Officer Roseland's Drummer on James Brown

Hello, this is John from Officer Roseland. Everyone knows that February is "Black History Month" and, in celebration of this, we were asked to reflect on who our favorite African-American musician is and how they may have influenced us.

For me this was a very easy question to answer and immediately, the name James Brown came across my lips. We all know (or should know) that he was, "the hardest working man in show biz" and the "god father of soul." Hopefully people also realize his importance to music beyond him being the opening musical act for Carl Weathers ring entrance in Rocky IV or the purveyor of "Sex Machine." While all those things are true, James Brown is more than a tag-line or some piece of trivia in the Rocky saga. In my mind there is no doubt that his contributions to music were essential to its evolution and that the by-products of his influence not only echo in today's contemporary music but will continue to do so for as long as music exists.

As a performer he was capable of redefining what it meant to be a "front-man" with his seemingly unending high-energy performances. As a musician he was at the fore-front of soul and r&b and in my mind is the pioneering force in the development of funk. His music is timeless and I defy anyone to put on one of his records and not want to, "shake their money-maker." To me not only was his music flawlessly performed by an array of some of the best musicians to have ever walked the planet (such as Bootsy Collins, Maceo Parker, etc.), but at the heart of his songs there always seems to be a message of self-empowerment.

He was also a man of the people and someone who could bring people together in a positive way. James brown is the first widely popular black entertainer to tell the people to, "say it loud, I'm black and I'm proud." Which was a bold, unapologetic and poignant message to be heard amongst the unrest of the civil rights movement. He is also credited with calming the citizens of Detroit the day M.L.K. was assassinated and prevented, through the power of music, any riots from occurring in that city while the rest of the country's urban inner cities burned.

For me, there will never be anyone who will be able to come close to influencing me the way his music has done so in my life. I'm sure that I'm not alone in this sentiment. His passion and energy, his raw yells for "help," the conviction in his voice, his work ethic as a performer, and that sweet perfect groove that never leaves your soul are just some of the reasons that Mr. Dynamite himself, James Brown, is the most influential African American musician in my life.

well that should be good for something. John