Harlem Street Renamed in Honor of James Brown

The late “Hardest Working Man in Show Business,” received a special honor Saturday.

126th Street between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. and Frederick Douglass Boulevards is now “James Brown Way.” It runs behind the legendary Apollo Theater. Brown’s daughter, Deanna Brown, was there as the community honored her father.

“Every last person standing here has been affected by the messages and the music of James Brown,” she said.

“James Brown was an icon here, not only at the Apollo Theater and the community of Harlem, but communities around the world and the lower cast areas. He really symbolized that you can make it in America,” one attendee said.

Brown was also dubbed the “Godfather of Soul,” and was a noted social activist and education advocate.

He died in 2006 at the age of 73.