Over the decade since James Brown died on Christmas Day in 2006, a number of books have been written about this legendary soul funk music legend. Brown published a pair of memoirs. But how much do we really know about this man who described himself as the “hardest-working man in show business?”
Apparently, not that much. In his latest book “Kill ’em and Leave — Searching for James Brown and the American Soul” James McBride decided to take a somewhat unusual approach to writing about a man who was mostly unknowable. McBride was well qualified for the task. He has written some outstanding books. His memoir “The Color of Water” was a No. 1 bestseller. His last novel, “The Good Lord Bird,” won the National Book Award.
While McBride searches for his elusive subject, he weaves in many threads of his own story. He wrote this book because he had gone through a divorce and needed money. There’s also this: McBride is a professional musician and he is black. He understood what it could have felt like to be James Brown, constantly on the road.
The title “Kill ‘em and Leave” alludes to Brown’s oft expressed philosophy that he wanted to put on the greatest possible performance then vanish. After shows he would usually hide out in his dressing room for hours under a hairdryer to restore his famous hair style. He wanted to be left alone.
After Brown died, he arranged to leave much of the $100M in his estate to poor children in Georgia and South Carolina. That legacy remains unfulfilled as his estate has been embroiled in legal disputes ever since. As the estate has dwindled, the only benefactors have been attorneys.
McBride interviewed Charles Bobbit, the man who was probably closest to Brown. Bobbit was the guy who managed Brown’s affairs when he was out on tour. He told McBride that Brown had said to him, “You’re the only one I let know me.”
James Brown toured constantly and there was a lot of money flowing. He didn’t trust banks. A special room in his house concealed his wealth. Nobody else was allowed to go in there. Brown hid his money. He was known to pull up carpets in his hotel rooms so that he could conceal piles of cash under the floorboards. The next time he came through he would ask for the same room so that he could reclaim his stash.
The saxophonist Pee Wee Ellis was his musical director during Brown’s heyday in the 1960s. Brown could be quite generous to friends but it becomes apparent he didn’t treat the musicians in his band that well. McBride asked Ellis to talk about Brown — he was reluctant to do so. Some of the best material in the book came from the Reverend Al Sharpton. Brown was his mentor.
“Kill ‘em and Leave — Searching for James Brown and the American Soul” mostly skirts around Brown’s darker sides, his drug problems later in life, his abuse of women, and his strained relationships with his children. Even so this is still a fascinating story.
About the Author