Quick, what's the most famous thing about Augusta, Georgia? If you're a golfer, even if you are musician who is a golfer, the answer is The Masters. It is one of the four "majors" of men's professional golf, and, some say, the toughest ticket in all of sports. Harder to get into than the NBA finals, the World Series, the Superbowl, or even the Kentucky Derby.

If you're not a golfer but you are a big fan of James Brown and his music, you might say the most famous thing about Augusta is that it was the hometown of James Brown. Now it is where he will be buried, with the funeral being held at 8500 seat James Brown arena. The actual burial will, presumably, be elsewhere. Al Sharpton will officiate. (I would have been happy to officiate, but there are two reasons why I couldn't: 1. I'm officiating at a wedding in San Francisco on the same day, and 2. I wasn't asked.

All that notwithstanding, James Brown contributed a great deal to the world of music. I don't agree with the pundit who is suggesting Mr. Brown receive a Nobel Prize, but he does deserve our admiration and appreciation. He made a difference, and the difference he made was a good one.

Mr. Brown died on Christmas morning, 2006, at the age of 73. He had many nicknames, including The Godfather of Soul, but the one he seemed to be most proud of was The Hardest-Working Man in Show Business. I'm not sure if that referred to his physical activity on the stage or what he did behind the scenes, or just how often he worked. In any case, working hard is almost always a recipe for success, and as far as music is concerned, James Brown was a success.

All that hard work apparently didn't translate into a successful home life, seeing that James was married three or four times. I say three or four because it is now not clear whether or not he was really married to his "widow," who does claim they were married legally in 2004. We'll see.

But it is not Mr. Brown's private life most people know or care about. We know he made a lot of music -- even a lot of good music -- and we know his impact on music will be felt for decades to come. For all of that I'm sorry to see him leave, but I'm glad he's finally getting a rest. May he rest in peace.