Fannie Brown along with James Brown's children spent a bittersweet morning giving away toys to thousands of children in Augusta at the Imperial Theater. Bittersweet, because the man who loved this day the most, the namesake of this toy giveaway is no longer here.
James Brown loved seeing the shining eyes and happy faces of the children as they received their gifts; but more than that, James felt it was his duty as a human being to help people in need. James believed so strongly in helping others that he came even when his health was failing. In fact, James' last public appearance before his death was at the 2006 Toy Giveaway.
This year, the number of people in need receiving toys for their children was as large as ever, showing that this event is more important than ever, and thanks and appreciation to all people that made this event possible.
Excerpts From CNN Coverage of James Brown's Death
CNN NEWSROOM
Ceremonies for James Brown
Aired December 30, 2006 - 15:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(MUSIC) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. We have to move on this afternoon. Thank you. Thank you so kindly.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: All right. You know, you take in the scene at the James Brown Arena, and it really is as if the man was on stage with so many of these musicians. Christopher John Farley with "The Wall Street Journal," music editor there. Did you see MC Hammer making those moves on stage?
CHRISTOPHER JOHN FARLEY, MUSIC EDITOR, "WALL STREET JOURNAL": Well, you know, mc hammer is a guy that's acknowledged in the press that he got a lot of his moves from James Brown, so it seems that, you know, this is the big payback. He's out there showing James Brown his moves, what he learned from him one last time in front of the people that knew James Brown best and loved him the most. So it was entirely appropriate. I see they tried to coax Michael Jackson on stage there as well.
LIN: I don't think that was did go to happen. Do you?
FARLEY: That looked like that was a nonstarter. But Hammer he's always ready, willing, available to dance. He showed us some moves right there.
LIN: And a live picture of Tomi Rae, James Brown's companion, maybe his wife somewhat in dispute standing at the edge of the stage staring down at a man that she, who fathered her child, a 5-year-old boy. The thoughts that must be running through her mind and perhaps even the controversy of this picture as family members look on as well.
Christopher, that moment a very personal moment for Tomi Rae. And you could hear people shouting from the gallery for her to get off the stage.
FARLEY: Yes. Well, a very rough time for her. She's someone who was allegedly locked out of her home. She's someone who's in a dispute about whether she was actually, actually had a legal marriage to James Brown and yet and she's called upon here to celebrate his -- to publicly mourn, to publicly celebrate. So she must be going through a lot of different emotions. We saw some of those on display right there on the stage with her, with her companion of more than five years, James Brown.
LIN: Christopher, you look into the audience there. I've mentioned Reverend Al Sharpton, Reverend Jesse Jackson, pop star Michael Jackson; all of them pretty much front row center near the casket. Who are some of the other notables that you've seen in the crowd today?
FARLEY: We've seen Dick Gregory, the comedian. He's someone, who like James Brown, was very much front and center during the civil rights movement, trying to reconcile, you know, his art with the movement and trying to find a combination that worked for him. So he went through some of the same struggles that James Brown did, someone who is a symbol of entertainment that mattered. And he is in the audience. Of course, we saw Bootsy Collins up on stage, Bootsy Collins a guy who -- looks like there's something happening, so I'm going to pause for a second.
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FANNIE BROWN BURFORD, JAMES BROWN'S SISTER: I've just come to say thank you to all of you all for supporting, all of the band members that have played with James Brown. I see all of you all before every show and after every show because I sell the souvenirs. A couple of months ago, he said, "Fannie, you finally did it right, Fannie." So, with god permission, I pray you all support our families from now on. Thank you all, thank you, world. James Brown loved you all.
SHARPTON: Part of the extended family with me was Fannie, who just spoke. And let's hear it one more time for the man that traveled all over the world and kept him going, brother R.J. Give R.J. a hand. Got to keep the band going, R.J.
R.J.: Got to do it, sir.
SHARPTON: As the family takes their seats, we're going to hear several speakers and we're going to go -- as y'all take your seats, that means, as Mr. Brown says, "It's time for y'all to get off the stage."
Livewire: I understand that you've got a new song out?
JB: Yeah, It's called "Killing Is Out, School Is In." And you need to hear the lyrics to it. I'm going to tell you what you gotta do, "try romance, turn that cap around and take that gun out of your pants." Killing seems to be a way of life in school. And what we're trying to tell 'em is that a lack of knowledge and a little bit of drugs will make you blow your cool. So we put it right there where you can hear it. We don't try and dress it up and do it like the system would do it - where it might miss the kids. We want to put it to 'em back on the street, in the same language. You know what you're getting here.
Livewire: Is this song going against what gangsta rap is all about?
JB: I'm not going against anybody. I'm going to tell the truth. There's no such thing as going against gangsta rap. We're not going to try and go against nobody. Let them do what they want to do, but they see that's it's been disastrous. Whether it's gangsta rap, rock n roll or R&B or funk or whatever it is - we're against that. So whatever makes your kid go crazy and want to shoot you and shoot his brother, that's what we're against. Years ago when people were running around with sheets on their heads, nothing was said about that. They don't say nothing about The Panthers, they don't say nothing about the Ku Klux, they don't say nothing about nobody. Let's just get it straight, because I think the Panthers want to live, the Ku Klux want to live, I want to live, you want to live and we ain't gonna live 'cause we won't have no kids around, you know? They don't want 'em to have no more Klans around and no more Panthers around, 'cause all the kids will be dead. It's that simple. Are we that stupid to let this happen to us? We don't need that. We don't have a country, you know what I'm sayin,' man? They're killin' everybody. They're killin' the kids now. That's sad. That bugs me more than anything in the world. I got anything I could need. I could be a fat rat and run, 'cause I saved my money. But I ain't happy. I'm not happy with that. I made it right here. I made it with these people. And because I'm able to do something for humanity, it's my duty to do it. Not my pay - my duty! I'm so glad I got me a platform that I can fight with, that's gonna do some good. I don't need a hit record. The Teacher gave me everything I'd ever need and brought all my records that y'all was raised up on back into the fold, 'cause one time whites couldn't hear 'em. Now they want everybody to hear 'em, 'cause they made sense. So they're back in the fold. Maybe people can get their fun back and not be mad at each other and be happy, you know? And laughing and talking and huggin.' It's 'brother.' 'Brother's' back in here again. That's what we needed real bad. And that's why I'm pushing this.
The Godfather of Soul, a legacy, a message to the children and the world
Years before his death in 2006, James Brown and his sister Fannie Brown-Burford wanted to change the mainstream music and stop the killing of our children in the streets and all over the world. By consistantly urging todays artists to clean up the lyrics of the music that our children listen to, and by sending a posititve message of life through their music, James and Fannie would bring worldwide attention to the critical condition today's youth is in.
Fannie Brown recalls James' plan for the songs he and Fannie wrote: "He (James) left them (the songs) as a legacy, something to carry on, songs that would change the world." Fannie continues; "Songs that would change the thoughts of the children, stop them from killing each other, from wearing their clothes saggin', from not being dressed; so we're trying to help clean up the earth with God's permission."
In a recent interview, one of the original JBs recalls that in his music, James Brown never cursed, and being the most sampled artist in the world, and hearing his music being used in songs with the type of lyrics from today's young hip hop artists, James Brown demanded that this project continue even after his death. It was his last wish.
To fufill her brother's wish, Fannie gathered the original members of the James Brown Band from every decade and put together a series of singles, the first of which directly points out how today's youth dresses and is aptly titled "Pull Your Pants Up ". Full of the original funk sound of the Godfather of Soul, and lyrics which reach out to the chidlren, Fannie Brown and the JBs made this single a tribute to their Soul Brother Number One.
All That 
Years before his death in 2006, James Brown and his sister Fannie Brown-Burford wanted to change the mainstream music and stop the killing of our children in the streets and all over the world. By consistantly urging todays artists to clean up the lyrics of the music that our children listen to, and by sending a posititve message of life through their music, James and Fannie would bring worldwide attention to the critical condition today's youth is in.