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5 things
To listen
CNN 5 things
Wednesday, November 16
audio files
A strange phone call reveals a question from the grave – Was the godfather of souls murdered? Nearly 40 years ago, a musician found himself in the circle of musician James Brown. The relationship would almost destroy her career. Decades later, she’s trying to solve the mystery of James Brown’s death…and her own life. When she calls CNN reporter Thomas Lake, the two stumble into a world full of secrets, threats, and suspicions of foul play.
The James Brown Mystery
A strange phone call reveals a question from the grave – Was the godfather of souls murdered? Nearly 40 years ago, a musician found himself in the circle of musician James Brown. The relationship would almost destroy her career. Decades later, she’s trying to solve the mystery of James Brown’s death… and her own life. When she calls CNN reporter Thomas Lake, the two stumble into a world full of secrets, threats, and suspicions of foul play.
Summary
The James Brown Mystery
In 2017, CNN reporter Thomas Lake received a phone call from a circus singer telling an unbelievable, mythical story: James Brown did not die of natural causes in 2006; instead, the Godfather of Souls was murdered. After months of receiving calls from the circus singer, Lake decided to fly to Chicago to meet Jacque Hollander in person. There, Jacque substantiated her connection to James Brown and showed Lake a videotape of a lie test she had conducted in 1995 by a former FBI agent.
October 28, 2022
The James Brown Mystery
Still struggling to get around the circus singer’s story, Thomas Lake investigates Jacque Hollander’s role in the Atlanta music scene, learning she first met James Brown and his third wife, Adrienne, while also figuring out how Jacque became part of Brown’s inner circle. It was Jacque’s turn to reveal the events of a harrowing night she spent with James Brown in 1988, the night her life changed forever.
October 28, 2022
The James Brown Mystery
Thomas Lake further questions the circus singer about her friendship with Adrienne Brown, who believes there is a criminal organization surrounding the Godfather of Souls, which she calls “The Machine.” Lake learns that both women believe that US government agents have been tracking them and trying to kill them. It turns out that James Brown also suspected he was being followed throughout his life by the CIA. So Lake digs even deeper into the mystery behind government and celebrity surveillance.
November 4, 2022
The James Brown Mystery
The circus singer tells Thomas Lake about other government men who have appeared in her life, including a mysterious new guy she falls in love with named Steve. Jacque Hollander arrives in South Carolina to report that she has been raped by James Brown. She also went to Texas to visit Steve. The visit didn’t go as planned and took a turn for the worse when she learned James Brown’s third wife, Adrienne, had passed away. Jacque believes it’s a murder and somehow her boyfriend Steve is involved. Lake calls the detective investigating Adrienne’s death, and together they uncover clues in a long-forgotten notebook that could confirm Jacque’s worst suspicions about Adrienne’s death.
November 11, 2022
