Even in the immediate aftermath of James Brown's death in 2006, there were signs that there would be problems settling his accounts between his children and his estate. Now it's four-plus years later, and the fight has gotten messy. Thankfully, Brown's good friend, the Reverend Al Sharpton, has firmly inserted himself into the proceedings, making everything less much more complicated.
Jacque Hollander, Brown's old record producer, says that the Godfather of Soul intended for his estate to go into a trust for needy kids. In his original will, Brown wanted the majority of his money to go into two trusts- one for the education of his grandchildren, and the other to his James Brown "I Feel Good" Trust, which was to fund the education of kids in Georgia and South Carolina. He left personal and household items to his acknowledged six children, and wrote in the will that if he failed to provide for any relatives, "such failure is intentional and not occasioned by accident or mistake." But Hollander is now seeking to stop a 2009 settlement agreement that gives Brown's children 50 percent or more of a fortune estimated at some $100 million, including royalties and marketing rights.
Brown's daughter Deanna Brown Thomas told the Post that she and her siblings sought to overturn the will because they believed it did not accurately reflect their father's wishes. Now Sharpton, who toured with Brown in the 70s and led his funeral service, has sided with Brown's children in the dispute, and Hollander alleges that it's for his own gain. "He was left out of it. He always felt that he would walk away with a pretty sizeable chunk of James Brown and was left nothing," she said. You can be assured that whatever the outcome, Sharpton will likely claim credit for settling the dispute.
