With the James Brown movie entitled “Get On Up,” being
released this weekend, I was fortunate enough to speak with his long time
friend and manager, Charles A. Bobbit.
“I knew at 7 years old that I would be involved in show business. I could not sing or even dance, but I knew
one day I would be the power behind an entertainer. My opportunity came when I saw James Brown at
the Apollo. I told my wife, Ruth, I
would work for James Brown one day. My future was with him. I asked Mr. Brown for a job but it took a few
meetings before he hired me. The day he hired me he invited me to his home and
it was there he read me. He told me I
would be with him until the day he died.
He told me about myself, my ambitions and knew things about me he
couldn’t possibly know. I met him in
1966, but it wasn’t until 1967 that he hired me. However, during all that time he was secretly
training me to be his personal manager.
He explained there would be too much jealousy if he told people I was
his personal manager so he would train me from the ground up. He started me off as his personal valet and I
went everywhere with him while he taught me about the good and bad of show
business. Mr. Brown’s training was so
intense, I called myself having attended the University
of Brown
According to Charles
Bobbit, James Brown was an unusual man, changing mood and temperament on a dime. Although not a bad man, Brown was complex and
someone who couldn’t be debated or argued with nor taken for granted. He was
a humane individual that favored education. And he knew music, even though he
couldn’t read or write music. It was all
in his head. Brown insisted his music
came directly from God. Bobbit never saw
James rehearse his dance moves, he simply could move fast. He was limber and had small feet and tiny
legs. Brown came up with the idea of
using a cape after watching the wrestler Gorgeous George wrap a towel around
his self. The cape became an integral
part of Brown’s act.
Over the years, Brown’s knees became arthritic from dropping
to the floor during his songs. “His
knees sometimes would bleed and were scarred and busted up but he didn’t share
that with people. He was a very private
and proud man,” explained Charles. “Mr. Brown was traditional.
He insisted on being called Mr. Brown and he himself called people
either “Mr” or “Miss.” Mr. Brown’s word
was law. People got along with him as long as you let him be right. That was the way it was. Everyone knew
this. He wasn’t always correct, but I
will tell you something, Mr. Brown was talking about satellites in 1966. We thought he was nuts but later on all the
things he predicted came to be.”
Charles Bobbit also worked with Michael Jackson for three
years and advised West African President Omar
Bongo and his family. He has a book entitled,
“Making it Happen.” A book tour is planned for the new book due out in 3 weeks.
“I know that things are said in other books that are not always true. I was
with James Brown for nearly 40 years and I have documented all he said and did,
so mine will be an accurate book,” said Bobbit who dubbed Brown the Godfather of Soul.
“You know James Brown scored the movie “Black Caesar,” with
Fred Williamson without even watching the movie. I told him about it and based on what I told him about the movie, Mr. Brown scored it. I also
saw the current movie, “Get On Up,” and even though they left me out and other
people close to Mr. Brown out, I thought it was a good movie. It’s more about his music than his life but I
encourage people to see it.”
Brown was starting to have health problems. He recovered from prostrate cancer but
started to feel the effects of aging, diabetes, etc., and decided to slow down touring. He began coughing, and looked weak although
he would not admit to it. He lost
weight. Mr. Bobbit became concerned when James was due to get dental work and
asked a doctor to be at the dentist office to examine James before he was
gassed for oral surgery. The doctor told
James that he needed to go to the hospital after examining him. This was
Christmas Eve. Mr. Bobbit stayed in the hospital room with James when the
doctors left after telling Brown they had to drain fluid from his heart. Bobbit
discussed with Brown, Brown’s upcoming tour, his movie, and the album James was
recording. James gave Bobbit instruction
concerning what to do when he passed. Bobbit assured Brown he was fine. But
James said “No, I am leaving here tonight.”
Bobbit insisted Brown would be fine. James repeated he would be leaving
that night. He then clutched his chest,
said he was on fire and burning up, fell back on the bed, sighed 3 times,
opened his eyes and mouth wide, and died that morning, Christmas Day, at 1:21 am. Mr. Brown died of congestive heart failure.
One cannot pack a lifetime into a 2 hour movie or even into
this article. For further info about
Charles Bobbit’s 40 years with James Brown listen to my show at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/blakeradio/2014/07/29/topically-yours--charles-bobbitt-james-brown-mgr
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