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James Brown, the legendary “Godfather of Soul,” was not only known for his electrifying music but also for his iconic dance moves and hand gestures. Let’s dive into the fascinating world of James Brown’s stage finesse and how he communicated with his band through those moves!
The $5 Fines: James Brown was a perfectionist, demanding excellence from his band members. He had a system of fines in place to ensure discipline. If any musician broke a rule, their pay would be docked. For instance:
Shoe Shine: If they didn’t shine their shoes, they’d face a fine.
Dance Moves: Brown’s dance moves were more than just entertainment. When he got close to his band, he’d flash hand signals. Some meant a $5 fine, while others were even costlier.
One of the reasons Brown garnered so much success was because he was a taskmaster.
Growing up in a house where he saw pimps work, he took that same mentality to his band. He did not suffer fools, he did not let anything go. He was on their backs for perfection, knowing that anything less wasn’t suitable for him or his audiences.
He was disciplined and demanded the same from his band—precision from his band and his dancers and anyone he was associated with.
The details matter. So, he demanded that his players wore the right uniforms for their performances.
To wit, one of Brown’s former musicians, saxophonist Maceo Parker, told NPR interview Terri Gross, “You gotta be on time. You gotta have your uniform. Your stuff’s got to be intact. You gotta have the bow tie. You got to have it. You can’t come up without the bow tie. You cannot come up without a cummerbund … [The] patent leather shoes we were wearing at the time gotta be greased. You just gotta have this stuff. This is what [Brown expected] … [Brown] bought the costumes. He bought the shoes. And if for some reason [the band member decided] to leave the group, [Brown told the person to] please leave my uniforms.”
Band members knew to watch for those hands. One flash meant $5 gone from a player’s pay. Flashed five times? That’s $25, which was no small amount in the 1950s and 1960s. It kept the band in shape. Sometimes, the stress was too much, and band members would be hired, fired, leave, quit, and come back to the group all on a single tour.