Mick Jagger and Questlove are working on a James Brown docuseries

The two musicians are teaming up to bring Brown's story to the small screen

Aux News James Brown
Mick Jagger and Questlove are working on a James Brown docuseries
Photo: Tom Copi

To commemorate what would have been the Godfather of Soul’s 90th birthday, A&E is bringing a four-part docuseries to the small screen with the help of a pair of legendary musicians whose careers may not exist without James Brown’s influence.

Mick Jagger and Questlove have signed on as executive producers for James Brown: Say It Loud which will look back at the musician’s legacy through interviews with family, friends, and fellow musicians and will also include never-before-seen footage from the archives.

Questlove directed last year’s Academy Award-nominated Summer Of Soul documentary that looked back at 1969’s Harlem Cultural Festival.

Jagger, who was at first a fan, struck up a friendship with Brown after a performance at the Harlem theater. The Rolling Stones frontman also produced Get On Up, the James Brown biopic featuring Chadwick Boseman as well as Alex Gibney’s 2014 documentary Mr. Dynamite: James Brown And The Power Of Soul.

The forthcoming documentary is set to explore “a 7th-grade drop-out arrested for armed robbery in the Jim Crow era South to an entertainment legend whose words, songs, style, and moves inspired musical revolutions and molded a nation’s view of Black pride and Black masculinity.”

“He was a brilliant performer who inspired me from the beginning and was deeply committed to the Civil Rights movement,” Jagger told Deadline. “I have always admired James and learned so much from him. I look forward to bringing the series to life.”

“The life of James Brown is significant not only to understand his immense musical impact, which inspires us and other artists to this day but also for the deep and lasting impression he has had on American culture,” adds Questlove.

In the director’s chair is Deborah Riley Draper, an experienced documentarian whose credits include Olympic Pride, American Prejudice, and most recently The Legacy Of Black Wall Street.

The four-part docuseries is set to air in 2023.

7 Comments

  • milligna000-av says:

    He had a fun gimmick but I guess they can’t cover the dozens upon dozens of terrible, abusive, hypocritical, violent things he did if they want to use the footage and music. Truly this is a man’s man’s man’s man’s man’s woooooorlldddddddddddd

    • kinjacaffeinespider-av says:

      I heard he had a pretty good foot.

    • jmyoung123-av says:

      “fun gimmick”. That’s a rather dismissive take on a tremendous talent. He was pioneer of funk music.

      • milligna000-av says:

        Heard almost all of his work up until he wasn’t doing so great, saw him live repeatedly, even watched every episode of his insane local dance show. Spare me the lectures. Thing is, the man was complicated and terrible despite his incredible moves on the T.A.M.I. show and this isn’t going to touch that. We’ll just get a bunch of celeb talking heads praising him and Questlove’s pals gushing about how they sampled this beat or that riff.

  • mikolesquiz-av says:

    The more I find out about James Brown in real life, the less happy I am. So no thanks.

  • AndreaJerkstore-av says:

    More praise for an abusive psycho. Cool.

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