RIP James Joseph Brown, Jr.

As has been widely reported, the Godfather of Soul departed an Atlanta hospital for his final concert tour in the wee morning hours of Christmas Day. James J. Brown, Jr. was 73 years old and suffering from pneumonia when he died.

While JB's Apple connection may not be obvious, those of us who were fortunate enough to attend the Mac OS 8 launch party at Macworld Boston in 1997 will not soon forget the appearance of the "surprise musical act" onstage. Brown tore the roof off the joint with his classic numbers and even threw in an enthusiastic "Mac-World! Ap-ple!" chant. Even for a corporate gig and a roomful of skinny geeks, he was not about to phone it in. It was an incredible show.

Farewell, Soul Brother #1.

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