"SOULED OUT": MARRIED TO THE GODFATHER OF SOUL

by Susan Hutton

On September 21, 1984, big sister Adrienne married a legend, THE GODFATHER of SOUL JAMES BROWN. James always says “their souls met a long time before.” I am confident, with all my heart, that theirs was a very special union and that Adrienne loved James – to death. By 1986 married life fit snugly around the newlyweds. James publicly thanked “God first, and then my wife, who gave me a new look and a new outlook.” Indeed, Adrienne and James energized each other in many private unspoken ways. They even shared similar childhoods – only separately. James was a throw away child. So was Adrienne. Adrienne and James were raised in ghettos, by women other than their mothers. They both longed to belong. James was raised in a whorehouse. Adrienne’s mother was a whore. James contributed to his family’s income by bringing men home to his aunt’s bordello. Adrienne’s mother brought men home at a price too. James grew up in the South, where his color was the first thing people saw, instead of a talented, sensitive, human being. Adrienne grew up in South Central Los Angeles, where the first thing people noticed about her was that she stuck out like a white thumb. James is black. Adrienne was white – with self-imposed black highlights. Ultimately, the brightness of James’ star dimmed both of their senses, along with their drugs of choice. They shared similar obsessions too, which sometimes even included each other. Adrienne lived to be everything James wanted in a woman and a wife. James wanted everything ... and then he wanted more. The God-Father is master of his house. And the master disciplined with a heavy hand, as the eyes of the press and the world got to peek. Adrienne had finally found a father and a god for the price of her soul when she married James Joe Brown, Jr. Twelve years later she would be officially dead. This is the story of getting from point A to SOULED OUT – even with a laugh track. It carries a personal message about the choices that we make – become the reality we create – and that nothing is completely black or white.

303 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 5, 2014