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The Night James Brown Saved Boston

Documentary about how James Brown's gig in Boston the night after Martin Luther King's assassination helped calm a possibly incendiary situation, with rare archive footage.

April 5th 1968, the morning after one of the most catastrophic moments in American history - the assassination of Martin Luther King. America's inner cities had begun to implode and in Boston there is a fragile peace.

The mayor of Boston is about to cancel a long-scheduled James Brown concert to avoid confrontation - a potentially incendiary move - but after warnings he has a change of heart and asks if there is 'something James Brown can do to help'.

This documentary tells the story of that amazing night and features rarely-seen footage of the Godfather of Soul's concert plus personal reminiscences from those in attendance.

1 hour, 15 minutes

Last on

Sat 5 Dec 2009 00:30

Music Played

  • James Brown

    I Got The Feelin'

  • James Brown

    There Was A Time

  • James Brown

    I Got You (I Feel Good)

  • James Brown

    Out Of Sight

  • James Brown

    It's A Man's Man's Man's World

  • James Brown

    Bewildered

  • James Brown

    That's Life

  • James Brown

    Try Me

  • James Brown

    Cold Sweat

  • James Brown

    Get It Together

  • James Brown

    Please Please Please

  • James Brown

    I Can't Stand Myself (When You Touch Me)

  • James Brown

    Infatuation (Instrumental)

  • James Brown

    Say It Loud (I'm Black and I'm Proud)

  • James Brown

    Soul Power

Credit

Role Contributor
Writer Morgan Neville

Broadcasts