James Brown's Influence on Michael Jackson

Similar to the Whitman sisters liked discussed in class, James Brown's venue promoter tried to not pay him for his performance at the venue. Additionally, James Brown like many of the Jazz Century musicians that were adresse developed a individual style that was very influential to other African Americans and the white people of America. Many found him to be an icon who was able to bring out a combination of jazz and gospel musics. Likewise, James Brown's creative style as influenced musicians even in present day and dance styles that are even represented as well in present day similar to the other musicians in Jazz

     We will look into the life of James Brown. He is known for his music. In his life, he had to face many obstacles, but through determination, he changed his life cycle. We will touch on the influences in his life, developmental stage and theories that best fit his personality.

Michael Jackson once said, “the greatest education in the world is watching the masters at work”. And that saying could be the same for Michael Jackson The King of Pop. And he was right. One of the best ways to learn was watching the master at work, as Michael Jackson had one of the largest impacts in the entertainment industry. Without the influence of Michael Jackson, the R&B and Hip-Hop industry would not have had the artists or music that it has today. He was known as one of the best entertainers of all time, Michael Jackson was the most decorated pop artist. He was a developer in the music industry, thanks to his ground-breaking music, choreography, and music videos. Michael Jackson transformed what it means and takes to be a pop

During the 1900s, passion of composing music arose and encouraged many young teens to create garage bands and elder to perceive music as career. Famous musicians like Robert Johnson, Bill Monroe, and Elvis Presley were seeking the same. Although many were composing songs, most of them adapted their own versions from many which created a list of similarities and differences between them. Most commonly similar were themes or forms yet some differentiated in delivery style or instrumentation. Many artists got more creative and used similar instruments but give a twist into the sound play. This can be seen in the script or heard in the audio of the songs “Walkin’ Blues” and “Blue Moon of Kentucky” like many others.

Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston were two of the biggest music acts in the world, selling hundreds upon thousands of records between them. Both acts rose to fame at an early age eventually earning the titles ‘The King of Pop’ (The Guardian, 2009) and ‘The Voice’ (IMDB, 2012) as well as earning plentiful awards in their careers; It is claimed that Whitney Houston is the most awarded female artist of all time. As well as preforming at some of the biggest and most prestigious venues around the world we can only dream about visiting and gaining world-wide fame they ended up meeting an untimely death due to addiction.

African American influence in music has been an ever present and controversial subject in American history. Stemming from many different cultures, religions and backgrounds, large portions of American music was introduced by, and credited to African Americans. Although in many cases, this music was used for entertainment by the masses or majority, contrary to popular belief, black music served a greater purpose than just recreation. Dating all the way back to the beginning of slavery in the U.S. during the 17th century, music has been used to make a statement and send a message. As African American music progressed over the years, there were common themes expressed as the genres evolved. It has been an open letter to the world, documenting and protesting the ongoing oppression faced by blacks in the United States, as well as an outlet for frustration. For many African Americans, the music gave them the only voice that couldn’t be silenced by their oppressors.

Michael Jackson was known around the world as the “King of Pop.” He was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness, which molded him into a shy and quiet person. Something he was opposite of on stage. It is well documented that his father became violent with him and his brothers in order to push them to become successful. Thus, missing out on his childhood. During his early life, Michael had an accident that resulted in burns on his head and face. After this incident he had plastic surgery, changing the shape of his nose. Although he was born an African American, it became apparent that he started to appear lighter and lighter, bleaching his skin and ultimately appearing white. He created his own amusement park called Neverland, where there were exotic

Michael Jackson was not only an artists but a human being who had his struggles. One of them was the insecurity about his appearance which he had tried to correct and then perfect for most of his life. Another was his insistence on preserving his childhood dreams which resulted in the creation of the Neverland Ranch complete with an amusement park and a zoo. Michael was also known for understanding and loving children and on several occasions was accused of child molestation. The shadow of these accusations did

Michael Jackson had been making music for pretty much his entire life, for he started making music at a very young age. In fact, he started his music career at the age of 5 (“Michael Jackson”). He was considered to be the favorite out of the group by most people. “Michael Jackson was the youngest and most talented of five brothers whom his father, Joseph, shaped into a dazzling group of child stars known as the Jackson 5” (Vincent). The world soon became aware of how talented this young Michael really was. “Jackson was one of the nation’s finest 1960s rhythm-and-blues vocalists

This judgment began unexpectedly to spread as African American music, especially the blues and jazz, became a worldwide sensation. Black music provided the pulse of the Harlem Renaissance and of the Jazz Age more generally. The rise of the “race records” industry, beginning with OKeh’s recording of Mamie Smith’s

These instruments usually ended up in pawn shops at cheap rates ideal for poor blacks. What is most unique about jazz is it's combination of the African characteristics of polyrhythm, polyphony, improvisation, and the vocal tone given to instruments, with the harmony and arrangement of white marching band music. Other afrocentric qualities which can be heard in the music are: call and response, upbeat rhythm, repetition, falsetto, and guttural sounds. Some of the instruments used to achieve this sound were the coronet, piccolo, alto horn, tuba, trombone, clarinet, piano, and later, the saxophone, along with the bass, snare drum, and cymbal (Blesh, 160). An example of some of these characteristics is shown is the song, "Deed I Do", sung by Lena Horne. In this song, you can hear remnants of white band music, as well as the polyphony of various instruments, demonstrating the afrocentric qualities. "It Don't Mean A Thing" is a perfect example of all of the characteristics mentioned above. Polyrhythm is heard in the background, along with polyphony, and the vocal tone attributed to wind instruments. Not to mention, improvisation is an intricate part of the song. As a matter of fact, the majority of the song is improvised with guttural and falsetto sounds by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. Another

Rhythm and blues, also known today as “R & B”, has been one of the most influential genres of music within the African American Culture, and has evolved over many decades in style and sound. Emerging in the late 1940's rhythm and blues, sometimes called jump blues, became dominant black popular music during and after WWII. Rhythm and blues artists often sung about love, relationships, life troubles, and sometimes focused on segregation and race struggles. Rhythm and blues helped embody what was unique about black American culture and validate it as something distinctive and valuable.

In today’s day and age, it’s easy to hear black culture represented in most hip-hop; that is the dominating music genre that expresses African American views. It’s not so easy to remember where African Americans influence on music al began. Black influence on music today is really unrecognized but it’s important to bring to light just how much African Americans really have contributed to the sound, style, and feel of today’s music. Not just hip-hop or rap, but all kinds of music.

James Brown is American funk and soul artist who is well-known as the ‘Godfather of Soul’ and he was one of the most iconic figures in soul and funk music from 1950s. James had inspired a lot of artists and also on some genres. For example, his rhythmical funk songs were sampled on some hip-hop genre songs and influenced on the hip-hop genre’s development. Brown was known as his unique soulful voice with great showmanship. Brown was also known for his work of social Activist, writing songs about social problems. Some of his well-known songs are “Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag” (1965), “I Got You (I Feel Good)” (1965), and “It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World” (1966). Even though his greatest hits are from 1960s, a lot of these songs are still used in the commercials, films, and T.V. shows even in nowadays.

Piling into a packed Madison Square Garden, the entire audience seemed to stir with anticipation. The main attraction, Michael Jackson, had not performed in the United States for several years and definitely not with his brothers, the rest of The Jackson Five in over a decade. Sure I've seen Michael Jackson in on television and in interviews, but I had never gotten to see him in live in real person. Being an entertainer for over forty years, and having sold over one-hundred million records, countless number one hits, and having plenty of controversy surrounding him, I always felt that the lead singer of the Jackson Five was somewhat of an enigma, but tonight he was right in front of me doing what he does best, singing dancing, and entertaining. As the lights dimmed, and the curtain began to raise, Michael Jackson came into the light, and the crowd went up in a simultaneous roar. Every movement that he made with his