There it is

(rhino records)

The debate may rage over whether mp3 blogs are killing the record industry or spurring sales by introducing fans to new music, but the blogs facilitate another important role: the grieving process.

Mp3 blogs fill up with sympathies, tributes, and thoughtful exchanges when a musician dies. Since James Brown died Christmas Day, the mp3 blog community has been lighting up with posts about the Godfather of Soul, along with some of his songs. Many of them are tracks from his holiday albums such as "James Brown's Funky Christmas." His presciently titled "Christmas in Heaven" has been a favorite the past two days.

Excerpts from some of the blogs:

Ear Farm (earfarm.blogspot.com ) "Brown was one of the most elite and influential musicians of the past century. He brought the funk (he invented it) but he also sang and acted with the goal of bettering the lives of African Americans and poor people across the country. These are the things we should remember James Brown for -- let's make Christmas mean something this year."

Fluxblog (fluxblog.org ) "James Brown's greatest gift to the world was his ability to express an undiluted yet highly stylized sexuality via a funk so intense and visceral that it served as the foundation for entire genres of music, but that was not the limit of his talent, only just the summit of his achievements. His performance on the standard 'Cottage for Sale' is a perfect example of his fearlessness as a vocalist -- whereas most everyone who has recorded the tune has done so with a mannered stiffness that is far too polite and aloof for a song expressing such great sorrow and regret, Brown presented the lyric with a robust, wounded humanity that absolutely nailed its sentiment without any trace of over-emoting."

Howard Who? (howardwho.com/blog) "The Godfather of Soul. The Great-Grandfather of Hip Hop. His every grunt was musical and expressive and funky. And he taught us how to feel good."

Culture bully (culturebully.com ) "I have only really been a fan of the man's music for the better part of a decade; I can't even imagine what impact he has had on those who have followed him throughout his entire career. James Brown was human and he fell, especially in his later years, but he continually attempted to use his celebrity to help those around him."

Armagideon Time (armagideontime.blogspot.com ) "My fondest memory (my only fond memory, come to think of it) of junior high is of the time I got to bust out some of my nerdy, sixties-inspired dance moves in front of an adoring crowd while 'Living in America' blared in the background. At the end of the song, I leapt off a cafeteria table and into the hands of my cheering classmates. For a brief moment, all the petty [expletive] of junior high life faded away, and I felt invincible. Because of that, I'll always feel indebted to the Godfather of Soul."

Big Rock Candy Mountain ( bigrockcandymountain.blogspot.com ): "Damn. James Brown 1933-2006. There are no words. Just music."

STEVE GREENLEE

James Brown's lawyer said the late singer and his partner weren't legally married and that she was locked out of his South Carolina home for legal reasons. "It's not a reflection on her as an individual," lawyer Buddy Dallas said yesterday. Brown's partner, Tomi Rae Hynie, was already married to a Texas man in 2001 when she married Brown, thus making her marriage to the "Godfather of Soul" null, Dallas said. He said Hynie later annulled the previous marriage, but she and Brown never remarried. Brown, 73, died at an Atlanta hospital Monday. After his death, Hynie, 36, found the gates to the singer's Beech Island, S.C., home padlocked . Hynie argued that she has a legal right to live in the home with the couple's 5-year-old son. In a phone interview with the Associated Press yesterday, Hynie said she had documentation to prove she was legally married to Brown. Hynie said the couple had planned to renew their vows . She indicated that while annulment papers relating to her previous marriage initially may not have been filed properly, a judge had told her she was legally married to Brown. Dallas said Brown's estate was left in trust for his children. "Ms. Hynie has a home a few blocks away from Mr. Brown's home where she resides periodically when she is not with Mr. Brown," he said. Dallas said Brown and Hynie hadn't seen each other for several weeks before his death. Hynie said Brown had sent her to California for a few weeks to relax on the beach after a recent concert tour. Hynie said Brown had told her she could live in his home with their child as long as she wanted. Hynie and Brown had a sometimes tumultuous relationship. Brown pleaded guilty in 2004 to a domestic violence charge stemming from an argument with Hynie .

Brown's body will be returned tomorrow to the site of his debut -- the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem -- so the public can see him one last time, the Rev. Al Sharpton said yesterday. Brown's body will rest on the Apollo stage from 1 to 8 p.m., and thousands of people will be permitted in. Sharpton said the Apollo viewing will be followed by a private ceremony Friday in Brown's hometown, Augusta, Ga., followed by another public ceremony a day later.

The New Year

'I'm not trying to keep his tradition. I'm trying to do my own.' Carson Daly, dismissing the idea that he and Ryan Seacrest are in a rivalry to replace New Year's Eve icon Dick Clark, who suffered a stroke two years ago.

FROM WIRE REPORTS