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James Brown the Cassius Clay of Music

Roy Carr, New Musical Express, 20 March 1971

JAMES BROWN — broad and stocky — America's Soul Brother Supreme, with a warm smile etched deep into his granite face — perhaps the very first man that the Black community can fully identify with. As he stood before me casually dressed in denims, it was hard to believe that this majestic ebony specimen of sheer health and vitality suffers from a chronic heart condition. One which causes him to flirt mercilessly with death every time he bursts into just one of his numerous strength sapping stage routines.

Total word count of piece: 1130

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