Photo of American singer James Brown, otherwise known as "The Godfather of Soul", taken in March 1971 during his concert at the Olympia in Paris. James Brown never wanted to reveal his true date of birth between 1928 and 1933 in the American South. US singer James Brown, nicknamed "The Godfather of Soul", performs on stage at L'Oympia in Paris on September 1971. In this file picture taken in September 1971, James Brown performs at the Olympia Hall in Paris. James Brown, the legendary singer known as the Godfather of Soul, has died of complications of an illness December 25, 2006 at the age of 73.