| Full Name | James Joseph Brown |
| Date of Birth | May 3, 1933 |
| Place of Birth | Barnwell, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Date of Death | December 25, 2006 |
| Place of Death | Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Occupations | Singer, dancer, musician, record producer, bandleader |
| Years Active | 1954–2006 |
| Spouses | Velma Warren (m. 1953; div. 1969), Deidre Jenkins (m. 1970; div. 1981), Adrienne Rodriguez (m. 1984; died 1996) |
| Partner | Tomi Rae Hynie (1997–2006) |
| Children | 9–13 (exact number not confirmed) |
| Origin | Toccoa, Georgia, U.S. |
| Genres | Soul, R&B, funk |
| Instruments | Vocals, keyboards, drums, harmonica, guitar |
| Labels | Federal, King, Smash, People, Polydor, TK, Scotti Bros., Mercury, Republic, UMe, A&M |
| Notable Albums | Live at the Apollo, Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine, The Payback |
| Notable Singles | Please, Please, Please, Try Me, Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag, I Got You (I Feel Good), Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud |
| Awards | Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986 |
| Honors | Inducted into the Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame in 2013 (as an artist) and 2017 (as a songwriter), Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame, Songwriters Hall of Fame |
| Rankings | Ranked No. 1 in the Top 500 Artists on Billboard R&B charts (Joel Whitburn’s analysis), Ranked seventh on Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time |
| Early Life | Born in poverty in Barnwell, South Carolina, learned to play musical instruments during youth, briefly pursued boxing, convicted of robbery at 16, formed a gospel quartet in juvenile detention center |
| Parole | Released on a work sponsorship with Toccoa business owner S. C. Lawson, paroled on June 14, 1952, worked with Lawson’s sons and joined the gospel group the Ever-Ready Gospel Singers after release |
