James Brown’s Controversial Remembrance

Friends and relatives gathered at the Apollo Theatre on what would have been James Brown’s 74th birthday this past Thursday, to remember the soul singer. The ceremony ended up being more of an attack on the music industry than anything, questioning the current directions things are going in. Earlier Thursday, the Rev. Al Sharpton led a rally, calling on the music industry to own up to what he called racist and sexist language. Protesters marched through Manhattan to the headquarters of major music labels like Sony, Warner, Universal and Time Warner. Brown’s family echoed Sharpton’s message later Thursday at their Apollo gathering, saying it was what Brown himself would have wanted.http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sns-ap-james-brown-remembrance,0,737274.story