26 DEC 06: HE FELT GOOD

It was sad to learn Monday of the death of Georgia soul music legend James Brown. I heard WAGH "Magic 98" play some of his music during the day in a tribute. But WKZJ "K-92.7" seemed to have its computerized jukebox set on nothing but Christmas music - where at least there was nothing about a Rappin' Santa.

James Brown performed in Columbus several times. He was the star act on a Saturday night of Riverfest in 2001. I took a picture of him on stage, but regrettably I couldn't find it Monday. Besides, I was so far from the stage that you could barely see his hips move.

A web search Monday night uncovered another James Brown concert appearance in Columbus. The author of a book called "Funk" wrote after a March 1970 show, Brown had a confrontation with his band over something. It was a Brown showdown - but his musicians went down like "Famous Flames."

The biggest surprise I heard Monday about James Brown involved a woman in a Columbus congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses. The woman apparently doesn't want to be named, but she used to be a backup singer for Brown. She says when she became converted in the 1970's, she threw out all her Brown mementos. The eBay web site came along about 25 years too late.

James Brown called Augusta home, and my visits there for Power Frisbee this year reminded me of that. A main downtown street is named James Brown Boulevard -- a street that's trying to be Augusta's version of Broadway in downtown Columbus. But there's one big difference. Augusta has no "Purple People" to clear the light poles of concert posters.

Only days before Power Frisbee's opening night in August, the main sports arena in Augusta was renamed for James Brown. Here's hoping the James Brown from "The N.F.L. Today" doesn't start claiming the building as his own....

There's even a small group of performers in Augusta who make appearances as James Brown impersonators. I expect to see more of them now, the way Elvis Presley imitators sprang up in the 1980's. Guys who don't make the school gymnastics team can stay in practice, by following his moves.

But given the events of his life, you somehow knew James Brown would not have an ordinary death. Sure enough - Brown's widow tells today's Augusta Chronicle she's been padlocked out of the family home in South Carolina, on orders of Brown's attorney and accountant. Well, he DID sing "It's a Man's World...."

And that reminds me of another amazing James Brown moment. Somewhere on a shelf at CNN Center in Atlanta, there's a "blooper tape" of Brown being interviewed in the early 1990's by Dr. Sonya Friedman. During the live interview, Brown kept declaring, "It's a man's world!" - and little else. It was as if too much of the hair spray for his head went up his nose.

2006 IN REVIEW CONTINUED: August was a historic month in Columbus, as the Northern Little League All-Stars rolled all the way to the World Series title. The team had to deal with one upset mother from Arizona, confusion about Kyle Carter's cap, a rainstorm on their victory parade - not to mention all those business cards the high school coaches gave them.

By comparison, the Columbus Catfish had all sorts of problems in August. Part of the field flooded. Some of the lights didn't work. A storm tore down part of the outfield fence. It's a wonder the city didn't rename Golden Park "Rusty."

On top of that, Columbus Council effectively evicted the Chattahoochee Valley Vipers in August for not paying their rent at the Civic Center. I think CBS showed a movie about the Vipers' replacement team Monday afternoon - called "Secondhand Lions."

Mayor Bob Poydasheff kicked off his reelection bid in August - and it wasn't an easy beginning. Your blog spotted 2002 information all over his web site, days before the announcement. And his speech asked for votes on November 19, 12 days after Election Day. Somehow, I think Jim Wetherington will make sure that office is vacant by next Tuesday.

Only days later, Bert Coker declared he was launching a write-in campaign for mayor. Is there some strange reason why Jim Wetherington has NOT named him to his staff yet?

On up the Government Center, Judge Haywood Turner was arrested in August for an alleged case of "road rage" with weapons. "The Courier" claimed a few weeks ago there were rumors the judge might retire. It did NOT explain whether that would come before or after the plea-bargain.

The governors of Alabama and Georgia met in Columbus during August. The announced topic was water-sharing - but given the election results in November, maybe they discussed power-sharing as well.

North Columbus Elementary School had its grand opening in August, and the first day brought a traffic jam on Veterans Parkway. The managers down the street at Krispy Kreme and Starbucks didn't know whether to be jealous or frustrated.

But Jordan High School failed to open on time because of construction, forcing students to go to class on Saturdays for several weeks. This simply did not make sense to me. If it's a "vocational arts" magnet school, why didn't the students help the workers at the start of the year for extra credit?

Before all this, August included the annual back-to-school "sales tax holiday," which this year expanded from Georgia to Alabama. Isn't it a little curious that you never hear this proposed for mid-December?

August was a big month in Phenix City, as Summit Hospital officially opened for business. Did the first person to receive an appendectomy get a souvenir -- with his appendix autographed by the staff?

Another big new premiere in August was the "National Joshua Generation," an activist group headed by Antonio Carter. But the N.J.G. seems to be off to a slow start - because I keep waiting for members to form a picket line, to protest his firing from WRCG.

August officially brought the end of The Fire House club by court order. It later included a Civic Center concert by Hank Williams Jr. - and his rowdy friends must have been stumped for a place to relax after the show.

Thousands of visitors read this blog every month, in Columbus and around the world. To advertise to them, offer a story tip or comment on this blog, write me - but be warned, I may post your e-mail comment and offer a reply.

BURKARD BULK MAIL INDEX: 3401 (+ 89, 2.7%)

If you mention this blog in public, please be polite enough to let me know.

© 2003-06 Richard Burkard, all rights reserved.