Even More on James Brown

Continuing the discussion from earlier on this blog, the debate continues to swirl around whether Tomi Rae is really his surviving spouse and whether he had six or seven children, with number seven being pretermitted.

More details are provided in Natalie Finn, James Brown’s Estate Wills More Drama, E! News, Jan. 18. 2007.  So, the parties will continue to fight about the status of the alleged marriage and the paternity of child seven.  It is interesting to note that “the rights to Brown’s music and his 60-acre Beech Island estate * * * are in an irrevocable trust separate from the will.”  Neither Tomi nor child seven are included in this trust.

While the battles rage, James Brown’s “body is being kept in a sealed golden casket in a climate-controlled room while his attorneys process the paperwork that will allow him to be buried” on the property on which his house is located.

Special thanks to Prof. Wendy Gerzog (University of Baltimore School of Law) for bringing this article to my attention.