James Brown's "Cape Man" Gets Some Help

From Augusta Georgia:

The last year hasn't been easy on Danny Ray.

Mr. Ray, known to millions as the voice behind James Brown's singular introductions and the man who, at the apex of Please Please Please would offer his employer comfort and a cape, found himself, after Brown's death in late December 2006, without the gig that had sustained him for nearly 50 years.

Living off a modest Social Security check, Mr. Ray soon was in financial difficulty. In December, with an $18,000 debt, it looked as though he might find himself without a roof over his head.

But Mr. Ray has friends. On Friday, alumni of James Brown's famously funky touring acts will reunite to perform a benefit concert for Mr. Ray at 209 Music Lounge, 4 Eighth St. Artists scheduled to appear include longtime Bittersweet and Brown protege Martha High; the powerhouse JBs horn duo Maceo Parker and Fred Wesley; Augusta-bred Soul Generals guitarist Keith Jenkins; and longtime Brown musical director Tyrone Jefferson.

http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/013108/mus_185540.shtml