Tony Thurmond: “earlier this month a tragedy befell James Brown, one of South Carolina's most famous sons and one of America's most…”

“earlier this month a tragedy befell James Brown, one of South Carolina's most famous sons and one of America's most beloved entertainers, when his wife Adrienne passed away. James and ``Alfie,'' as Adrienne was affectionately called, had been married for 10 years and were fixtures of Augusta, Georgia and the ``Georgialina'' area, a region of the Savannah River Valley which includes a number of cities and towns on both sides of the South Carolina and Georgia stateline. The two met back in 1981 when James Brown appeared on the popular syndicated television show ``Solid Gold''. A native of California, Adrienne was working in the entertainment industry at that time, contributing to the production of programs such as ``Days of Our Lives'' and ``The Young and the Restless'', as well as being employed as an artist by NBC television. After their courtship began, Adrienne became very active in Mr. Brown's entertainment ventures, and some have even credited her as being a key element in his becoming popular with a whole new generation of music lovers. Her passion for the entertainment industry and sense for business led her to become chief executive officer of Alfie Enterprises and the James Brown Dancing Stars, as well as the executive producer of the ``James Brown's Living in America'' pay-per-view television show.”