James Brown to play one concert in Auckland

2.30pm - By GRAHAM REID

The Godfather of Soul, James Brown, has been confirmed for one New Zealand concert at the end of next month.

The man who defined sweat-drenched soul music, stopped the rioters when he performed a show on American television after the murder of Martin Luther King and is considered the hardest-working performer in showbusiness, will play one night at the St James in Auckland, backed by a big funk band.

Brown made one appearance in New Zealand in 1977, but also was on the bill for the ill-fated mid-80s rock festival, the Neon Picnic.

His career has been one of the most extraordinary in popular music. Raised in poverty in Georgia, he spent time in prison as a teenager, came out and intuitively synthesised gospel and old-school rhythm and blues to create a horn-driven, funky soul music that became his signature style.

His first hit was Please Please Please in 1956, and he's had more than 120 chart hits in the US since. He has been greeted by presidents at the White House and hailed by rappers, hip-hoppers and white rock'n'rollers. His private life, however, hasn't been without controversy. In 1988 he was jailed for 2 1/2 years for drug and assault offences and in 1998 was convicted on further drug charges. South Carolina pardoned him in May.

Often eccentric and unpredictable, Brown - described as 70 years old although some sources say 75 - advertised in Varietyin July that he and his wife Tommie Rae Brown, 33, were going "their separate ways". However, in January he was arrested on a domestic violence charge after he allegedly pushed her to the floor at their home.

Yet Brown retains the affection of his peers and audience, and last year was honoured in Washington by numerous movie and music stars. US Secretary of State Colin Powell humorously appointed Brown "the secretary of soul and foreign minister of funk".

Meanwhile, pop star Pink is rumoured to be coming to New Zealand. As a guest on Australian talkshow Rove Live, the singer announced she would be embarking on an Australasian tour in late April and early May.

In 2002 the American star was forced to pull out of the Rumba concert at Western Springs after she lost her voice.