And here in New York, a crowd of people gathered outside the B.B. King Blues Club Tuesday to pay tribute to the Godfather of Soul, James Brown. Brown passed away Monday at the age of 73. He had been scheduled to perform at B.B. King’s on New Year’s Eve. James Brown fan Michael Cason spoke outside the club.

Michael Cason: “What you’ve got to realize about James Brown coming back up during the '60s, during a lot of racial tension, James Brown's 'Say It Loud—I'm Black and I’m Proud,’ gave a lot of African-American Negroes, back during that time, a lot of pride.”

On Thursday, James Brown’s body will lie in state — or rather, lie in stage — at Harlem’s legendary Apollo Theater. The Apollo is credited as the theater that gave Brown his show business start. Fans will be able to file past Brown’s casket on the Apollo stage for one last look at the man who revolutionized popular music. The Reverend Al Sharpton will be officiating Brown’s funeral. Rev. Sharpton said: “His greatest thrill was always the lines around the Apollo Theater. I felt that James Brown in all the years we talked would have wanted one last opportunity to let the people say goodbye to him and he to the people.”