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Pee Wee Ellis, who helped put the funk in James Brown's music, dies at 80
Obituaries
Pee Wee Ellis, who helped put the funk in James Brown’s music, dies at 80
By Matt Schudel
September 25, 2021 at 10:28 p.m. EDT
Pee Wee Ellis, a saxophonist who was the musical director for soul star James Brown in the late 1960s and is considered an architect of funk music for his groundbreaking songwriting and arrangements on such songs as “Cold Sweat” and “Say It Loud — I’m Black and I’m Proud,” died Sept. 23 at age 80.
His official Facebook page announced his death, citing “heart complications.” No further details were available. He had lived in the southern English county of Dorset since the early 1990s.
Mr. Ellis began his career as a jazz saxophonist and had fronted rhythm-and-blues bands before he became part of Brown’s ensemble in 1965.
“Being a jazz-head, I really wasn’t that aware of James Brown when I joined the band,” Mr. Ellis told ABC News in 2015, “but my first night in the wings watching the show, which all new band members had to do, took my breath away. . . . I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.”
{snip}
By Matt Schudel
Matt Schudel has been an obituary writer at The Washington Post since 2004. He previously worked for publications in Washington, New York, North Carolina and Florida. Twitter https://twitter.com/MattSchudel
Pee Wee Ellis, who helped put the funk in James Brown’s music, dies at 80
By Matt Schudel
September 25, 2021 at 10:28 p.m. EDT
Pee Wee Ellis, a saxophonist who was the musical director for soul star James Brown in the late 1960s and is considered an architect of funk music for his groundbreaking songwriting and arrangements on such songs as “Cold Sweat” and “Say It Loud — I’m Black and I’m Proud,” died Sept. 23 at age 80.
His official Facebook page announced his death, citing “heart complications.” No further details were available. He had lived in the southern English county of Dorset since the early 1990s.
Mr. Ellis began his career as a jazz saxophonist and had fronted rhythm-and-blues bands before he became part of Brown’s ensemble in 1965.
“Being a jazz-head, I really wasn’t that aware of James Brown when I joined the band,” Mr. Ellis told ABC News in 2015, “but my first night in the wings watching the show, which all new band members had to do, took my breath away. . . . I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.”
{snip}
By Matt Schudel
Matt Schudel has been an obituary writer at The Washington Post since 2004. He previously worked for publications in Washington, New York, North Carolina and Florida. Twitter https://twitter.com/MattSchudel
The James Brown Orchestra -- The Sidewinder
19,676 views Feb 18, 2015
Anton E
57 subscribers
From the November 25, 1967 concert in Paris. Pee Wee Ellis sax solo. Waymon Reed trumpet solo.
This video shows the same performance, but it's said to be from 1968.
James Brown Live Paris 1968
579,884 views Mar 6, 2019
Pashke07
1.6K subscribers
4 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
A life without James Brown records would have been soooo boring and lame 
We owe you one, good sir, RIP
RESPECT
