Not exactly how I had hoped to start off my Christmas.

The dynamic, pompadoured "Godfather of Soul," whose rasping vocals and revolutionary rhythms made him a founder of rap, funk and disco as well, died early Monday, his agent said. He was 73.
Brown was hospitalized with pneumonia at Emory Crawford Long Hospital on Sunday and died around 1:45 a.m.(Yahoo News)

R.I.P. to the Godfather of Soul and one of the true pioneers of hip-hop.