Lot Essay
Danny Ray, James Brown's 'Cape Man and Emcee', became a regular feature of James Brown's live shows from the 1960s. Originally coerced on stage by James Brown as the opening act to fire up the crowd, Ray would later come on stage at the end of the show. James Brown would fall to the ground on stage during his rendition of 'Please Please Please' and Danny Ray would appear on stage to drape one of Brown's stage capes over him, at which point Brown would rise up and carry on with an encore. It was a dramatic addition to the show which became a trademark and, after performing the stunt on the T.A.M.I. Show with the Rolling Stones in 1964, James Brown was elevated from a musician with a predominantly black following to become an international pop icon. This particular cape dates from the latter period of James Brown's life and was the cape chosen by Danny Ray to drape over James Brown's coffin during his funeral.
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