RICK JAMES..................

[rmr]

is dead.

I'm trying to get the full article....................oh man, that's sad.

[red]

no way

[rmr]

yes

i swear

go look on the drudge report

[red]

oh wow.

FUNK LEGEND RICK JAMES: 1948-2004
August 6, 2004

The creator of the hit "Super Freak" RICK JAMES has died, a Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson confirmed to ET. No details regarding his death were immediately available and the investigation is ongoing. The 56-year-old funk star was best known for his 1981 hit "Super Freak." He later fell victim to a crack cocaine addiction that led to a conviction for assaulting and holding a woman against her will. In 1998, James suffered a stroke. Just two months ago, James took the stage to receive a special ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music Awards in Beverly Hills.

[red]

silly me I tried cnn first.

[rmr]

CNN.com reports that singer Rick James found dead by his caretaker in Los Angeles.

[masterofNone]

you start smokin' crack, you got unlimited money... sooner or later you're going to end up with a bitch tied up in the closet.

ice T speaking about rick james

ricky we hardly knew ye.

[bealeblues]

that's cold.

charlie murphy must be sad as hell. i know i am.

[rmr]

i'm sorry beale

i know this is tough on you

[lapietra]

Oh wow.


Ah well... at least he went out on an up, you know?

[red]

well now what is Dave Chapelle gonna do?

[red]

okay, Fox says it was natural causes.
hmm, now do I believe that or not.

[rmr]

i don't know how they would that already??

I mean if they just found the body wouldn't they have to perform an autopsy before confirming that?

[daverbee]

They may be relying on a report from his personal physycian.

[Avalon]

Sounds like he wasn't always in the best health:


Los ANGELES - Funk legend Rick James, best known for the 1981 hit "Super Freak," died Friday, apparently of natural causes, police said.



James died at 9:45 a.m. at a residence near Universal City, said Police Department spokeswoman Esther Reyes.


"We learned of his death after responding to a radio call," Reyes said.


After his big hit, James' fame began to fade as he became embroiled in drugs, legal problems and health issues.


James was convicted in 1993 of assaulting two women. The first attack occurred in 1991 when he restrained and burned a young woman with a hot pipe during a cocaine binge at his house in West Hollywood. He was free on bail when the second assault occurred in 1992 in James' hotel room.


James was sentenced to more than two years in state prison.


In 1997, he released a new album, but a year later he suffered a stroke while performing at Denver's Mammoth Events Center, derailing a comeback tour.


In 1998 he also underwent hip replacement surgery.


With his trademark Jheri curl, James was one of the biggest R&B stars of the 1980s, using danceable rhythms and passionate ballads to gain a wide following. Aside from "Super Freak" — which MC Hammer used a decade later as the backing track for his monster hit "U Can't Touch This" — James' hits included "Mary Jane," "Ebony Eyes" and "Fire and Desire," a stirring duet with Teena Marie.