Q: With the James Brown movie now out, could you fill me in on some details about his life. I’ve heard he was born in Georgia, but someone told me he was from South Carolina. What’s the truth?
A: I didn't see a "Please, Please, Please." Sorry, I couldn't resist. Brown, who would later be known as the "Godfather of Soul" and the "Hardest Working Man in Show Business," was born across the Savannah River in Barnwell, S.C., and lived in another South Carolina town before his father – his mother left — moved the family to Augusta when he was about 4 or 5 years old. Brown had a talent for music and quickly learned to play several instruments, including the piano, and earned money by entertaining troops at nearby Fort Gordon, in addition to several other odd jobs. A three-year prison sentence for theft didn't stop his musical growth. He continued to sing behind bars and helped form a band called the Famous Flames after he was released. They moved to Macon and were signed to their first contract after a show in Milledgeville. "Please, Please, Please" was the first hit, in 1956, but success didn't immediately hit. Brown and the band tried again with "Try Me" in 1958, and that song led to years of hits for him, first with the band, and then solo. Augusta has always claimed Brown and honored him by erecting a statue and renaming 9th Street after him.
Civil War in Atlanta update: After a series of battles on the north side (Peachtree Creek), to the east (Battle of Atlanta) and the west (Ezra Church), the Confederates and Union Army have settled into a siege. The railroads have been cut in three directions, but the city is still receiving supplies from Macon, despite the efforts of Federal gunners, who continue to pound it. They send 5,000 rounds into Atlanta on Aug. 9, 1864, the heaviest day of the bombardment, which won't end until Aug. 26, Stephen Davis, the author of "What the Yankees Did to Us: Sherman's Bombardment and Wrecking of Atlanta," told me.
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