Topically Yours - Charles Bobbit (James Brown Mgr)

Host Deardra Shuler talks to Charles Bobbit, James Brown friend and manager. Bobbit will talk about his rags to riches story with Deardra.  Bobbit also managed Michael Jackson and was the personal advisor to President Omar Bongo of Gabon. Born in 1930, in the back woods of North Carolina, Charles was whisked to Brooklyn, NY by his eldest sister after the loss of his mother to cancer.  During his young adult years, he worked as a porter. He later worked for the New York City Transit Authority, laying rails at night.  Later he deemed the entertainment industry was an escape from menial labor, although he could neither sing nor dance.

Mr. Bobbit’s first introduction to the realization of his dream was when he first saw Mr. James Brown, “The Godfather of Soul” perform at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem, NY.  He was awestruck and proclaimed to his wife that he would one day work as Brown’s Personal Manager.  Although thwarted originally, by 1965, he won a job as James Brown's valet and later became Brown's friend and manager up to the day Brown died. The book, "Making it  Happen," tells Brown and Bobbitt's story.  It was Mr Bobbit who gave James Brown the title, “Godfather of Soul.” Bobbit was instrumental in the arrangement of  “Say it Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud.”  and the musical scores for the movie, “Black Caesar,” starring Fred Williamson.  Bobbit met President Omar Bongo of Gabon and worked with Bongo's son cutting a few albums.  The family hired Bobbit as their advisor taking Bobbit to heights that he couldn’t even imagine. He later worked with  Michael Jackson becoming his friend and confidante.