JAMES BROWN - JAMES BROWN DIES AGED 73

JAMES BROWN DIES AGED 73

The Godfather of Soul, James Brown, has died in hospital in Atlanta. He was 73.

The legendary RnB singer, variously known as the Godfather of Soul and Mr Dynamite among other monikers, died after a battle with pneumonia, his agent said.

Frank Copsidas told reporters that it was not immediately clear what caused Brown's death, but confirmed to the Reuters news agency that he passed away at 01:45 local time (06:45 GMT) at Emory Crawford Long hospital.

Brown's life was one characterised by numerous hits, the most famous arguably being Papa's Got a Brand New Bag, but one which also saw him getting headlines for the wrong reasons.

He served three years in prison on drugs charges and for threatening members of the public with a firearm after a car chase in 1988, serving half of his original six-year sentence.

Brown was also arrested on a number of occasions for alleged domestic abuse and his third of four wives, Adrienne Rodriegues, called police on four occasions to have her husband arrested.

Despite his colourful private life, Brown will go down as a singer who could control a stage and those who have witnessed him perform live will remember his superb showmanship and extravagant costumes.

Last month he was inducted into the UK Hall of Fame and had performed with Will Young at the Live 8 concert in Edinburgh last summer.

Brown leaves his fourth wife Tommie Raye Hynie, whom he remarried in 2004. The couple had a son, James Jr, and Brown also has five children from his first two marriages.