James Brown on his career, and the moment he knew he'd made it
CBS Sports' James Brown drops by the CBS News Broadcast Center in New York from time to time, often to guest anchor the "CBS Evening News." He's a busy man, but took a few moments to talk with our social media team about what it took to get where he is today.
Brown can often be seen doing unique vocal and breathing exercises on set before he goes on camera -- so we thought that'd be a great place to start the conversation.
What are the vocal exercises you were just doing?
A number of years ago, when I started in local television, Max Robinson, God bless him, who was one of the 3 anchors on ABC News, was telling me the way to warm up, like athletes do on the playing field is to do the vocal exercises and the mouth exercises. So I would go into an audio booth, scream at the top of my lungs. I would also do what I call the Dizzy Gillespie trumpet look, where I would get my jaws out and start talking, which little kids seemed to really like, but it does help so that I have a more loose, limber approach to things. And then [I'm also] over articulating certain words so that when I get on the air I don't have to have you guys throwing eggs at me because I've mispronounced the word.
What is your favorite sport?
Baseball was my first love, when I was knocking in at about 165 pounds as opposed to the 285 that I am now. Basketball became the sport of choice and that was the sport that brought me to the attention of the CBS Sports executives when I was doing local. Football is an easier sport to announce because you can breathe more.
What is your favorite winter Olympic sport to watch?
Believe it or not, figure skating. Ladies figure skating. I did that for a number of years at CBS Sports and I had -- oh gosh, what was her name? Kristi Yamaguchi and the German figure skater -- Katarina Witt. And so I did a set up piece with them and they carried me out onto the ice on ice skates. I looked like a 9-foot ebony tree in between these two little pines if you will and they said they would describe to me what they wanted me to do but they were not gonna be training wheels because if I fell that would be the end of their career. So women's figure skating is my favorite.
What is the advice that you would give a 21-year-old James Brown?
You know what? If I could re-do it again I would work in local television so that I could learn how to shoot, to edit, to anchor, reporting opportunities. Because if you can report on sports you can report on anything. The methodology is what you follow. So I would probably want to start out in local television just to get that well-rounded experience.
What is your favorite sports team?
Hey, I'm a native Washingtonian so I'm a homer. I like all things Washington. Believe it or not, I did hockey when I was at FOX. So I got introduced to the national press: "JB is going to host the NHL on FOX." I said, "Fellas, why don't we just take the veneer off your questions. I understand what you're asking. So let me just be real clear. No, hockey was not big in my neighborhood. And I understand that the only thing I have in common with the sport is the color of the puck. But I promise you, I will be an excellent advocate for you guys, an excellent ambassador." I had a great time. But I thought I had arrived when we did a Stanley Cup game in New Jersey. The Devils -- I forget who they were playing -- and in the stands were all these little kids holding a sign that said "James Brown, Godfather of Goal." I knew I had arrived. True story.