Some people compare the impact Chuck Brown had on the D.C. music scene to the one Elvis had in Memphis. As the “godfather of Go-Go”, he helped usher in a new type of soul, a sound which would inspire many bands in later years. It’s a fusion of styles, incorporating funk, jazz, r&b, hip-hop, dancehall, and funk.

Chuck and his band, The Soul Searchers, gained a huge amount of attention in the ’70s for their unique sound and found loyal followers after taking the stage on Soul Train. Years later, Chuck funneled his fiery energy into a solo career, which saw him collaborating with the likes of Jill Scott and earned him a Grammy nomination in 2011.

“It was the greatest feeling I have had in my life,” he said about the nomination. “Nothing has made me feel greater than that. It didn’t matter to me if I won or not, just that I was nominated.”

Chuck Brown and The Soul Searchers hit it big with the song “Bustin’ Loose”, which has influenced so many music acts in the genre today.

Twitter users offered up a remembrance of Brown today as word spread of his death. He was initially hospitalized for pneumonia but the official cause of death is reported to be multi-organ failure due to sepsis.