Kill 'Em and Leave : Searching for James Brown and the American Soul

National Book Award winner James McBride goes in search of the "real" James Brown--and his surprising journey illuminates not only our understanding of the Godfather of Soul but the ways in which our cultural heritage has been shaped by Brown's legacy. A product of the complicated history of the American South, James Brown was a cultural shape-shifter who arguably had the greatest influence on American popular music of any artist. Brown was long a figure of fascination for James McBride, a professional musician as well as a writer. When McBride receives a tip that promises to uncover the man behind the myth , he follows a trail that reveals the personal, musical, and societal influences that created this immensely troubled, misunderstood, and complicated soul genius. James McBride is one of the most distinctive and electric voices in American literature today, and in Kill 'Em and Leave he uncovers a story that helps to explain Brown's legacy: the... National Book Award winner James McBride goes in search of the?real? James Brown after receiving a tip that promises to uncover the man behind the myth. His surprising journey illuminates not only our understanding of this immensely troubled, misunderstood, and complicated soul genius but the ways in which our cultural heritage has been shaped by Brown's legacy. Kill 'Em and Leave is more than a book about James Brown. Brown's rough-and-tumble life, through McBride's lens, is an unsettling metaphor for American life: the tension between North and South, black and white, rich and poor. McBride's travels take him to forgotten corners of Brown's never-before-revealed history: the country town where Brown's family and thousands of others were displaced by America's largest nuclear power bomb-making facility; a South Carolina field where a long-forgotten cousin recounts, in the dead of night, a fuller history of Brown's sharecropping childhood, which until now has been a mystery. McBride seeks out the American expatriate in England who co-created the James Brown sound, visits the trusted right-hand manager who worked with Brown for forty-one years, and interviews Brown's most influential nonmusical creation, his?adopted son,? the Reverend Al Sharpton. He describes the stirring visit of Michael Jackson to the Augusta, Georgia, funeral home where the King of Pop sat up all night with the body of his musical godfather, spends hours talking with Brown's first wife, and lays bare the Dickensian legal contest over James Brown's estate, a fight that has consumed careers; prevented any money from reaching the poor schoolchildren in Georgia and South Carolina, as instructed in his will; cost Brown's estate millions in legal fees; and left James Brown's body to lie for more than eight years in a gilded coffin in his daughter's yard in South Carolina. James McBride is one of the most distinctive and electric literary voices in America today, and part of the pleasure of his narrative is being in his presence, coming to understand Brown through McBride's own insights as a black musician with Southern roots. Kill 'Em and Leave is a song unearthing and celebrating James Brown's great legacy: the cultural landscape of America today. Praise for Kill 'Em and Leave?Thoughtful and probing ... with great warmth, insight and frequent wit. The results are partisan and enthusiastic, and they helped this listener think about the work in a new way. ... James McBride's welcome elucidation ... is clear, deeply felt and unmistakable.?--Rick Moody, The New York Times Book Review?[McBride] turns out to also be the biographer of James Brown we've all been waiting for. ... McBride's true subject is race and poverty in a country that doesn't want to hear about it, unless compelled by a voice that demands to be heard.?--Boris Kachka, New York?The definitive look at one of the greatest, most important entertainers, The Godfather, Da Number One Soul Brother, Mr. Please, Please Himself--JAMES BROWN.?--Spike Lee?James McBride on James Brown is the matchup we've been waiting for, a musician who came up hard in Brooklyn with JB hooks lodged in his brain, a monster ear for the truth, and the chops to write it.?--Gerri Hirshey, author of Nowhere to Run: The Story of Soul Music?An unconventional and fascinating portrait of Soul Brother No. 1 and the significance of his rise and fall in American culture.?--Kirkus Reviews From the Hardcover edition National Book Award winner James McBride goes in search of the real James Brown after receiving a tip that promises to uncover the man behind the myth. His surprising journey illuminates not only our understanding of this immensely troubled, misunderstood, and complicated soul genius but the ways in which our cultural heritage has been shaped by Browns legacy. Kill Em and Leave is more than a book about James Brown. Browns rough-and-tumble life, through McBrides lens, is an unsettling metaphor for American life: the tension between North and South, black and white, rich and poor. McBrides travels take him to forgotten corners of Browns never-before-revealed history: the country town where Browns family and thousands of others were displaced by Americas largest nuclear power bomb-making facility; a South Carolina field where a long-forgotten cousin recounts, in the dead of night, a fuller history of Browns sharecropping childhood, which until now has been a mystery. McBride seeks out the American expatriate in England who co-created the James Brown sound, visits the trusted right-hand manager who worked with Brown for forty-one years, and interviews Browns most influential nonmusical creation, his adopted son, the Reverend Al Sharpton. He describes the stirring visit of Michael Jackson to the Augusta, Georgia, funeral home where the King of Pop sat up all night with the body of his musical godfather, spends hours talking with Browns first wife, and lays bare the Dickensian legal contest over James Browns estate, a fight that has consumed careers; prevented any money from reaching the poor schoolchildren in Georgia and South Carolina, as instructed in his will; cost Browns estate millions in legal fees; and left James Browns body to lie for more than eight years in a gilded coffin in his daughters yard in South Carolina. James McBride is one of the most distinctive and electric literary voices in America today, andpart of the pleasure of his narrative is being in his presence, coming to understand Brown through McBrides own insights as a black musician with Southern roots. Kill Em and Leave is a song unearthing and celebrating James Browns great legacy: the cultural landscape of America today. Praise for Kill Em and Leave The definitive look at one of the greatest, most important entertainers, The Godfather, Da Number One Soul Brother, Mr. Please, Please HimselfJAMES BROWN. Spike Lee Please, please, please : Can anybody tell us who and what was James Brown ? At last, the real deal: James McBride on James Brown is the matchup weve been waiting for, a musician who came up hard in Brooklyn with JB hooks lodged in his brain, a monster ear for the truth, and the chops to write it. This is no celeb bio but a compelling personal questso very timely, angry, hilarious, and as irresistible as any James Brown beat. Gerri Hirshey, author of Nowhere to Run: The Story of Soul Music An unconventional and fascinating portrait of Soul Brother No. 1 and the significance of his rise and fall in American culture. Kirkus Reviews “You won’t leave this hypnotic book without feeling that James Brown is still out there, howling.”— The Boston Globe From the New York Times bestselling author of The Good Lord Bird , winner of the 2013 National Book Award for Fiction, Deacon King Kong , and Five-Carat Soul Kill ’Em and Leave is more than a book about James Brown. Brown embodied the contradictions of American life: He was an unsettling symbol of the tensions between North and South, black and white, rich and poor. After receiving a tip that promises to uncover the man behind the myth, James McBride goes in search of the “real” James Brown. McBride’s travels take him to forgotten corners of Brown’s never-before-revealed history, illuminating not only our understanding of the immensely troubled, misunderstood, and complicated Godfather of Soul, but the ways in which our cultural heritage has been shaped by Brown’s enduring legacy. Praise for Kill ’Em and Leave “A tour de force of cultural reportage.” — The Seattle Times “Thoughtful and probing.” — The New York Times Book Review “Masterly . . . powerful.” — Los Angeles Review of Books “McBride provides something lacking in most of the books about James Brown: an intimate feeling for the musician, a veracious if inchoate sense of what it was like to be touched by him. . . . It may be as close [to ‘the real James Brown’] as we’ll ever get.” —David Hajdu, The Nation “A feat of intrepid journalistic fortitude.” — USA Today “[McBride is] the biographer of James Brown we’ve all been waiting for. . . . McBride’s true subject is race and poverty in a country that doesn’t want to hear about it, unless compelled by a voice that demands to be heard.” —Boris Kachka, New York “Illuminating . . . engaging.” — The Washington Post “A gorgeously written piece of reportage that gives us glimpses of Brown’s genius and contradictions.” —O: The Oprah Magazine A Product Of The Complicated History Of The American South, James Brown Was A Cultural Shape-shifter Who Arguably Had The Greatest Influence Of Any Artist On American Popular Music. Brown Was Long A Figure Of Fascination For James Mcbride, A Noted Professional Musician As Well As A Writer. When He Received A Tip That Promised To Uncover The Man Behind The Myth, Mcbride Set Off To Follow A Trail To Better Understand The Personal, Musical, And Societal Influences That Created This Immensely Troubled, Misunderstood, And Complicated Soul Genius.--flyleaf. Mcbride Shows That Brown's Rough-and-tumble Life Is An Unsettling Metaphor For American Life: The Tension Between North And South, Black And White, Rich And Poor. From The Forgotten Corners Of The Country Town Where Brown's Family Was Among Those Displaced By America's Largest Nuclear Power Bomb-making Facility To The Augusta, Georgia, Funeral Home Where The Michael Jackson Sat Up All Night With The Body Of His Musical Godfather, You'll Come To Understand Brown Through Mcbride's Own Insights As A Black Musician With Southern Roots. Foreword: The Buzz -- Countin' Off. Mystery House ; Cussin' And Fussin' ; American Jive -- Hit It! The Vapors ; Six Gaines ; Leaving The Land ; Bro ; To Live Standing ; The Last Flame ; The Rev ; The Money Man ; The Earth Beneath His Feet ; More Money ; The Hundred-dollar Man ; The Rag That Nobody Reads ; Sis -- Quit It! Say Goodbye To The King ; The Dream -- Epilogue: Sister Lee. James Mcbride.