On Saturday, May 6, the Augusta Live Music and Art (ALMA) will host a free concert in downtown Augusta, and is inviting all to celebrate James Brown’s 90th birthday with a “James Brown Birthday Get Down.”
Originally from Augusta, growing up during World War II, James Brown was an American musician who was a central forefather of funk music until he died in 2006. A major figure of the 20th century, Brown is famously known as the “Godfather of Soul” for his famous hit songs “I Got You,” “Get Up Offa That Thing” and “I’m Black and I’m Proud.”
Along with special guest DJs, the celebration concert will feature legendary James Brown trombonist Fred Wesley, the New JB’s, the James Brown Academy of Musik Pupils (J.A.M.P.) Band and local jamming band Funk You.
Following an opening DJ known as “Slicker Than Oil,” the J.A.M.P. Band will perform for an hour starting at 4 p.m., with Wesley and the New Jb’s showcasing their talent afterwards at 6 to 7:30 p.m. To close the night out, the performances will later end with Funk You playing for two hours beginning at 8:30 p.m.
In addition to musical spectacles, the event will also have food trucks, beer, concessions, art installations and kids activities.
Guests can also enjoy the James Brown Family Historical Tours which start every Saturday from 11 a.m. until 12:45 p.m. at the Augusta Museum of History. Highlights of this tour include Brown’s elementary school, his childhood home, the business he owned, the official James Brown Statue and more. Following the tour, guests are encouraged to explore the museum’s James Brown exhibition that is centered around the man behind the music and the legacy.
The party will take place in the Augusta Museum of History’s parking lot, located at 560 Reynolds Street, from 3 to 11 p.m.
