Mr Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown – Sky Arts

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Mr Dynamite: The Rise Of James Brown
(Image credit: Chuck Stewart)

The career of the singer, musician and producer, James Brown, charting his journey from his first hit Please, Please, Please in 1956 through his pioneering funk phase to later chart success

Sky Arts kicks off its Soul Weekend with this film about how James Brown, who was born in poverty, abandoned by his parents and grew up in his aunt’s brothel, became the Godfather of Soul.

Featuring interviews with band members and footage of his unique performances, James Brown’s is a remarkable and turbulent story.

Mr Dynamite: The Rise Of James Brown

Mr Dynamite features rare and never-before seen archival footage and photographs of James Brown

See what all the fuss was about in Live at Montreux (11.15pm), a concert film from 1981. There's also another chance to see the documentary Discovering: James Brown (12.35am).

TV Times rating: *****

Mandy Cooper
Mandy Cooper
TV Times Highlights Editor

As TV Times Highlights Editor I get to hear about all the latest TV shows coming soon. Here at TVT HQ we are in the privileged position of selecting the best programmes from across all the channels and streaming platforms. Our mission is to make it easier for our readers to decide what to watch - and give them lots of choice of genres - all the latest shows, plus some nostalgic choices we call hidden gems, too. My career began with a postgraduate degree in periodical journalism (ahem, yes old school!) in 1991 and I’ve worked in TV media since 2000.