Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Series: James Brown Quiz

Answer: South Carolina

James Brown was born in Barnwell, SC on May 3, 1933. He grew up in nearby Augusta, GA.

Answer: The Famous Flames

The sixteen year old James Brown was arrested for robbery and sentenced to four years in jail. While in jail, Brown met Bobby Byrd, a man who performed at the jail for the inmates. After Brown's release, he and Byrd formed the Gospel Starlighters. After an attendance of a show featuring Fats Domino, the band knew they wanted to play R&B music.

They changed their name to The Famous Flames and set out for music stardom.

Answer: Baseball

As a young man, James Brown had set his sights on playing professional baseball or becoming a boxer. A leg injury sidelined his sports career just enough to force him to realize his potential as a full time musician.

Answer: King/Federal Records

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame producer Ralph Bass signed Brown to the King/Federal label on January 23, 1956. Leonard Chess of Chess Records had been trying to arrange a meeting with Brown so he could sign him, but the two never met before Bass scooped him up.

Answer: Try Me

Although "Please Please Please" was the first single recorded by Brown in 1956, it only reached number 5 on the R&B chart. "Try Me" was released in 1958 and goes on to become the highest selling single of that year. This becomes the first of seventeen number one singles that Brown records over the next two decades.

Answer: The Original Disco Man

The album is a minor hit, peaking at number 152 on the album charts. The song "It's Too Funky in Here" was the lone highlight of this album. The great producer, Brad Shapiro, of the Muscle Shoals recording studio, worked with Brown on this album.

Answer: The Blues Brothers

James Brown had a brief role as the Reverend Cleophus James in the Dan Akroyd/John Belushi classic "The Blues Brothers". The movie was directed by John Landis. Akroyd and Belushi also appeared together in the Steven Spielberg movie "1941".

Answer: Afrika Bambaataa

The hugely successful "Unity" was released in 1984 and introduced James Brown to a whole new generation of music fans. The pairing with Afrika Bambaataa seems logical, he's sometimes referred to as "The Godfather of Hip-Hop".

Answer: Rocky IV

"Living in America" appeared on the 1985 soundtrack to "Rocky IV". The song won James Brown the R&B Male Vocal Grammy of 1986. The soundtrack also featured songs by Survivor, Go West, Gladys Knight and Kenny Loggins.

Answer: Aerosmith

Aerosmith recorded this version along with a cover of The Yardbird's "I Ain't Got You" in 1973, but they were not released until the album "Live Bootleg" was rleased in 1978.