James Brown - Smooth Fact

As a teenager, James Brown got into trouble with the law but music helped him redirect his focus.

James Brown

At the age of 16, he was arrested for stealing a car and sentenced to three years in prison. While in prison, he organized and led a prison gospel choir. This helped him earn an early release. While in prison, he also met Bobby Byrd, an aspiring artist, forming a friendship and musical partnership. This became the starting point of James Brown's career that proved to be one of the most fruitful in music history.