James Brown was one of the most important figures to the music industry of all time. Also known as the creator of funk, Brown spent a lot of his career in the spotlight. However, despite all the time he spent in the public eye, there are still some things that many people don’t know about him. With that in mind, here we present our list of 15 things you probably didn’t know about James Brown. Check out part one below, and stay tuned for part two, coming soon!
Number Fifteen: His First Name Was Not James. In fact, his actual first name was supposed to be Joseph. However, his middle name, James, and his first name, Joseph, were switched on his birth certificate, so he became James instead of Joseph.
Number Fourteen: He Came From Humble Roots. Brown was literally born in a shack. He was born in Barnwell, South Carolina, in a small wooden shack.
Number Thirteen: He Grew Up in a Brothel. When Brown was just six years old, he was sent to live with his aunt. However, his aunt ran a brothel, so it was not exactly the safest or most nurturing of environments.
Number Twelve: He Did Not Make it Past Sixth Grade. Though Brown was raised in extreme poverty and moved from place to place as a child, he did manage to stay in school and complete the sixth grade. However, he stopped going to school after that.
Number Eleven: He Was a Talented Boxer. When brown was a teenager, he went through a brief career in boxing. It’s a good thing he didn’t make it big, though, or else he might never have become the incredible musician he is known as today!
Number Ten: He Did Odd Jobs to Get By. When Brown was younger, he worked as both a janitor at a local school and for the Lawson Motor Company. He had to take any job he could get to survive.
Number Nine: He Has a Criminal Record. When Brown was just 16 years old, he was convicted of robbery. He was subsequently sent to a juvenile detention center.