James Brown left his mark on Knoxville radio station

KNOXVILLE (AP) – A Knoxville radio station that billed itself as a home for “raw soul,” had some rights to that claim. It was owned, after all, by James Brown, the “Godfather of Soul.”

Brown, 73, died Monday at an Atlanta hospital where he was being treated for pneumonia.

In 1967, Brown bought Knoxville radio station WGYN and renamed it WJBE, for James Brown Enterprises.

The station billed itself as “WJBE 1430, Raw Soul.”

Starting at the downtown Farragut Hotel, WJBE moved to McCalla Avenue before moving again to Prosser Road where passers-by could watch on-air broadcasters at work through a large window.

In December 1972, members of Brown’s entourage scuffled with police following a concert at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum. Brown and two associates were charged with assaulting a police officer and disorderly conduct.

The incident stirred protests by Brown’s supporters and he filed a $2 million lawsuit against the city. The charges against Brown were dropped and he lost his lawsuit in 1974.

Brown sold his Knoxville radio station in 1979.