When soul singer James Brown passed away suddenly from heart failure on Christmas morning, the world mourned the loss of a true musical pioneer. As fans and colleagues paid tribute to the late James Brown following his passing, the different sides of his family began a series of legal issues, causing James Brown's body to lay in wait for a proper burial.
More than two weeks have passed since James Brown died at the age of 73, and yet legal issues surrounding the singer's estate, his will and his final resting place are still not resolved. An attorney for the singer has addressed the legal wrangling, saying that all the issues will be handled in "due course." Playfuls reports that Charles Reid, the manager of the C.A. Reid Funeral in Augusta, Georgia, which arranged the funeral services, the body of James Brown was taken to his Beech Island home following the funeral where it remains locked in a casket. Reid added that the room's temperature is regulated and that security guards are in place to protect the casket.
Shortly after the singer's death, James Brown's Beech Island home was sealed off to the public. Buddy Dallas, an attorney for James Brown, said that the move to seal the house was necessary to ensure the protection of James Brown memorabilia, clothing and personal items stored in the house. Playfuls quoted Buddy Dallas, who said, "Just imagine what would have happened. Items of James Brown would have left there like items off the shelves of Macy's in an after-Christmas sale."
Regarding the body of James Brown, Dallas has said that the trustees for Brown's will, along with James Brown's children, will determine the burial site. While the estate at Beech Island remains sealed to the public, Tomi Rae Hynie, Brown's partner, said that she has been prohibited from entering the home that she claims to have shared with Brown and their 5-year-old son. Tomi Rae Hynie could not be reached for comment on the issue, though her lawyer would say that Hynie will be granted access to the home. Hynie's lawyer would not discuss if she would take legal action to gain any sort of permanent residence there. Attorney Thornton Morris was quoted by the Globe and Mail as saying, "The hope is that all parties can sit down and figure out what the problem is and what the challenges are. And once we figure out what the challenges are we'll see if we can't resolve something that's a win for everybody."
While the legal battles continue over the singer's estate and the final resting place of the body of James Brown, a woman who claims the Godfather of Soul raped her almost 20 years ago said Tuesday she will proceed with her legal battle. Jacque Hollander has requested that the U.S. Supreme Court hear her sexual harassment lawsuit after a lower court ruled she had waited too long to file the case. While the Supreme Court deliberates over whether or not to hear the case, Hollander has been arguing that the two-year statute of limitations of sexual harassment cases does not offer fair protection to women. The Globe and Mail quoted an interview Hollander gave to the Associated Press, where she said, "This has been a long road that ended tragically Christmas morning. As a rape victim, I will never get to face him in court, and it hurts, [but we are moving forward. We filed against his organization, as well as him. So now his organization stands in front of him."
Hollander's lawsuit alleges that James Brown raped her at gunpoint in 1988 while she was employed as his publicist. Hollander sought $106 million in damages from James Brown, yet a federal appeals court threw the case out in August. Brown's lawyer, Bryce Dallas, was quoted by the Globe and Mail as saying of the lawsuit, "There was nothing to it 20 years ago and nothing to it 20 years later."
James Brown, nicknamed the Godfather of Soul, enjoyed musical success since 1956, when he released the top ten single, "Please, Please, Please". After that, Brown turned out successful album after successful album with #1 singles including "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag", "I Got You (I Feel Good)", "It's a Man's Man's Man's World", "I Got The Feelin'", "Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud" and "Sex Machine". James Brown died in Atlanta, Georgia, on December 25 of heart failure.
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