Mick Jagger and Questlove are two of the main producers behind a new James Brown documentary, set to arrive on screens in 2023.
Broadcaster A&E Network recently announced the name of the four-part series as James Brown: Say It Loud, with filmmaker Deborah Riley Draper as director and the two aforementioned musical legends attached as producers.
Pitchfork has reported that the series will explore Brown’s legacy as a music icon through interviews with friends, family, and collaborators as well as never-before-seen archival footage.
In a statement, Jagger said he was “thrilled” to executive produce the documentary, adding, “He was a brilliant performer who inspired me from the beginning and was deeply committed to the Civil Rights movement. I have always admired James and learned so much from him.”
“The life of James Brown is significant not only to understand his immense musical impact, which inspires us and other artists to this day, but also for the deep and lasting impression he has had on American culture,” added Questlove and Black Thought.
“Brown’s life is a crucial and timely story of struggle, redemption, and self-identity and we are honoured to have the chance to share it.”
In 2014, the late Chadwick Boseman starred as James Brown for the biopic Get On Up, which Jagger also produced. In the same year, Jagger additionally served as a producer on the HBO documentary Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown.
Mick Jagger first met James Brown backstage at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem over five decades ago when the now-legendary Rolling Stones frontman was just 20 years old.
The British rockstar has always had a lot of admiration for Brown and has even admitted to stealing a few of his dance moves over the years.
A&E Networks are the production company behind films such as Flight 93, The Lost World, Murderball and David Bowie: Sound and Vision.
Deborah Riley Draper is known for directing The Legacy of Black Wall Street and Olympic Pride, American Prejudice, which was nominated for Outstanding Documentary at the 2017 Image Awards.