Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

As Cities Burned, James Brown Saved Boston

Documentary recalls unrest that followed King assassination

By M. Morris,  Newser Staff

Posted Apr 5, 2008 10:42 AM CDT

(Newser) – In the wake of the assassination of Martin Luther King, riots raged in many American cities. In Boston, where there had been unrest on the night of April 4, officials worried about the fallout of a James Brown concert scheduled for April 5 at a downtown arena. A new documentary airing tonight on VH1 gives away the ending in its title: The Night James Brown Saved Boston.

With Brown's permission, the concert aired on the local PBS station, keeping fans at home in front of their TVs. "This 45-minute documentary is not a 'concert film'—though it does make you yearn for one," Adam Reilly writes in the Boston Phoenix. The film "has a much broader scope than its title would suggest. And that’s precisely why it’s so good."

This photo supplied by the San Francisco Symphony  shows James Brown, left, being interviewed by  Michael Tilson Thomas on April 25, 2006, in Brown's home on Beech Island, S.C.
This photo supplied by the San Francisco Symphony shows James Brown, left, being interviewed by Michael Tilson Thomas on April 25, 2006, in Brown's home on Beech Island, S.C.   (AP Photo)
Godfather of Soul James Brown performs during a Java Jazz Festival concert in Jakarta,  Indonesia, in this March 4, 2005 file photo.
"Godfather of Soul" James Brown performs during a Java Jazz Festival concert in Jakarta, Indonesia, in this March 4, 2005 file photo.   (AP Photo)
U.S. soul legend James Brown performs on stage at the Paleo Festival in Nyon, Switzerland, in this July 26, 2002 file photo.
U.S. soul legend James Brown performs on stage at the Paleo Festival in Nyon, Switzerland, in this July 26, 2002 file photo.   (AP Photo)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
A snapshot of the day's best news stories.
 
COMMENTS
Be the first to comment on this story.

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   Betty Confidential   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Fark   |   Timelines   |   The Frisky   |   Geek Sugar   |   NewsOne