Chuck Brown, widely dubbed the Godfather of go-go died Wednesday May 16 aged 75, after being hospitalized for pneumonia earlier this month as his publicist reported. Go-go, a percussion-driven fusion of R&B and funk, first became wildly popular guitarist in the Washington, D.C. area in the mid-1970's, and spread modestly to a few other parts of the country. It was Brown's signature sound, and became the thematic music of live performers who took after him. It often features a call-and-response component as well as beats that linked songs so continuously that bands would play long into the night — as anyone who's ever partied at a Howard University's homecoming can attest. He played in bands since the Sixties, but broke through in the late 70's as Go-Go, a subgenre of funk, blew up in the D.C. music scene.

The music just goes and goes, the gravelly-voiced Brown once told the Post, explaining the genre's name.

Born in Gaston, N.C. in 1936, he began performing with soul music singer Jerry Butler, but two years later formed the Soul Searchers. He wound up creating his own sound, which caught on in the heyday of mid- to late 70s disco and funk.

One of the Go-go's early hits was 1978's Bustin' Loose, which featured Brown and his Soul Searchers band. Through the 1980s We Need Some Money, Go-Go Swing and Run Joe became local dancefloor staples and kept Brown and his sound in high demand. Many of his songs were later sampled by hip-hop artists like Eric B. and Rakim, Public Enemy and most notably Nelly on his 2002 hit Hot in Herre.

In 2011, Brown was recognized with a Grammy for his collaboration with singer Jill Scott, Love.