This is Eric Glass.

On this American life, we like stories that surprise you.

For instance, imagine finding a new hobby and realizing...

To do this hobby right, according to the ways of the masters,

there's a pretty good chance that you're going to have to bend the law to get the materials that you need.

If not, break it.

Yeah.

To break international laws.

Your life stories, really good ones.

This American Live.

Hey, I'm Holly from Massachusetts.

I'm James from Salt Lake City.

I'm Jason R. Wallace from America's Georgia in these United States.

Bulls-eye with Jesse Thorne is produced independently and supported by listeners like you and me.

You should support the show like I did.

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I'm Jesse Thorne.

James Brown wasn't just the godfather of soul, and he wasn't just the minister of the

new, new super heavy funk.

He was also the hardest working man in show business and a man with a few surprising friends.

I think why he connected with Nixon and at times with the Republican Party most of all is because he was an individualist.

He tied in with that bootstrap mentality of doing for yourself.

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