Singer, and Songwriter. Longtime arranger and collaborator for "The Godfather of Soul" James Brown. Byrd was one of Brown's "Famous Flames" (singing on original Brown hits such as "Please, Please, Please," "Try Me,") and later became co-vocalist for Brown's songs such as "Licking Stick," "Get Up (Feel Like a Sex Machine)," "Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved." Byrd's own greatest solo hit was "I Know You Got Soul" - sampled into a mega rap hit in the late 1980s by rap group Eric B. & Rakim. Byrd met Brown when they were teenagers. Brown was incarcerated at a youth detention facility in Toccoa, GA. Byrd was playing for a baseball team against Brown's team at at the facility. After Byrd's family secured Brown's early release in 1952, Byrd and Brown began their music career together - originally as a Gospel group "The Gospel Starlighters." In 2012, Byrd was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Famous Flames.
Singer, and Songwriter. Longtime arranger and collaborator for "The Godfather of Soul" James Brown. Byrd was one of Brown's "Famous Flames" (singing on original Brown hits such as "Please, Please, Please," "Try Me,") and later became co-vocalist for Brown's songs such as "Licking Stick," "Get Up (Feel Like a Sex Machine)," "Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved." Byrd's own greatest solo hit was "I Know You Got Soul" - sampled into a mega rap hit in the late 1980s by rap group Eric B. & Rakim. Byrd met Brown when they were teenagers. Brown was incarcerated at a youth detention facility in Toccoa, GA. Byrd was playing for a baseball team against Brown's team at at the facility. After Byrd's family secured Brown's early release in 1952, Byrd and Brown began their music career together - originally as a Gospel group "The Gospel Starlighters." In 2012, Byrd was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Famous Flames.
Bio by: GoldBootGA
Advertisement
