No one could get fans shouting “I feel good!” quite like the legendary king of funk, James Brown. Arguably the most influential performer in 20th century soul music, he stylishly sang and danced his way to the top of the pop charts, earning himself the equally fashionable adage “The Godfather of Soul.

The Barnwell, South Carolina native grew up in poverty and landed in jail for petty crime at 16. Not surprisingly, though, it would take more than that to keep Brown down. While incarcerated, he formed and headed a gospel quartet, performing for the local and nearby prison crowd. It wasn’t long before he was discovered by funk musician Bobby Byrd, who snagged Brown an early release from prison and arguably jump-started his career.

Brown’s early recordings were straight-forward gospel inspired R&B, heavily influenced by Ray Charles and Brown’s idol, Little Richard. And in 1958, Brown hit the charts for the first time with his #1 R&B hit, Try Me. Yes, James Brown was a success across the southern United States, but still had yet to make a huge impact nationally.

Wide-spread acclaim, however, was not far behind. In 1963, Brown’s self-financed live show was captured on the LP Live at the Apollo. Defying expectations, the album peaked at #2 and thrived on the charts for 14 months.

In 1965, Brown catapulted into super-stardom when two of his most loved tunes, Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag and I Got You (I Feel Good) became his first Top 10 pop hits. They soared to #1 on the R&B charts and just one year later, Papa won the Grammy for Best Rhythm & Blues Recording (an honor last awarded in 1968), locking Brown in as an R&B icon.

Through the ‘60s and ‘70s, Brown continued to refine the new funk idiom, changing and meshing intricate rhythm patterns based on multiple riffs. These same changes also established the musical base for his later hits, like I Got the Feelin’.

Throughout the course of his soulful career, Brown pleased millions with a slew of infamous songs (including 17 #1 hits) and earned many prestigious awards with an induction into both the Georgia Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

It’s true, after a decade-spanning career, only the great James Brown, with his feverish moves and shouting vocals, makes us want to Get Up Offa That Thing and dance till we feel better!