Cold Sweat

Overview

Being the child of a global superstar is never easy, but being the daughter of the “Hardest Working Man in Show Business”—that’s a category unto itself. Like every little girl, Yamma Brown wanted her father’s attention, but fame, drugs, jail, and the complicated women in James Brown’s life set the stage for an uncommon childhood. She got caught in the same trap as her mother, doing things in her adult life and troubled marriage that, as a child, she’d promised herself she’d never do. The struggles she went through, both as a child and as an adult, make for a gripping read and, in the end, a profound examination of the nature of celebrity, violence, and survival. Though packed with celebrity appearances ranging from Michael Jackson to Al Sharpton, Cold Sweat ultimately focuses on an everyday issue faced by millions of women—domestic violence—and in this book Yamma faces it in an honest and powerfully moving way.

Reviews

“Cold Sweat brought tears to my eyes as I read the powerful story of Yamma’s journey. James Brown carried the gift of music that comes from God but also the burden of a life lived on the mountaintop. This book makes the price he paid all too clear.” —MC Hammer

“This is a provocative, painful, and open book by Yamma Brown, whom I have known all her life as the daughter of a truly historic and incomparably influential figure. The world knew James Brown as a Godfather. Yamma knew him as a father. The good and the bad that she shared does not dim at the brightness of the greatness of James Brown.” —Rev. Al Sharpton

“Yamma’s riveting book sent chills down my spine, as I understand the experience of having to share a parent with the world. Her relationship with her father reveals insights into the depths of his spirit, and her profound perspective is a viewpoint unlike anyone else’s.” —Maryum “May May” Ali, daughter of Muhammad Ali

“A heartwarming and authentic account of growing up the daughter of a true music legend. So well written and engaging that it should be required reading in all schools of music.” —Cathy Hughes, founder of Radio One

“A raw and honest depiction of life behind the shadow of Yamma Brown’s iconic father. This is a must read. I am truly honored to know Yamma and so proud of the bravery she’s shown by sharing her story.” —Heather Hayes, daughter of Isaac Hayes

“A courageous and often unsettling look at the not-so-glamorous consequences of being the offspring of a major celebrity.”  —Kirkus Reviews

“This memoir serves as a case study of the effects of parental relationships on mate selection as well as a discussion of the impact of fame (and its downside) on the offspring of celebrities. Recommended for readers interested in autobiographical accounts of the offspring of celebrities.” —Library Journal

"Brown takes the reader into the home she shared with the "Hardest Working Man in Show Business" in Beech Island, S.C. The result is the most intimate and unflinching portrait of James Brown yet.” —NPR

Author Biography

Yamma Brown is the vice president of the James Brown Family Foundation and the president and founder of Daughter of Soul Productions. She is the youngest daughter of Deidre Jenkins and James Brown. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia. Robin Gaby Fisher is the author of the New York Times bestseller After the Fire and Boys of the Dark, a two-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Feature Writing, and a member of a Pulitzer Prize–winning team.