James Brown passed away early this morning.

Brown was hospitalized with pneumonia at Emory Crawford Long Hospital on Sunday and died around 1:45 a.m. Monday, said his agent, Frank Copsidas of Intrigue Music. He was 73.

Copsidas said Brown’s family was being notified of his death and that the cause was still uncertain. “We really don’t know at this point what he died of,” he said.

Along with Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan and a handful of others, Brown was one of the major musical influences of the past 50 years.

His rapid-footed dancing inspired Mick Jagger and Michael Jackson among others. Songs such as David Bowie’s “Fame,” Prince’s “Kiss,” George Clinton’s “Atomic Dog” and Sly and the Family Stone’s “Sing a Simple Song” were clearly based on Brown’s rhythms and vocal style.

If Brown’s claim to the invention of soul can be challenged by fans of Ray Charles and Sam Cooke, then his rights to the genres of rap, disco and funk are beyond question. He was to rhythm and dance music what Dylan was to lyrics: the unchallenged popular innovator.

“James presented obviously the best grooves,” rapper Chuck D of Public Enemy once told The Associated Press. “To this day, there has been no one near as funky. No one’s coming even close.”

Certainly, James Brown is the most sampled artist in the history of hiphop.

For example, Here’s a list of over 120 hiphop songs that have sampled Funky Drummer.

A mistaken news broadcast reported James Brown as dead in 1992. A sample of that broadcast became the basis of a techno hit for L.A. Style called James Brown Is Dead. (There were two songs quickly made in response: “James Brown Is Still Alive” by Holy Noise, and “Who the F*** Is James Brown?” by Traumatic Stress.)

I am waiting for the inevitable release in 2007 James Brown Will Never Die by some unknown techno group.

The Godfather will be missed.