The Godfather of Go-Go Dies at 75

Chuck Brown, the legendary creator of the subgenre of funk music known as “Go-Go” died at the John Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore on Wednesday. He was 75 at the time of his death and was admitted following a sever attack of pneumonia. Brown’s manager, Tom Goldfogle, told the Washington Post that Brown had died of complications from sepsis.

Chuck Brown had been a key singer/songwriter and music personality in the Washington D.C. area since the 1970s. He made popular a funky sound which became known as “go-go.” His music was characterized by high volume percussion and his capacity to stitch together songs and make crowds dance throughout the night.

According to the Washington Post, Chuck Brown’s style got the name “Go-Go” because the music kept on and on without any sign of stopping. His bad, the Soul Searchers, became famous with their hit “Bustin’ Loose,” which topped the single charts of R&B for four consecutive weeks in 1978. The loud music, brash horns and crowd-stopping vocals with Brown’s unique voice filtering through all and bringing things together was an instant hit with people.

Even though later efforts failed to follow up on the success of “Bustin’ Loose” Brown continued with go-go-go music and in 1984, the song “We Need Some Money” reached No. 26 on record charts. Brown kept to his style of music with consistence and a documentary on his musical subgenre was made in 2002 featuring Brown and his sound.

In 2011, Brown was nominated for his first Grammy Award for best rhythm-and-blues performance by a duo or group for “Love,” and the National Endowment for the Arts presented Brown with a Lifetime Heritage Fellowship Award in 2005.