They should probably have a James Brown aerobic tape. You would lose a lot of weight.
I can't even imagine something being more fun than playing James Brown onstage.
I come from an era of black pride, black power, my father riding around listening to James Brown singing, 'Say it loud: I'm black and I'm proud,' and people walking around with African medallions and Malcolm X hats.
I always loved James Brown, Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, Sam Cooke.
Peforming as James Brown, I didn't really have to go deep in my soul the way I do as Charles Bradley.
With James Brown, I just learn the lyrics and then get out there and get funky with it and let my spirit free. But doing Charles Bradley, it's a lot of true, intimate words coming out of me that show me the picture inside myself.
James Brown came from that hard, rough life that I came from. He took the blues and added rhythm to it. And he always had the most funkiest band; I liked the way he took his words and mixed it in with the band.
James Brown really taught me a lot - his lyrics and his performance and whatever he does when he's onstage. I'll always call him a legend, and I'll always respect what he did.
Everybody tell me everywhere I go that I'm the closest thing to James Brown they ever seen.
It's not that I imitate him. I use a lot of what I feel. Even now, they refuse for me to stop doing James Brown. If it's something I can feel from the heart and from the soul, I do it.
