James Brown Was a Father of 9 Children – Meet Them All

Legendary Singer James Brown had a large family. The “Godfather of Soul” was officially married three times and had one contentious marriage, which resulted in nine children.

James Brown holds many musical records, including some on the Billboard Charts, and has been inducted into various Halls of Fame, such as Rhythm and Blues and Rock and Roll. Rolling Stone also ranked him in the top ten of the most excellent musicians ever.

None of the children came close to being as famous as him; hence, little is known about them. Much of the information publicly available about the children stems from their association with their father, for example, when some challenged his will and through the family’s foundation.

James Brown performs live on stage at the Newport Jazz Festival in Newport, Rhode Island on the afternoon of July 6, 1969 | Source: Getty Images

Terry Brown

Nothing is known about Terry except his participation in the attempt to invalidate his father’s will. After James Brown died, some of his children were left disappointed by their father’s will. James Brown decided to leave most of his money to a trust and his grandchildren.

That prompted six of his children, namely Venisha, Deanna, Larry, Daryl, and Yamma Brown, to challenge the decision in court. Terry was the sixth, but he hired a different lawyer to pursue a solution to his grievances.

The children’s point of contention was that their father’s will was heavily influenced by his advisers, who put a lot of money into the charitable trust they would profit from. The kids were left out of much of the financial terms of the will, which aroused their contention.

James Brown performs live on stage at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States on April 23, 1988 | Source: Getty Images

Larry Brown

Like the other children of James Brown, not much is known about Larry. He, too, was a participant in challenging his father’s will.

The controversial book also touched on the racial discrimination that James Brown suffered and the racially motivated attempts to end his life.

After his father’s death, Larry reportedly supported his siblings’ desire to turn their father’s Beech Island home into a Graceland-like museum. They also planned to construct a mausoleum at the house for his body.

James Brown performs on stage at Wembley Arena on April 18th, 1986, in London, United Kingdom | Source: Getty Images

Daryl Brown

Besides being known for being part of the group that sought the annulment of their father’s will, Daryl also came to prominence after the release of his book, “My Father The Godfather” in 2014.

The book, which has 4.5 out of five stars from seven reviews, was written as an eye-opener from Daryl’s perspective as he sought to set the record straight about his father. The book reveals information about his father that was not publicly known and his belief that his dad, older brother, Teddy, and brother-in-law were murdered.

The controversial book also touched on the racial discrimination that James Brown suffered and the racially motivated attempts to end his life by white police officers. It also further claimed that his wives, including Tomi Rae, were subjected to threats of racism, disappearance, and murder.

James Brown performs live on stage with The Famous Flames on the set of the Associated Rediffusion Television pop music television show Ready Steady Go! at Wembley Television Studios in London on March 11, 1966 | Source: Getty Images

James Joseph Brown II

Not much is known about James’ son, who was given the same name as his father and had to undergo a paternity test to prove that he was James Brown’s son. However, he appears to have had a good relationship with his father, judging from a loving tribute he dedicated to him in 2020. The Instagram post read:

“I love you dad, Merry Christmas. Your always around us and the energy never dies x. Positive energy is what you want us to be even through negative times, and Thank you for everything youve done for us that kept us at a happy place rather than a struggling place.”

James jr. is the son of James and his alleged fourth wife, Tomi Rae Hynie, who he had hired as a background singer for his band. He was one of the three children who did not challenge their father’s will and has followed in his father’s footsteps in artistry.

Lisa Brown

Lisa Brown is the child of James Brown and his first wife, Velma Warren Brown. She was five years old when her parents legally separated in 1969.

However, her mother once claimed that she never divorced her father despite evidence of the divorce being found in court archives. The divorce papers were filed in Richmond County in 1969.

The identity of Lisa was publicly revealed in 2007 when she was mentioned in her late parents’ handwritten divorce settlement. Before that, she seemed not a part of James Brown’s public history.

James Brown performs on stage at Radio City Music Hall, New York on January 29, 1986 | Source: Getty Images

Dr. Yamma Noyola Brown Lumar

With a face that mirrors her legendary father, one can almost be sure of their relationship just by looking at them. Unfortunately, not much is known about Yamma or why where the title “Dr.” Comes from.

Nevertheless, she is recorded as the vice president of the James Brown Family Foundation. The Foundation aims to build on her father’s legacy by supporting various charitable causes associated with children and education.

Her profile on the foundation’s website says that she is the author of “Cold Sweat,” which details how her father used to beat his second wife, Deidre Jenkins. She is also a public speaker, and her topics include Domestic Violence, Community Involvement issues, Lupus and Pharmacology.

James Brown performs live on stage at the Midem music conference in Cannes, France in January 1981 | Source: Getty Images

Deanna Brown Thomas

Deanna was born in Queens, New York but described herself as a southern beauty as she was raised in Augusta, Georgia. She graduated from Towson State University and Columbia School of Broadcasting. The multi-talented daughter of James Brown is an entrepreneur, actress, radio and television personality, writer, and humanitarian.

She is the head of the Brown Family Foundation and advocates for charitable giving. One of her and the foundation’s initiatives is the annual James Brown Turkey and Toy giveaway, which seeks to give underprivileged kids and families turkeys and toys during the holidays in Augusta and New York.

Furthermore, she is an ambassador of “Feed The Hungry” as a recognition for her work in providing food for the less fortunate. She also supports educational and mentorship initiatives and established a theater arts, fashion, and fine arts program called the James Brown Family Performing Arts Center in New York.

Venisha Brown

Venisha, like her father, was a musician and songwriter. She embodied her father’s dance moves and singing abilities. Sadly, she passed away in September 2018 at the age of 53.

His early death may also be a contributing factor, as he lost his life before his 20th birthday.

The cause of death was said to have been complications from pneumonia. Her death was announced by the James Brown Family Foundation, which thanked the public for their prayers and telephone calls.

James Brown performing at the Central Park Summerstage Concert series on July 12, 1997, in New York City | Source: Getty Images

Teddy Brown

Teddy Brown is probably the oldest of James Sr’s children. He was born in 1954 and died in 1973.

The cause of death is recorded as a car crash. However, his brother, Daryl, challenged this, saying he was murdered. He claims that he was shot before the car accident happened.

James Brown visits Harlem in New York to meet fans on May 03 1979 | Source: Getty Images

Ultimately, not much else is known about Teddy. His early death may also be a contributing factor, as he lost his life before his 20th birthday.

Besides the nine mentioned above, James Brown also had several children who were later discovered to be his after his death. The legendary singer is also survived by numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

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