Short Takes : ‘Godfather of Soul’ Furloughed to Entertain Soldiers on Hold

James Brown will perform in public for the first time since his imprisonment two years ago when he entertains soldiers at Ft. Jackson on Christmas.

The soul singer, who began a four-day furlough Sunday, is scheduled to entertain nearly 10,000 soldiers whose holiday leaves were canceled because of the Persian Gulf crisis.

Corrections Commissioner Parker Evatt gave the “Godfather of Soul” permission to perform.

Brown is serving a six-year sentence for aggravated assault, failure to stop for police and weapons violations stemming from a high-speed chase through Georgia and South Carolina. He was imprisoned in December, 1988, and is eligible for parole March 8.

In April, Brown, who had several previous arrests on drug charges, transferred to a work-release program in Aiken where he counsels youths about drug abuse. He stays at a minimum-security facility near Aiken at night.