'Godfather of Soul' James Brown passes away

Brown had been admitted to Emory Crawford Long Hospital in Atlanta over the weekend for treatment of severe pneumonia, his agent, Frank Copsidas, told CNN.

The singer, also known as "Mr Dynamite" is credited with bringing the word "funk" into mainstream musical vernacular and influencing a new generation of black music that spawned rap and hip-hop.

Brown's hit Say it Loud (I'm Black and I'm Proud) became a civil rights anthem during the turbulent 1960s and he performed the song at Richard Nixon's inaugural in 1968 -- an act that temporarily hurt his popularity among young blacks.

He had more than 119 charting singles and recorded over 50 albums, was inducted into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame and received a lifetime achievement award from the Grammys in 1992.

Every record he made during 1960-77 reached the top 100. Big hits included Please, Please, Please, Papa's Got a Brand New Bag, I Got You (I Feel Good), Get Up and It's a Man's World.

His 1985 monster hit Living in America, which was featured in the movie Rocky IV, brought him a whole new generation of fans and his first Grammy.