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10 Great Music Biopics You Need to See

Tate Taylor’s excellent biographical film about the life and career of The Godfather of Soul James Brown, “Get On Up,” joins a long line of well-made biopics based on the lives of musicians. Starring Chadwick Boseman as Brown, and featuring a supporting cast of talented actors like Dan Aykroyd, Viola Davis, Nelsan Ellis, and Octavia Spencer, the film is beautifully composed, heartfelt, and a touching tribute to one of the greatest entertainers of all time.

With "Get On Up" now available on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD, we’ve put together a list of 10 great music biopics you need to check out.

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James Brown called himself the Godfather of Soul (among his many, many nicknames), but we could also call him the Father of Funk, Grandfather of Hip-Hop, and Uncle of Rock and Pop. The truth is, the full extent of the influence of his music, performance style, and superstar personality can’t be squeezed into a single infographic. You’re bound to come up with artists, and even entire genres, we’ve missed here. This is a mere representation of the way in which Mr. Dynamite lives on in generation after generation…

I. A. Pentecostal and Baptist Preachers (their vocalizations and writhing at the pulpit as if overtaken by the spirit)

B. Gospel Greats Rev. Thomas A. Dorsey, Mahalia Jackson

C. Blues Pioneers Bessie Smith, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters

D. Pop Stars Little Richard, Sam Cooke

E. Big Band Leaders Louis Jordan (one of James’ idols), Duke Ellington

F. Miles Davis

G. Wrestler Gorgeous George (James saw him be draped with a cape after every match and copied that directly)

II. James Brown

III. A. Band members Maceo Parker (sax) and Bootsy Collins (bass and vocals)

1. George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic (Bootsy and Maceo were in P Funk too, taking along Brown’s devotion to rhythm)

a. Prince

i. The Roots

ii. Bruno Mars

iii. Pharrell Williams

iv. Justin Timberlake

v. Robin Thicke

b. Red Hot Chili Peppers

i. Maroon 5

c. The Talking Heads

i. LCD Soundsystem, Beck, Phoenix and all other pop-indie-rock-electronic artists

B. The Jackson 5 and Michael Jackson (not just in sound, but in sexualized dance moves and flashy costuming)

1. Madonna (Her writhing “Like a Virgin” performance at the VMAs is so very James

a. Lady Gaga

b. Britney Spears

i. Pink, Ariana Grande, Jessie J., etc.

2. New Edition/ Bobby Brown

a. Usher, Ne-Yo, Frank Ocean, J. Cole, Miguel

b. Justin Bieber

C. The Rolling Stones

1. David Bowie

2. AC/DC

a. Guns N Roses

3. The Stooges

a. The Ramones

b. The Sex Pistols

c. New Order

d. Nirvana

i. The White Stripes

ii. The Foo Fighters

4. The Allman Brothers

a. Kings of Leon

b. Wilco

c. The Black Keys

D. Afrika Bambaataa, Grandmaster Flash, DJ Kool Herc (not just in musical style, but the beats of Brown drummer Clyde Stubblefield built the hip-hop beat)

1. Eric B. & Rakim (the first to heavily use James Brown samples)

a. Kanye West, Wu-Tang Clan

2. Run D.M.C.

a. Public Enemy

b. LL Cool J

i. Notorious B.I.G.

-Jay-Z

- Puff Daddy

c. The Beastie Boys

d. A Tribe Called Quest

i. OutKast

-Wiz Khalifa, Odd Future, Clipse

e. N.W.A

i. Tupac

ii. Eminem

- 50 Cent

iii. Lil Wayne

-Nicki Minaj, Drake

E. Tina Turner, Janis Joplin

1. Whitney Houston

a. Mariah Carey

i. Beyonce

2. Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Amy Winehouse, Adele

F. Fela Kuti

1. Femi Kuti, Antibalas

G. Rev. Al Sharpton (James Brown was his mentor, who also recommended his infamous hairstyle)

1. President Barack Obama (OK, it’s a stretch, but civil rights leaders like Sharpton paved his way!)

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A tireless entertainer, musician, and innovator, the legendary James Brown has become synonymous with music that forces you to get out of your seat and get moving. Not only will he go down in history as one of the greatest artists of all time, but The Godfather of Soul had an endlessly...

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Chadwick Boseman stars in Get On Up, the riveting true story of the ‘Godfather of Soul’ James Brown.

“Soulful, Emotional and Powerful” —Shawn Edwards, FOX TV

Own it TODAY on Blu-ray & DVD > http://uphe.biz/GetOnUp

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You may not know Chadwick Boseman’s name … yet … but you will, we promise. If he looks familiar, it’s because he’s portrayed back-to-back historical icons in critically acclaimed biopics: first as baseball legend Jackie Robinson in “42,” and then as music legend James Brown in "Get...

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James Brown was no angel, and he certainly paid for many of his transgressions, from his first prison stint at 16 for robbery to the three years he served for leading a police car chase while probably high on PCP in 1988. And yet he’s still one of the great American success stories and most...