Song:Bustin' Loose
Album:Funk Nation
Chuck Brown was known as The Godfather of Go-Go which was a style of funk that originated in Washington, DC. He didn't invent it but the 1979 hit Bustin' Loose made him the face of Go-Go. It was the only big hit Brown ever had but today the song is considered a classic. Brown was born Aug. 22, 1936 in Gaston, NC. His family moved to Washington when Brown was six years old. He began to live on the streets and do odd jobs at age 15. In the 50s, Brown was convicted of murder and he learned to play guitar while in jail. Brown always maintained that he was defending himself. Afterwards, he got more serious about music. Brown said the creation of Go-Go was for Washington to have its own sound like James Brown had his own sound. He worked on this sound through most of the 70s. And he finally got his big break when Chuck Brown and the Soul Searchers signed with MCA's Source label. Bustin' Loose was their first single and album in 1979. The single topped the R&B charts and it was a top 40 pop hit. It was a big influence on the hip hop scene and it's one of those songs that is frequently sampled. The most obvious example of this is Nelly's Hot In Here. Unfortunately Bustin' Loose was Brown's only big hit and he only recorded two albums for Source but he continued to record for small labels. You can get Bustin' Loose on the various artists budget CD originally released by Cold Front in 1996 but now available from K-Tel. Chuck Brown continued to perform in the Washington area until his death on May 16, 2012 at age 75. Here's the video for Bustin' Loose by Chuck Brown and the Soul Searchers.
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