Let's remember him. How about all those arrests? How about that infamous car chase with the cops in tow? Who could forget those ghastly mug shots? Yes, let's remember all his crazy antics. He was "Super Bad," as the song said. But let's also remember that although James Brown frequently ended up on the wrong side of the law and was more than a little eccentric, he was also a musical force of nature. Brown propelled his incredible funk and soul forward by force of a powerhouse personality, fully earning his status as a music legend - not to mention an icon of the black community.

I saw James Brown perform in 2005. Onstage, Mr. Cold Sweat was still a powerhouse. Offstage, however, he had become frail. In the end, diabetes was one of the afflictions that gave Brown great trouble. It probably won't come as a shock to you that Brown was not a terribly health-conscious fellow. That neglect extended to a failure to get control of his diabetes. Brown finally died of heart failure while battling a case of pneumonia. But I also found a few mentions on the web of Brown's battle with diabetes. According to a feature in the Chicago Defender, Brown was not taking his insulin and had told his sister that the disease had damaged his legs and feet. Fannie Brown says, "I do remember him saying something about the doctors telling him that if he didn't change his lifestyle that there could be complications (from diabetes), but I don't remember the whole conversation. That was a few years ago. So you can't really quote me on that. Whatever it was, I think he changed his lifestyle." Uh, maybe.

Don't know much about the music of James Brown? Want to learn? Let me point you in the right direction. Rolling Stone is featuring James Brown on its cover this month. Inside is a lengthy tribute, which recounts the man's amazing career.