Posted on 06/06/2013 1:18:21 PM PDT by nickcarraway
The late “Godfather of Soul” James Brown (pictured) thought Ronald Reagan, who served as the this country’s 40th President from 1981 to 1989, was the nation’s smartest leader and a man of conviction.
This surprising commentary was part of a vintage interview with the entertainer that was just dusted off and is airing via YouTube as part of a PBS series entitled “Blank On Blank,” reports The Inquisitr.
The “Blank on Blank” series, which began in 2010, is a compilation of vintage tapes, segments on public and satellite radio, and podcasts with icons from every walk of life. The program brings journalists’ unheard interviews back to life. Brown’s impromptu 1984 interview was conducted by former ABC reporter, Rocci Fisch. The singer was in a dressing room at the Washington Convention Center getting his hair blown dry by his wife. Most of the interview has captions, since Brown was a fast talker and oftentimes difficult to understand.
The Grammy-winning artist can clearly be heard telling Fisch that Reagan “is the most intelligent, most well-coordinated President we’ve ever had.” The soul man continued showering praise on the then-controversial president: “I just know he’s the most well-organized President we’ve ever had in history … His acting ability taught him the whole structure of the country … He knows what everybody wants. You see, every American man is still a cowboy. See, you’ve got to remember that. Because of the frontiersmen …He knew he was going to be president. See, that’s what you call a man of conviction.”
Many Blacks would disagree.
Reagan was highly criticized by African-Americans for being insensitive to their needs at the time. There are many examples of his utter disrespect towards Blacks but the most polarizing one was his use of “Welfare Queen.”
“There’s a woman in Chicago,” Reagan said in 1976 during a campaign stop for the Republican nomination for President, according to an article in the now-defunct Washington Star. “She has 80 names, 30 addresses, 12 Social Security cards. … She’s got Medicaid, getting food stamps and she is collecting welfare under each of her names. Her tax-free cash income alone is over $150,000.”
The story was wildly over-exaggerated, but that didn’t stop Reagan from repeating it.
Given that Brown was alive and well at the time, his praise of Reagan is odd. Yet he said during the interview that he did not make political endorsements and was not attached to a Party, saying he was simply a “humanitarian.”
To watch and animated version of the voice-recorded interview, listen to the video below.
James Brown may be the “godfather of soul” and hailed by Rush Limbaugh as a “registered Republican,” but he have us “Rev.” Al Sharpton.
James also made records where he said that no place else could he rise from shining shoes in the city square to owning businesses there and performing sold out headlining shows. He even made several remarks that things are better off in American than in Africa. He was grateful for the opportunities available in America and try to encourage others to make the most of them.
I’ve never seen Obama called a controversial or divisive politician. Any opposition to his agenda is “racist” and thus without merit.
have=gave
James Brown is as much “responsible for giving us” REVEREND Al Sharpton as Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was “responsible for giving us” REVEREND Jesse Jackson.
Yep.
What was he supposed to do? Sharpton is a free man to do what he chooses. I’m not sure Brown could have done anything?
Whoooooaaaaaa!!!!!!! I feel good!!!
John Lennon of Beatle fame liked Ronald Reagan, too.
Bump. Talents attract opportunists and hangers-on. That’s part of the tragedy of celebrity. Really talented people can lose themselves to the leeches (examples: Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali).
Dang! That made me snort! :)
So what did the Famous Flames say?
I love this pic!
He really knew how to pick his friends!
You ever hear him doing “Good foot” live? It doesn’t get any better than this....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DAfBZbz3tI
These overrated karaoke schmucks today like Kanye West, Beyonce, Justin Timberlake aren’t equal to even one hair on a zit on the ass of James Brown when it comes to talent and groove, yet the liberal run media can’t stop promoting them like they are Gods gift to humanity.
Asshole. The way this is written. This is not surprising at all. Maybe JB just didn’t rub his views in every TV camera he could like you cursed liberals, but many of us know JB was basically conservative.
Great indeed. I never tire of watching that clip of Mr. Brown singing with Pavarotti.
One of my best buds in L.A. works for Worksource. Across the hall is a state program which provides free electricity, water and phone payments for ‘disadvantaged Californians’. Now guess which ethnicity is lined up 95% of the time? It ain’t the mexicans.
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