The hardest working man in show business has taken his final bow. Brown died this morning.

Brown was performing to the end, and giving back to his community.

Three days before his death, he joined volunteers at his annual toy giveaway in Augusta, and he planned to perform on New Year's Eve at B.B. King Blues Club in New York.

Read the entire obit.

The Male Half saw the Godfather of Soul perform in 1980 at Philadelphia's Academy of Music (with Wilson Pickett opening!) and found it to be one of the top three concert experiences of his life, if not the top. Just last week we transcribed a live album of Brown's ("James Brown Mean On The Scene") from vinyl to digital. Recorded at Studio 54 in 1982, the disc is poorly produced but has a thrilling version of "Too Funky In Here" and a spectacular rendition of "Get Up Off That Thing." Even though it isn't the highest quality (and contains only five decent tracks), it's an aural snapshot of Brown in his prime.