The “Godfather of Soul” was wrapped around a tormented spirit. Fans of singer James Brown could attribute his powerful and frenetic stage presence as a filtered expression of something he too often did not control. Was Mr. Brown’s “I feel good,” a phrase from a signature song, really true• Or was it a disguised plea for peace of mind? Upon his death at age 73, Brown is lionized in some quarters. Indeed, he did help quell riots after Martin Luther King’s assassination and performed noted charitable work. But through the years, there were domestic-violence charges, drugs, millions owed to the IRS, a jail term in his youth. Brown’s soul was too checkered for lionization. The entertainment industry was not so discerning. Brown was awarded a Grammy in 1992 for lifetime achievement — a year after he was released from prison. In 1988, he was high on PCP and carrying a shotgun when he led police on a wild road chase forcing them to shoot out his tires. In the end, his lawyer said Brown was not necessarily married to his fourth “wife” and mother of his 5-year-old son. After his death on Christmas, she was locked out of Brown’s South Carolina home for legal reasons. Tragically for the living, there is truth in The Boston Globe’s description of Brown as an “icon of African-American pride.” That, far more than Brown’s passing, should make us sad. — Gery Steighner

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