LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- "Godfather of Soul" James Brown has announced his breakup from his wife, Tomi Rea Brown, with a full-page ad in the show-business trade newspaper Variety.

In the July 21-27 weekly edition of the paper, the ad features a photo of the couple and their now 2-year-old son, James Joseph Brown II, smiling at Walt Disney World while posing with the costumed character Goofy.

Above the photo, a statement said that because of their "heavy, demanding tour schedule, they have decided to go their separate ways. There are no hard feelings, just a mutual show business decision made by both parties."

The couple, who married in December 2001, added that they decided to break up "with love and affection." Tomi Rea is one of Brown's background singers.

In a short article Tuesday, Variety reported: "A colleague of Brown's said the photo was chosen to emphasize the happy times of the relationship, rather than the hard times of a breakup." Representatives for the 70-year-old soul singer did not immediately return calls for comment.

The pair is touring together in Europe, the newspaper added, and may continue working together despite the breakup.

Brown's previous wife, Adrienne, died in 1996 after undergoing plastic surgery.

i just saw his London show and he gave that damn woman tooo much time on stage. she took up like a half hour of the show's time. she can sing but boy does she want to be Celine Dion.
she really was the bad point of the show.

Finess said:

Hell naw.

milty said:

Actually she thinks of herself as a new Janis Joplin.
But she's from Vergas.
And JB thinks of her as a new Vicki Anderson.

Ubiquity said:

well all i know is that she SUCKED!

An "ad" to announce a breakup? Did I miss something?

i was just at the james brown show in Liverpool England and she came on and sang there too for about half an hour. she was introduced by james as the new janis joplin.

all i can say is that she sucked big time. not only was she crap but the music she was singing was trying to be rock n roll but it wasnt. she should have been left playing gigs in some crappy las vegas casino along with the Elvis impersonators.

James might have loved her or sumthing which is cool but dont let her sing again huh.

Her singing is horrible. Saw a show where JB gave her about 45min. stanked the place up. The band looked like they couldn't take no more , but had to put up with it since he's the boss.

who puts an ad in the paper when breaking up? I don't get it.

Publicity?

cynicalbastard said:

JB does.
Thats what Angeld Dust does to ya.

he's only human...