*Via our Bay Area Buddy, super photog George Livingston, we’ve just received word that Charles Bobbit, who served as James Brown‘s manager, has died. He was 87.
We don’t have the full details and or cause of death, but we understand he passed away in a convalescent home in Atlanta.
See George’s post below.
News from Atlanta. Ga—Charles Bobbit an Entertainment Manager for James Brown, a representative to President Omar Bongo of Africa, an associate to Michael Jackson & last worked with Rev. Al Sharpton … has passed.
I had the opportunity to be an associate and photographer of Mr. Bobbit several times.
In the photograph (above) with Michael Jackson next to Nelson Mandela is Charles Bobbit (to Bobbit’s left is the late Motown and Michael Jackson publicist Bob Jones).
I remember the good times we shared—–Bless you Mr. Bobbit–R I P.
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Since we’re talking about Charles Bobbit, we’d like to direct you to a fascinating story we did in 2014 on Mr. Bobbit by Deardra Shuler. “Charles Bobbit: My Years with the Godfather of Soul – A Must Read” was published the week that the James Brown movie, “Get on Up” was released. Here’s an excerpt:
“I knew at 7 years old that I would be involved in show business. I could not sing or even dance, but I knew one day I would be the power behind an entertainer. My opportunity came when I saw James Brown at the Apollo. I told my wife, Ruth, I would work for James Brown one day. My future was with him. I asked Mr. Brown for a job but it took a few meetings before he hired me. The day he hired me he invited me to his home and it was there he read me. He told me I would be with him until the day he died. He told me about myself, my ambitions and knew things about me he couldn’t possibly know. I met him in 1966, but it wasn’t until 1967 that he hired me. However, during all that time he was secretly training me to be his personal manager. He explained there would be too much jealousy if he told people I was his personal manager so he would train me from the ground up. He started me off as his personal valet and I went everywhere with him while he taught me about the good and bad of show business. Mr. Brown’s training was so intense, I called myself having attended the University of Brown,” said the 84 year old Mr. Bobbit.
According to Charles Bobbit, James Brown was an unusual man, changing mood and temperament on a dime. Although not a bad man, Brown was complex and someone who couldn’t be debated or argued with nor taken for granted.
He was a humane individual that favored education. And he knew music, even though he couldn’t read or write music. It was all in his head. Brown insisted his music came directly from God. Bobbit never saw James rehearse his dance moves, he simply could move fast.
He was limber and had small feet and tiny legs. Brown came up with the idea of using a cape after watching the wrestler Gorgeous George wrap a towel around his self. The cape became an integral part of Brown’s act.
Interesting, huh? Well, you can get the rest of this EURweb story HERE.
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