James Brown Steals The Stage

When I first realized that there would be a National Day of Mourning for Gerald Ford, I thought, the heck with that. There should be one for James Brown. But watching portions of both funerals made me reconsider. Ford's somber service trotted out the worst players in our Political playbook. Ford was a 93 year old man who had been having health problems for years. Yet, there was no joy in his funeral. Like the man, it was polite but nonexistent.
James Brown's was a different animal altogether. Sure the usual Black funeral attendees were there: Jesse, Sharpton, but they were in good form. And Michael Jackson's quick speech didn't sound rehearsed but sincere. Throw in Hammer's dancing and Brown's music and you had not a snooze service but a winning tribute to a winning American.