James Brown still not buried

2007-01-13 09:36

Washington - The body of legendary soul singer James Brown had yet to be buried on Friday, 19 days after his death, because his family has not yet decided where and how to lay him to rest, said his lawyer.

The 73-year-old "King of Soul" died of congestive heart failure in an Atlanta, Georgia, hospital on December 25.

His body has been kept at his house in Beach Island, South Carolina, in a temperature-controlled environment, an employee of the Augusta funeral home in charge of his embalmment told AFP.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee's will was read to his six children on Thursday and would be probated next week, said Brown's lawyer, Buddy Dallas.

But the place and manner of his burial is still undecided.

"The family will announce where the mausoleum is to be built," said Dallas.

"There has been an awful lot of effort devoted to his affairs. It just takes time... The body is well-protected."

Signs of discord among relatives over Brown's estate were beginning to emerge at the time of a tribute to Brown at the Apollo Theatre in New York on December 28.

Brown's partner, 36-year-old singer Tomi Rae Hynie, who lived with Brown and mothered his youngest son, five-year-old James, said she was barred from entering the star's house on the day of this death.

United States media have reported conflicts over inheritance rights, with a lawyer for Brown questioning the legality of Hynie's marriage to the singer.

- AFP