Thousands of fans poured into the Apollo Theater in New York City yesterday to pay their respects to the godfather of soul James Brown.
The singer’s body was brought to the legendary venue by horse drawn carriage to lie in state on the stage. Brown’s close friend Reverend Al Sharpton accompanied the golden coffin in front of a huge floral display spelling the word Godfather.
At the arrival of Brown’s body, fans chanted his famous line “Say it loud, I’m black, and I’m proud.”
For eight hours people filed past his open coffin, most of them waiting for hours in a long queue to get the chance to see him one last time. Brown was dressed in a sequinned midnight-blue suit, complete with white gloves and silver shoes.
Brown, 73, died in the early hours of Christmas morning. The Apollo Theatre in Harlem was the setting for his defining 1962 live album.
