Danny Ray was James Brown’s (1933–2006) longtime personal valet and emcee, who became an integral part of the singer’s stage show as his “cape man.”
- Died: February 2, 2021
- Details of death: Died of natural causes at the age of 85
Cape man
Ray and Brown met in 1960, and Brown hired ray to serve as his personal valet. Ray soon became the emcee for Brown’s stage show, introducing the singer at the beginning of each show as his band played energetic intro music to hype up the crowd. One of the most iconic moments of Brown’s stage show came when he performed “Please Please Please.” Apparently overcome with emotion and exhaustion, Brown would drop to his knees as he sang. Ray was always close by, ready to rush to Brown’s side to drape a cape over his shoulders, comforting him and helping him offstage. But before they could go far, Brown would throw the cape from his shoulders and return to sing, as Ray collected the cape and stood by in case of a repeat bout of emotion.
