by Kip Jankowski, Philadelphia, Pa

During my life, I had been greatly influenced and had deeply moved by Funk music. As a child, seeing my favorite artists on Soul Train, on American Bandstand, the Merv Griffin show, etc., was a treasure. One such artist was Rick James. I remember clearly the moment I had seen him on the Merv Griffin show…the glitter, the braids, the huge band…and the FUNK. No matter what people thought of him or how they saw him, it didn’t matter…he was Rick James and he was going to give a performance that would “Bring The Freak Out” of anyone and everyone…from his commanding voice, to the tight arrangements of the band he led, to just the sheer attack of the music he could deliver, there was no stopping him…

What he did in his life, outside the music, was his business…it may not have been pretty or fair, hell, or even legal sometimes…but he was Rick James, that’s what he did… I only saw this legend perform live once in my life, at the Dell in Philadelphia, with the equally as legendary Bar-Kays opening up before him…it was a show that highlighted the “star” Rick James was to the tee…from his front row romps with the ladies, to the cigarette he needed after one of the ballads he was still able to slink into their hearts with, he was Rick James, king of the Funk…

He died less than a year or so after that performance, but it will remain in my mind (out of the over 250 concerts of numerous types of bands and musical performances I have seen in my lifetime) one of the greatest live sets ever…bar none… He was Rick James, *****…remember that…