Saying goodbye to the Godfather of Soul

GODFATHER of Soul James Brown remained the hardest-working man in show business to the end, telling friends from his hospital bed that he’d be in Times Square on New Year’s Eve, even though he had pneumonia.

His heart gave out a few hours later, on Christmas morning.

All Christmas Day, famous fans from Mick Jagger to Snoop Dogg to the Rev Al Sharpton shared memories of their mentor and idol, while fans streamed to his statue in his boyhood hometown of Augusta, piling mementos and flowers at its base.