Saturday, May 5, 2007

James Brown remembered at Apollo

James Brown remembered at Apollo

Protesters led by Rev. Al Sharpton demand decency in music on what would've been soul legend  James Brown's 74th birthday.

NEW YORK (AP) — Friends and relatives gathered on what would have been James Brown's 74th birthday Thursday to remember the soul singer — and question the direction of the music industry.

"How did we get from 'Say it loud, I'm black and I'm proud,' to where we are today?" said his daughter Deanna Brown Thomas, referring to her father's famous lyrics.

Earlier Thursday, the Rev. Al Sharpton led a rally, calling on the music industry to own up to what he called racist and sexist language. Protesters marched through Manhattan to the headquarters of major music labels like Sony, Warner, Universal and Time Warner.

The assault on the music industry came less than a month after radio host Don Imus was fired for making racist and sexist comments.

Brown's family echoed Sharpton's message later Thursday at a private gathering at the Apollo Theater.

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