James Brown Plaza

Perhaps the most legendary R&B figure in the history of music, known as—"Mr. Dynamite" and the "Godfather of Soul"—James Brown was born Barnwell, South Carolina. At the age of four, the Browns moved from South Carolina to Georgia, eventually settling in Augusta. It was in Augusta that Brown first began to sing, performing at local theaters and entertaining troops at Augusta's Camp Gordon (now Fort Gordon).

Brown's life took many twists and turns. He hit some lows, but many, many more unbelievable highs, from number one singles to inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, R&B Hall of Fame, and Songwriter's Hall of Fame.

Despite his larger-than-life personality, Brown never lost sight of his roots in Augusta. He spent much of his life in and around the city until his death in 2006. Downtown Augusta is peppered with murals, paintings, and street art of Brown on the sides of buildings, electrical boxes, and storefront windows. At that heart of it all is James Brown Plaza, located smack-dab in the center of downtown and featuring a life-sized statue of Brown.

The statue was unveiled in 2005, a year later than intended due to a domestic abuse charge against Brown and a concern among some residents that Brown's statue facing north toward South Carolina implied that Brown was "turning his back" on his home city. Eventually, however, the statue was placed, and it still stands today.

Want more Brown while visiting the plaza? It's right next to James Brown Boulevard and Augusta's James Brown Arena. The Augusta History Museum is filled with Brown artifacts. Augusta's downtown strip teems with Brown-related public art. In 2005, the city even made "We Feel Good" their official slogan, a direct reference to one of Brown's most famous compositions.