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‘James Brown: Say It Loud’ Premieres on A&E: ‘My Determination Was to Be Somebody’
‘James Brown: Say It Loud’ docuseries has premiered on A&E. Get the details.
Overall, however, the documentary underscores how Brown’s legacy as a top-flight showman with dazzling footwork, his sixth sense musically and entrepreneurial hustle skills have continued to inspire and influence a host of acts from Parliament-Funkadelic and Michael Jackson to Usher, Bruno Mars and Janelle Monae. “The Most Powerful Black Man in America,” the documentary’s second hour, chronicles Brown’s still-evolving career, beginning with his and the Flames’ cameo in the 1965 film Ski Party starring then-pop heartthrobs Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello. The documentary’s final two hours address the late singer’s personal life; his global status as a headlining performer at Zaire 74, a three-day festival in Africa conceived to help promote the 1974 boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman; and Brown’s major role in laying the foundation for hip-hop amid the advent of sampling.
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