The Godfather of Soul

Yesterday, I wrote a blog about the idiots James Brown left behind. But I just barely touched on the man himself. He has been called "The Hardest Working Man in Show Business." I have always wondered about that considering other people say that true genius makes things look easy. He did sweat a lot, though.

They also called him "The Godfather of Soul." Again, I've always wondered about that. Isn't your godfather the guy who promised to raise you if anything happened to your parents? Does that mean that James Brown would have raised Soul if anything had happened to Soul's parents?

And what if something had then happened to James Brown? Would Brown's family have taken Soul in as one of their own? What if Soul's mother were white? Would they have locked Soul out of the house?

A godfather is also someone who is usually the dad's best friend when they were younger. As years go by and they drift apart, eventually dad won't even take the godfather's calls. He is like the uncle no one talks about. Sure, maybe you get a card on your birthday but that's usually it. So what's the big deal about being The Godfather of Soul? It's not like being The King of Rock and Roll. "King" is a title with some dignity and power. But "godfather" could be that guy seated behind the pillar at your wedding.

I say that . . .

What? Excuse me a second . . . I'm being handed a message.

It says that another meaning for godfather can be "a man who is influential in a movement or organization, through providing support for it or through playing a leading or innovative part in it."

Well, that's just . . . I, uh . . .




Escape Velocity will be temporarily off the air while we recalibrate our diodes and shit.

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