Rick James, Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter, will forever be remembered as the King of Funk. Rick James entered the world as James Ambrose Johnson Jr. on February 1, 1948 in Buffalo, N.Y., the third oldest child in a family of eight.

Rick James broke many cultural taboos by flaunting his extravagant lifestyle. As an icon of drug use and eroticism, Rick James went further than anyone had gone before. But before long, his lifestyle started to catch up with him.

The “Charlie Murphy’s True Hollywood Stories”

On February 11, 2004, Dave Chappelle aired a sketch called “Charlie Murphy’s True Hollywood Stories: Rick James” on his sketch comedy television program, Chappelle’s Show.

The three-part, episode long skit was an E! True Hollywood Story-style retrospective of the actual love-and-hate friendship between James and Eddie Murphy’s older brother Charlie Murphy during James’ early-1980s peak. The young James, played by Chappelle, was depicted as an egotistical, misogynistic and violent cocaine addict who picked on Murphy and constantly reminded people “I’m Rick James, bitch!” Charlie Murphy played himself in both the flashback sequences (complete with Jheri curl) and interview segments, which are intercut with a subsequently filmed response interview by the real James, who confirms most of Murphy’s wild recollections and refutes others.

Footage where James uses the expression “Cocaine’s a hell of a drug” is edited into the skit a number of times to sum up his alleged behavior. The sketch was the most famous to come from the show, returning James to the public spotlight and making “I’m Rick James, bitch!” a popular catch phrase (It was noted during the commentary on the Chappelle’s Show: Season 2 DVD, that the “I’m Rick James, bitch!” catchphrase was actually used by James, and not just embellished by Chappelle or Murphy).

View “Charlie Murphy’s True Hollywood Stories”

The death of a super freak

On August 6, 2004, Rick James was found dead in his Los Angeles home by his caretaker. James had died from pulmonary and cardiac failure with his various health conditions of diabetes, stroke, and a pacemaker being listed as contributing factors. A coroner’s report released September 16, 2004 officially ruled his death as accidental, reporting nine drugs found in James’ bloodstream

On August 11, 2004, a public viewing was held at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles, along with a public funeral service there the following day. Following the Los Angeles services, his remains were transported back to New York for burial where they were interred at the unrelated Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo, New York. At the time of his death, he was working on an autobiography, Confessions Of A Superfreak, as well as a new album. He was married (and later divorced). He leaves behind three children, Tazman, Ty, and Rick James Jr; and granddaughters Jasmine and Charisma.