James Brown Discography

James Brown Discography

This is a discography chronicling the lengthy career of James Brown in his various careers. Brown was brought up in poverty, first in Elko, South Carolina, then in Augusta, Georgia just 40 miles away. After three years in a Toccoa youth detention center for armed robbery, Brown was paroled due to the help of Bobby Byrd's family. Brown ventured into careers in sports before choosing music, joining Byrd's group the Flames, in 1955, first as a drummer, and then as leading front man. Later becoming The Famous Flames, they signed with Federal Records in 1956 and recorded their first hit single, "Please, Please, Please", which sold over a million copies. Tension in the group was caused from the record's billing as James Brown and The Famous Flames causing its members to depart from Brown after just three sessions. Brown toured on his own hiring interim Famous Flames and a backing band.

After the hit release of "Try Me", following nine relative failures, Brown rehired some of the original Flames including Johnny Terry, Nafloyd Scott and Bobby Byrd and adding new members Bobby Bennett and Lloyd Stallworth. The group scored a series of hit albums and recordings in the early 1960s. Brown's solo aspirations started around 1962. By the time of "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag", he used the Flames less and less as he became a full-fledged solo artist who was now involved in the development of a new R&B subgenre, funk. Eventually the Famous Flames left him as did his James Brown band by 1970 and Brown hired The J.B.'s who helped contribute to his continuing success in the 1970s. After their disbanding, Brown struggled for a number of years with recordings before the release of 1985's "Living in America", and having success with the albums, Gravity (1986) and I'm Real (1988).

For the number of songs he's credited for either as one of the Famous Flames or as a solo artist, Brown is noted for charting at least 96 entries on the Billboard Hot 100 and at least 110 entries on the R&B chart. Seventeen of Brown's singles, including five credited as James Brown and the Famous Flames, hit number-one on the R&B chart.

The Famous Flames were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012, with the exception of lead singer James Brown who was inducted solo back in 1986.