A&E Network has announced a new four-part documentary series about James Brown that’s set to arrive in 2023. James Brown: Say It Loud will be directed by Deborah Riley Draper and is executive produced by Mick Jagger, Questlove, and Black Thought, among others. The series will explore Brown’s legacy as a music icon through interviews with friends, family, and collaborators as well as never-before-seen archival footage.
In a statement, Jagger said he was “thrilled” to executive produce James Brown: Say It Loud, saying, “He was a brilliant performer who inspired me from the beginning and was deeply committed to the Civil Rights movement. I have always admired James and learned so much from him.”
“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,” added Questlove and Black Thought. “Brown’s life is a crucial and timely story of struggle, redemption, and self-identity and we are honored to have the chance to share it.”
Back in 2014, Chadwick Boseman starred as James Brown for the Jagger-produced biopic Get On Up. That same year, Jagger also served as a producer on the HBO documentary Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown.
Revisit “How James Brown’s Star Time Revolutionized the Box-Set Game—and Cemented His Legacy” on The Pitch and see where Brown’s 1963 album Live at the Apollo and his 1969 record Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud rank on “The 200 Best Albums of the 1960s.”
