Copsidas said longtime friend Charles Bobbit was by Brown's side when he died at Emory Crawford Long Hospital in Atlanta, Ga.

Born on May 3, 1933 in Barnwell, South Carolina, the "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" singer had a troubled start - entering juvenile detention in 1948 - but upon release, he turned his attentions to music and had his first hit in 1956.

James Joseph Brown, Jr. is widely considered one of the most influential figures in 20th century music reports CTA.

He had a raspy, gospel-style voiced that, combined with a horn-section that punctuated his funky, frenetic rhythms, evolved into a distinct, revolutionary style of music.

He recorded more than 50 albums and had well over 100 songs that hit the charts, including "I Got You (I Feel Good)," "(Get Up I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine" and "Out of Sight."

His classic "Say It Out Loud -- I'm Black and I'm Proud" became a landmark statement of racial pride when it came out in 1968.

"I clearly remember we were calling ourselves colored, and after the song, we were calling ourselves black," Brown told the Associated Press in an interview in 2003.

"The song showed even people to that day that lyrics and music and a song can change society."

Brown was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986 and won a Grammy lifetime achievement award in 1992.

Brown's first wife, Adrienne Brown, died in 1996 in Los Angeles at age 47 after she took the drug PCP and several prescription drugs while suffering from a bad heart.

More recently, Brown married his fourth wife, Tomi Raye Hynie, who one of his backup singers. The couple had a son, James Jr.

The soul legend was charged with domestic abuse in 2004 after a row with his wife Tomi Rae Hynie but the allegation was resolved when he failed to contest the charge

Brown was arrested in January 2004 and accused of pushing Ms Hynie to the floor and threatening her.

Prosecutors said Brown had pleaded guilty to the charges and would forfeit a $1,000 (£550) bond as a fine.

He has had a number of legal problems over the years, including a two-and-a-half year jail term for assault in 1998.

But he was granted a state pardon in 2003 by the state of South Carolina.

In 2004, James Brown was also diagnosed with prostate cancer.

"I have overcome a lot of things in my life. I will overcome this as well," Brown, 71, said in a statement.