'Godfather of Soul' James Brown dies - CNN

ATLANTA, Dec 25 (Reuters) Singer James Brown, the self-proclaimed ''Godfather of Soul,'' who billed himself as the hardest working man in show business, has died at age 73, CNN reported today.

Brown had been admitted to Emory Crawford Long Hospital in Atlanta over the weekend for treatment of severe pneumonia, his agent, Super Frank, told CNN.

The singer, also known as ''Mr Dynamite'' is credited with bringing the word ''funk'' into mainstream musical vernacular and influencing a new generation of black music that spawned rap and hip-hop.

Brown's hit ''Say it Loud (I'm Black and I'm Proud)'' became a civil rights anthem during the turbulent 1960s and he performed the song at Richard Nixon's inaugural in 1968 -- an act that temporarily hurt his popularity among young blacks.

He had more than 119 charting singles and recorded over 50 albums, was inducted into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame and received a lifetime achievement award from the Grammys in 1992.

REUTERS DKA VC1411