James Brown, 1971
Photo: Evening Standard/Getty Images

From world-famous rappers to fans in their 20s, the reaction to the death of funk/soul icon James Brown at the age of 73 on Christmas day was immediate and emotional (see "'Godfather Of Soul' James Brown Dead At 73").

"I had the opportunity to meet him and present a award to him this year. ... I spoke in front of hundreds in his honor," Nas explained of his introduction to Brown, whose indelible funk breaks have formed the backbone of hundreds of hip-hop tunes over the years. "I looked directly at him. He smiled while I told him how I used his music with mine and how much he's done for us and how I love him. I'm lucky to have had that moment, shook his hand. He was pure greatness."

The emotion was even deeper for Snoop Dogg, who said the death was like losing a member of his family. "I am hurt. That's my godfather, my soul inspiration, the hardest-working man in show business of all time," Snoop said in a statement. "He'll be missed, but his music and his legacy will live on through me, in every way you can imagine. Soul brother #1. ... We miss you, James Brown."

(Click here to see what is planned to honor James Brown, and late President Gerald Ford, in this video.)

For funk bass icon Bootsy Collins — who began playing as part of Brown's backing band, the JB's, in 1968 at the age of 17 — the time with the "Godfather of Soul" was a university of funk that he will never forget. Though Collins left the JB's in 1971 after bristling under the harsh system of discipline Brown meted out to members of the group who got out of line, in his first official comments on Brown's death, Collins wrote, "Mr. Brown was the God of Rhythm and Music. Me along with countless other musicians were his Sons. No one else will ever come close. For he is declared this day by all Funkateer's across the globe: 'The Funkiest Mutha in the Universe.' " Collins went on to join George Clinton's Funkadelic band, which, along with Clinton's Parliament, comprise perhaps the second-most-sampled collection of music in hip-hop.

Brown, whose music has inspired everyone from Dr. Dre and Diddy to Justin Timberlake, Ne-Yo, Rage Against the Machine and the Neptunes, was also praised by rock's elite for his contributions to musical history.

"James Brown is the reason I fell in love with music. He will be forever loved and remembered," Diddy told MTV News. "He was a whirlwind of energy and precision, and he was always very generous and supportive to me in the early days of the Stones," Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger said in a statement. "His passing is a huge loss to music." Early rock legend Little Richard also gave props to Brown for his irrefutable part in helping to shape hip-hop. "He was an innovator, he was an emancipator, he was an originator. Rap music, all that stuff came from James Brown," Richard said, according to The Associated Press.

One of the artists whose music was most heavily influenced by Brown, Public Enemy's Chuck D, wrote a long tribute to the "Godfather of Soul" on the official P.E. Web site in the hours after the news of Brown's death spread. "I had heard things like Mr. Brown was pushing it real hard, defying gravity and time itself," wrote D, whose group sampled Brown's inescapable "funky drummer" beat on such songs as "Bring the Noise," "Fight the Power" and "Rebel Without a Pause."

"When talking music, JB was/is just part of the day, thank God for recordings," Chuck D wrote. "As a 70's B-boy I recall panic on the floors of hip-hop while ['Give it Up or Turnit a Loose'] roasted off the [1970] Sex Machine Live LP, transfixing the forming rap nation ten years later, as if it were a discovered oil well. While the rest of the disco and rock country had not a clue."

D reminisced about the one, brief time he met Brown backstage at a music event a few years back and how whenever he thinks of Brown, it transports him back to being a child, trying to imitate the singer's signature dance moves. "Whenever I see a frozen pond, I take myself to 1967 when us kids did the James Brown 'I Feel Good' dance on any patch of ice," he wrote, adding that even if corporate radio and the mainstream don't properly honor Brown's legacy, those who were touched by him should "realize how lucky many of us are to have witnessed, experienced, and infused the work and pride ethics of the godfather of soul into our daily lives. For that alone we are all better for it. Probably the hardest-working man in heaven right now ... but may his funky soul R.I.P."

Gangsta-rap icon Ice Cube also alluded to the role Brown's indelible breaks and powerfully funky music played in helping to push rap forward. "James Brown was the first solo singer that I loved as a kid," Cube said. "He was not only the godfather of soul, but the godfather of funk and rap. Music will never be the same."

Brown entered a Georgia hospital over the weekend and died due to heart failure early Christmas morning. According to friend Charles Bobbit, Brown said "I'm going away tonight" shortly before his death, the AP reported. Tributes to "Mr. Excitement" began springing up all over as word of his death spread, from candles left near his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles to a steady line of people paying homage and laying flowers at the base of statue of Brown in his hometown of Augusta, Georgia.

The loss of the "Hardest-Working Man in Show Business" — who was still planning to play a New Year's Eve show in New York, even as he lay dying in a Georgia hospital room — was also felt heavily by MTV News readers, who weighed in with their thoughts.

A 19-year-old reader named Devont, 19, from Johnson City, Tennessee, wrote in to say, "The death of James Brown turned my family upside down. His music was a huge part of our lives, and I know I speak for the world when I say that he is loved and will be missed. There will never be another singer who will equal the impact him made in music and in life."

Devont wasn't the only Brown fan decades too young to remember the man in his prime who still felt the loss very personally. "James Brown was an icon to the African-American community, and his influence reached many other cultures," wrote Tasha, a 32-year-old from Chicago, Illinois. "I can only imagine how it felt for him to reach so many people by doing what he loved. I thank God that he was able to accomplish all the things he aspired to do and did best."

From Jackie, 21, in Chino Hills, California ("You will always be remembered for entertaining us, and your music will never be forgotten") to Michael, 25, in Bangor, Maine ("James Brown was a true great and should be on everyone's playlist. His impact on music has been huge, and can be felt and heard in almost every R&B artist performing today"), fans of all ages wrote in to attest to the influence Brown had on modern music.

For those old enough to have seen Brown live and witness how his songs helped inspire generations, the singer's death was a chance to remember Brown in his prime. "I saw him a few times and was blown away by each show," said John, 56, of Bel Air, Maryland. "He always stayed true to his craft, and had more influence on hip-hop and other forms of music than he got credit for. He was a true legend in the music world, and he will be truly missed."

Even an avowed metalhead like Ricky, 25, from Baltimore, Maryland, was feeling the loss. "I just don't think of men like him ever going away," he wrote. "Even though I'm into rock and metal, I'll stop and listen to him when the chance arises. I guess God needed someone for his New Year's bash this time around."

• James Brown
• Nas
• Snoop Dogg
• Bootsy Collins

Marilyn Manson (file)
Photo: Interscope

Marilyn Manson is tying the knot with longtime girlfriend and burlesque beauty Dita Von Teese. The freaky fiancé popped the question to the 31-year-old Von Teese on March 22, according to the new issue of Us Weekly, which hits newsstands Friday. The wedding bells are expected to toll within a year. ...

Good Charlotte have started recording the follow-up to their breakthrough album, The Young and the Hopeless. Eric Valentine is again producing, and the disc is scheduled for a September release. ... Armed with a bunch of songs written in their hometown of Sacramento, Deftones plan to hit a studio in June for the follow-up to last year's self-titled LP. ... Matt Sharp's full-length debut, the countrified Matt Sharp, is due May 4, though online retailers will get a three-week head start on the on-sale date. Sharp, who left Weezer after 1996's Pinkerton, released the EP Puckett's Versus the Country Boy last year. ...

Three months after guitarist Terry Balsamo packed his bags to shack up with Evanescence, Cold have parted ways with another guitarist. Kelly Hayes has left and has been temporarily replaced by Matt Laughran of the pre-Cold group Grundig. Eddie Rendini of Miami quintet Darwin's Waiting Room has filled the vacancy left by Balsamo. ... Industrial rockers Ministry's new album, Houses of the Molè, due June 22, will include the song "No W," essentially an update of the band's 1992 track "N.W.O." The new tune will also be featured alongside contributions from Sum 41, New Found Glory and NOFX on the compilation Rock Against Bush, due April 20. ...

Parliament/Funkadelic bassist Bootsy Collins will release his new album, Play With Bootsy, on June 8. The space-age funkateer got some of his friends to help him out, including Snoop Dogg, Macy Gray, Fatboy Slim, Lady Miss Kier and, of course, George Clinton. ... Team Love, a label started by Bright Eyes mastermind Conor Oberst, will release its maiden LP, Tilly & the Wall's Wild Like Children, on June 22. The imprint will be distributed by Bright Eyes' Omaha-based label, Saddle Creek Records. ...

The London-based International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, representing companies like Universal Music and EMI, said in a report issued Tuesday that global music sales fell 7.6 percent in 2003, the fourth consecutive year the number has been in decline. U.S. sales had a strong second half but still declined by 6 percent. The group attributed the drop to illegal copying and broadening entertainment options like video games and DVDs. ...

04.06.2004

The "American Idol" finale will be held at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre (home of the Oscars) rather than the Universal Amphitheater, which hosted last year. The two remaining finalists will sing May 25, and the winner will be announced the following night. ...

Talib Kweli has just released The Beautiful Mix Tape in advance of his upcoming album, The Beautiful Struggle. It features more than a dozen tracks and guest stars like Busta Rhymes, Styles of the LOX, Common, Kanye West, Fabolous, Black Thought and Jean Grae. It also features a song, "Lonely People," that samples Ray Charles' version of the Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby." ... Kweli will also be a special guest in Xzibit's monthly Rhyme Night talent showcase on April 17 at the Key Club in Hollywood. ... Pink isn't the only one getting cozy with Bobby McGee in an upcoming Janis Joplin biopic. Actress Renée Zellweger will star and co-produce "Piece of My Heart," expected to hit the big screen next year. ...

Godsmack will film their April 9 concert in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, to release as part of an upcoming DVD. The show, which also features Ill Niño and Dropbox, is part of a brief tour Godsmack booked to support their recent acoustic EP, The Other Side. Godsmack's tour opening for Metallica resumes April 20 in Uniondale, New York. ... Fans on the East Coast and in the Midwest wondering if a reunited Pixies would ever come to their town can breathe easy. The Pixies announced plans Monday for a proper North American fall tour that will begin September 4 in Bend, Oregon. Most dates and cities are still being booked, but some are already final: September 18 (Austin, Texas), October 14 (Atlanta), November 11 (Minneapolis), November 13 (Chicago) and November 24 (Toronto). ...

While continuing to traverse the U.S. with Hoobastank and ImaRobot on the Campus Invasion Tour, the Lostprophets are in the process of setting up their first Stateside headlining tour in May. Dates have yet to be confirmed. Campus Invasion wraps up April 24 in Norfolk, Virginia. ... Jem, who released her debut LP, Finally Woken, last month, will sing a cover of Paul McCartney's "Maybe I'm Amazed" during a wedding reception on the season finale of "The O.C." The episode airs May 5. ... Great White have scheduled two more shows to benefit the victims and survivors of the Station club fire in Warwick, Rhode Island. Dates are April 22 in Ventura, California, and April 25 in Whittier, California. Proceeds will go the Station Family Fund. ...

Ghostface Killah will be hawking an autographed, limited-edition 20x30 painting of himself for $119 inside copies of his upcoming The Pretty Tony Album, due April 20. The canvas portrait was created by the art team Terryphunk (www.terryphunk.com). ... On his Web site, Rush Limbaugh blasted John Kerry and the MTV Choose or Loose half-hour special he appeared on. Specifically, Limbaugh accused Kerry of pandering when he claimed to have listened to hip-hop. "Can't you just see old J.F. Kerry and Teresa Heinz riding around in the Range Rover at one of their mansions with hip-hop playing? You really think Eminem is their CD player right now?" ... A Static Lullaby have hired former Death by Stereo drummer Jarod Alexander to replace Ben Newsham, who left the band in December. The band's upcoming tour starts April 18 in Asbury Park, New Jersey, and runs through May 11 in Los Angeles. ...

• Marilyn Manson
• Good Charlotte
• Deftones
• Cold
• Ministry

Gov't Mule
Photo: Danny Clinch

When Gov't Mule bassist Allen Woody died of unknown causes in August, the music community provided abundant sympathy and assistance to his family and bandmates. First the Allman Brothers Band (which Woody was once a member of), the Black Crowes and Phil Lesh & Friends played a benefit concert with Gov't Mule. Then David Schools of Widespread Panic sat in with the Mule for a full tour.

Well, Woody must have been one heck of a great guy because the flood of support hasn't abated, it's only intensified. Gov't Mule still haven't replaced the bassist, but they've received musical help in the studio from a veritable who's who of players.

Parliament/Funkadelic's Bootsy Collins, Sly & the Family Stone's Larry Graham, Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones, Primus' Les Claypool, the Who's John Entwistle, Yes' Chris Squire, the Grateful Dead's Lesh, Phish's Michael Gordon, King Crimson's Tony Levin and Cream's Jack Bruce are just some of the artists who have played bass on new Gov't Mule tracks.

So far, 19 of 25 songs have been recorded for the still-untitled disc, which is scheduled for release September 18. The track listing so far, according to the band's publicist:

• "Greasy Granny Gopher Gravy" (Claypool on bass, vocals)
• "Lay of the Sunflower" (Lesh on bass, David Grisman on mandolin)
• "What Is Hip" (Rocco Prestia on bass)
• "Babylon Turnpike" (Weather Report's Alphonso Johnson on bass)
• "Slow Happy Boys" (Jefferson Airplane's Jack Casady on bass, Chuck Leavell on organ)
• "Sundance" (Squire on bass)
• "Sco Mule" (John Scofield on guitar, Bernie Worrell on organ)
• "Which Way Do We Run" (Schools on bass)
• "On the Banks of the Deep End" (Gordon on bass)
• "Worried Down With the Blues" (Col. Bruce Hampton & the Aquarium Rescue Unit's Oteil Burbridge on bass; Allman Brothers Band's Derek Trucks on guitar; Gregg Allman on organ, vocals)
• "World of Confusion" (Levin on bass, Captain Beefheart's Gary Lucas on guitar)
• "Fool's Gold" (Bruce on bass, vocals; Worrell on organ)
• "Catfish Blues" (Jimi Hendrix Band of Gypsys' Billy Cox on bass)
• "Same Price" (Entwistle on bass)
• "Maybe I'm a Leo" (Deep Purple's Roger Glover on bass)
• "Tear Me Down" (Collins on bass, Worrell on keyboards)
• "Effigy" (the Minutemen's Mike Watt on bass, Alice in Chains' Jerry Cantrell on vocals)
• "Soulshine" (Willy Weeks on bass, Leavell on keyboards)
• "Time to Confess" (the Meters' George Porter Jr. on bass, the Neville Brothers' Art Neville on organ)

• Gov't Mule
• Jerry Cantrell
• Bootsy Collins

Allen Woody, left, Warren Haynes and Matt Abts  
Photo: Danny Clinch

Blues-rockers Gov't Mule will hit the road later this month for their first tour since the death of bassist Allen Woody last year.

Widespread Panic's Dave Schools will hold down the bass end, though no permanent replacement for Woody has been chosen, according to a statement from the Gov't Mule's publicist. Keyboardist Chuck Leavell, who's played with the Rolling Stones and the Allman Brothers, will join guitarist Warren Haynes and drummer Matt Abts on the 12-date tour of the southern United States.

The band laid down basic tracks for its next album in California in January. Tracks include "Greasy Granny's Gopher Gravy," co-written by Primus' Les Claypool, and "Lay of the Sunflower," which Haynes wrote with Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter.

The sessions also included "Sco-Mule," featuring a performance by jazz guitarist John Scofield. The band will continue recording in New York in May, with help from Bootsy Collins and Meshell Ndegéocello on bass.

Gov't Mule tour dates, according to 360 Media:

• 3/29 - Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz
• 3/30 - Winston-Salem, NC @ Ziggy's
• 3/31 - Nashville, TN @328 Performance Hall
• 4/1 - Greenville, NC @ Peace Center
• 4/3 - Birmingham, AL @ 5 Points Music Hall
• 4/4 - Athens, GA @ Georgia Theater
• 4/5 - Charleston, SC @ Music Farm
• 4/6 - Columbia, SC @ 3 Rivers Music Fest
• 4/7 - Auburn, AL @ Auburn University
• 4/8 - Gainesville, FL @University of Florida
• 5/5 - New Orleans, LA @ The Orpheum Theatre
• 5/6 - Atlanta, GA @ Music Midtown

• Gov't Mule
• Widespread Panic
• Bootsy Collins
• Meshell Ndegeocello
• Primus

Avril, Pink, Nelly, No Doubt, More On 2003 Grammy Red Carpet

• Nelly
• Kelly Rowland
• No Doubt
• Foo Fighters
• Avril Lavigne