James McBride on James Brown and American Soul

The legendary artist James Brown influenced pop culture like few ever have or will, yet the man himself remains shrouded in mystery, a shapeshifter who deliberately kept all but a select few at arm’s length. In "Kill ‘Em and Leave," National Book Award-winning author James McBride set out to discover what shaped the man who would eventually be known as “The Godfather of Soul.” On his journey through the south, McBride conducted interviews with the men and women closest to Brown – his trusted lawyers and accountants, former bandmates, his estranged ex-wife, and his greatest non-musical creation, the Reverend Al Sharpton. McBride takes to the stage to discuss this immensely misunderstood and complicated soul genius who was James Brown, and how his legacy helps us understand who we are as Americans today.