The story of the night James Brown kept the peace in the wake of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., and delivered hope with an immortal performance
Since James Brownas death in December 2006, the Godfather of Soul has received stirring tributes from coast to coast. Yet few have addressed his contribution in the darkest hour of the civil rights movement. Telling the untold story of his historic Boston Garden concert of 1968, "The Hardest Working Man" also captures the magnificent achievements that made Brown a revolutionary icon of American popular culture.
Acclaimed journalist James Sullivan begins his stirring account by depicting the racially charged climate of Boston in the hours after Martin Luther King, Jr.as death. Brownas concert was slated for cancellation as police geared up for mass retaliation. After Brown butted heads with the mayor, the show was allowed to go onaand his emotional, electric performance was broadcast live on local television. Though rioting erupted in more than a hundred U.S. cities that night, Boston remained quiet. Not only bringing to life that transforming show, James Sullivan also charts Brownas incredible rise from poverty to self-made millionaire and the pivotal voice behind the signature anthem aSay It LoudaIam Black and Iam Proud, a making "The Hardest Working Man" a tribute to an unforgettable concert and a rousing biography of a revolutionary musician.

ISBN-13: 9781592404902 ISBN-10: 1592404901 Publisher: Gotham Books Publish Date: November 2009 Page Count: 256 Reading Level: Ages 18-UP Related Categories Books > Biography & Autobiography > Cultural Heritage Books > Biography & Autobiography > Composers & Musicians - General