James Brown Statue — Augusta, Georgia

A larger-than-life bronze statue of James Brown stands on Broad Street in downtown Augusta, Georgia — the city where he grew up, shined shoes, and first developed the performing intensity that would make him the Godfather of Soul. The statue depicts Brown in a characteristic performance pose, cape included, and was unveiled in 2005, replacing an earlier version. Augusta has embraced its most famous son with considerable thoroughness: the James Brown Arena (formerly the Augusta-Richmond County Civic Center) bears his name, and the city has incorporated his legacy into its broader cultural identity.

Brown grew up in Augusta after his family moved from Barnwell, South Carolina, in the late 1930s. He shined shoes outside the radio station WRDW on Broad Street, absorbing the music he heard and developing the stage presence he would later deploy to devastating effect. His early career — the Flames, the Famous Flames, the progression from gospel to R&B — was rooted in the Augusta music scene. Even after global success, he maintained connections to the city and performed there regularly.

Brown is buried at his estate, Beech Island, in South Carolina, just across the Savannah River from Augusta — a private property not open to the public. The Broad Street statue and the arena bearing his name are the primary Augusta monuments to one of American music's most transformative figures. Augusta's broader music heritage — it was also the birthplace of soul singer Clarence Carter and the teenage home of Godfather of Groove Maceo Parker — reinforces its claim as a significant node in the Southern soul geography.