The iconic James Brown performance at Rikers Island
When James Brown performed at Rikers Island in 1972, it was an iconic moment in both music and prison history. Rikers Island, a correctional facility in New York City, hosted the electrifying performance as part of an initiative to entertain and uplift the incarcerated population.
Although not as famous or revered as Johnny Cash’s visits to Folsom and San Quentin prisons, Brown’s Rikers Island gig not only pacified escalating tensions but also showcased the modesty of a supremely talented artist. Brown led his entire ensemble to entertain, counsel, and inspire people aged between 16 and 20, many awaiting trial.
“The inmates asked us to come to Rikers, and we’re going!” he said at the time, delivering a preview of what would be an electric performance. According to John Brickman, who was present at the concert during his tenure as the executive director of the New York City Board of Correction, “the kids at Rikers went absolutely wild”. He said, “They were screaming, they were yelling” in a way that reminded him of Cash’s At Folsom Prison.
In the earlier part of 1972, Rikers Island experienced significant unrest. Harsh conditions and overcrowding incited a riot that resulted in injuries to 75 inmates and 20 guards. Prior to this, the Board had arranged for Coretta Scott King to address the prisoners and for Harry Belafonte to stage a performance. However, Brown’s arrival was profound — he was a revolutionary musician whose music and lyrics were shaped by and had an impact on the Black Power movement in the 1960s onward.
Brown’s mission to rescue young people from the perils of drugs and a path leading to incarceration was also important at the time. Having experienced prison earlier in his life, Brown witnessed numerous black youths being ensnared by the criminal justice system due to drug-related offences. His song, ‘King Heroin’, comprised an anti-drug poem from the perspective of the drug, describing in detail the impact of heroin addiction on those who use it.
Social awareness became an integral part of Brown’s music in the 1960s with the songs ‘Don’t Be A Dropout’, which encouraged kids to stay in school, and ‘Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud’, which went on to become a rallying cry for black pride and empowerment during the Civil Rights movement. ‘King Heroin’ arrived in 1972, years after Brown established himself as a voice of the people, but at a time when his input was significant all the same.
Instead of turning up, getting the job done, and going home, Brown gave as good as he got that day at Rikers Island. According to Anne Norman, a dancer for the Brown Revue, “His whole thing was: ‘Look at me. Look where I came from and look where I went. You can’t be successful if you’re not careful with what you’re doing, with how you present yourself to the world.”
Before he went into ‘Please, Please, Please’, Norman also recalls him telling the audience: “When you leave here, you can have a good life or you can have a bad life. However, [what] you do… when you get out is up to you.” What’s more, many attendees and members of the organisation teams state Brown wasn’t paid for his performance, which, if true, speaks volumes about his dedication.
