Go Go Gone

Chuck Brown, a guitarist and singer known in Washington DC music circles as the “Godfather of Go-go,” died today at age 75. Brown was born in Gaston, NC but lived most of his life in the Washington DC area. He is considered by many as the pioneer of the ‘go-go’ style of funk music.

Prior to living in the DC area, I had never heard of go-go music, which is not at all related to the ‘go-go’ term used in white pop circles of the 1960s. This ‘go-go’ music is funky, danceable and known to people of all races and ages in the Washington region. It had some national notoriety in the late 1970s and some of the riffs were sampled in other music more recently, but it is a style instantly recognizable around here.

Brown was still performing this year, but canceled performances recently while trying to recover from pneumonia. He died at Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.

Bustin Loose is his signature song. Listen to it below if you “feel like bustin’ loose, bustin loose now.”