Godfather of soul James Brown would have been 89 today

Heavenly birthday tributes to the godfather of soul James Brown poured in on social media as fans celebrate what would have been his 89th birthday today.

The legendary icon was born on 3 May 1933 in Barnwell, South Carolina, United States.

According to The New York Times the I feel good American singer died in 2006 of congestive heart failure in the early hours of Christmas day.

He was one of the influential entertainers in the 20th century not only as a singer but a songwriter and a dancer and had a career that lasted 50 years.

The legendary icon started his career as a drummer in the Famous Flames band where he later became the lead singer the band.

On a desire for a solo career and band disputes, the funk icon parted ways with the band and went on to make hits that built his legacy.

He went on to produce his hit singles such as I feel good, Papa’s got a brand new bag and I got you.

It was his hit single Living in America that earned him his first-ever Grammy for best male R&B vocal performance in 1987.

His performance and explosive vocals paved a way for pop and dance music and also inspired celebrities like the late Michael Jackson who became the world’s biggest pop artist.

In an interview with Oprah Winfrey years ago, Michael did admit that he thought James was a genius.

“I used to be angry at the cameraman because whenever he started to dance it would be on a close-up and I could not see his feet, so I would throw things and be angry and say ‘show him’ so I can watch and learn,” said the king of pop Michael Jackson.

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