Backup singer was James Brown’s wife, judge rules
A South Carolina judge has ruled a former backup singer of the “Godfather of Soul” James Brown is his surviving spouse, a decision that could result in her receiving a portion of the late entertainer’s multi-million dollar estate.
Judge Doyet Early III ruled in favor of Tommie Rae Brown on Jan. 13, according to court records and news accounts.
Tommie Rae Brown’s claim had been disputed because the singer learned she was married to another man when she and James Brown were wed in South Carolina in December 2001. Tommie Rae Brown’s attorneys argued the marriage to the other man, Javed Ahmed, was void because Ahmed was married to several other women. South Carolina law considers a marriage void if one of the parties is a bigamist. A private investigator couldn’t find Ahmed, who had several addresses in Texas, according to court records.
“It’s been a very painful thing for me not to be recognized as his wife, as I always have been,” Tommie Rae Brown was quoted as saying to The Post and Courier newspaper, located in Charleston.
“I’m prepared to fight the good fight, like I promised my husband I would,” she added.
The legal wrangling over Brown’s estate has been a long-running soap opera. James Brown was 73 when he died of heart failure in Atlanta on Christmas Day 2006. Tommie Rae Brown filed a petition for a share of Brown’s estate in February 2007 and the case has had several hearings and rulings. She and Brown had a son who is now 13, according to court records.
Brown’s estate is said to be worth up to $100 million, according to The New York Times.
About the Author
Eric Stirgus joined The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2001. He currently writes about higher education and has assisted in the newsroom’s COVID-19 vaccine coverage. Born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., Eric is active in the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists and the Education Writers Association and enjoys mentoring aspiring journalists.
