana,

JB was a major influence in Prince's music, You could hear it in his music and I've heard that he mentioned JB was one of his major influences. (i.e. Housequake, It's a Beautiful Night, Black Sweat..just to name a few). From what I heard, he did a tribute to JB at his Friday night show and Maceo was there.

Besides did you see how the crowd in Augusta behaved everytime MJ walked by? They were shouting and screaming his name at JB's funeral, that is the reason why the didn't allow MJ to come in through the front entrance of the Apollo because the crowd would have become excited, especially with all the emotion that was being felt out there in the crowd when I was there on Thursday night. When the crowd saw Jermaine Dupree step out for a second from his car, security instructed him to go back in his car and go through the back of the Apollo, because the crowd was shouting over to him.

They were trying to keep the crowd calm and in due respect to Mr. Brown's body laying inside. I'm sure Prince and other celebrities will do something for Mr. Brown in due time. There were a lot of celebrities that did not show up at the Apollo viewing that the media was questioning, but if you saw the crowd that was out there for hours from the night before, and if a lot of celebrities started showing up, then I think there would have been a circus scene out there. I think everyone is prejudging before they have any facts. I'm sure Prince more than likely contacted the family and gave his sympathies and plus, JB's funeral is not about Prince or MJ, it's about James Brown.
[Edited 12/31/06 7:43am]

Hmmm, ok, so no one is talking about BET's tribute? Well, the best way 2 describe it - "it was short and sweet"

prettymansson said:

seems like the question was genuine. 2elijah handled it beautifully.

Did Prince attend the funeral? My mother and brother told me that Herb Kent on V103 in Chicago said that Prince and Patti Labelle attended the funeral. I didn't hear it myself so I don't know if they heard correctly.