Danny Ray, who traveled the world with the Godfather of Soul for almost half a century and was widely known as James Brown’s ‘cape man,’ died on Tuesday.
“I just cannot tell you how much we all loved him,” said Brown’s daughter Deanna Brown. “What can I say? He was more than the ‘cape man.’ He was my Uncle Danny.”
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Ray started as a valet with Brown in 1960, but soon made his way on stage as Brown’s emcee.
Ray was most well-known for placing a cape on the shoulders of the Hardest Working Man In Show Business during his feverish performances.
But according to Henry Ingram, a cousin to Brown, there was much more to the relationship between Brown and Ray than their appearances on stage together.
“There was no one closer to Mr. Brown than Danny Ray,” he says. “They were best friends.”
Ingram should know, his company, International Formal Wear, ordered and maintained Brown’s costumes for over 30 years. Ray was in charge of making sure the costumes were sent to Ingram for dry cleaning and then prepared to be sent across the globe so Brown could don them during his performances.
“We really became good friends because Mr. Brown was very demanding, and so we had a tight relationship so we could make sure Mr. Brown was happy,” he says.
James Brown was known for his perfectionism and for fining members of his band for missing a note on stage. Ingram laughs about the fact that Ray never got fined by Brown. He just got fired on a regular basis.
“Mr. Brown fired him probably 50,000 times,” Ingram recalls, “but it never lasted for more than an hour or two. People don’t know how close they were. I guess you could say Danny was Mr. Brown’s third arm.”
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Ingram described Ray as a great natural and kind person who never got caught up in the trappings of fame even though he was almost as well-known as James Brown. After all, Ray did not just introduce James Brown to the crowd. He played a significant role in the entire stage performance.
“His head never swelled at being a part of all that, he loved travelling the world and just being a part of something special,” Ingram says. “We’ve lost a giant in Danny Ray. A real giant.”
James Brown’s daughter Deanna Brown agrees with Ingram and tearfully spoke about the man she called “Uncle Danny.”
“They were like brothers, my dad trusted Danny,” she says. “He was a beautiful uncle to me and a true friend.”
After James Brown died in 2006, Ray continued to honor his legacy by participating in the James Brown Academy of Musik Pupils (JAMP). He mentored the students in the program.
Scott Hudson is the Managing Editor of The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
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