James Brown’s body was placed in a crypt Saturday at the Beech Island home of one his daughters, family and friends of the soul singer said.
White balloons were released and Brown’s adult children and other family members and friends sang and prayed over the singer’s body, said the Rev. Al Sharpton, who presided over the ceremony.
Also at the service were Brown’s partner, Tomi Rae Hynie, and the couple’s young son, who led the procession. The service took place more than two months after the singer died in an Atlanta hospital. Brown died Dec. 25 at age 73, and his body had been held at an undisclosed location since then.
The crypt likely will not be Brown’s final resting place. A public mausoleum is being built and its location will be announced once it is completed, the family said.
“He wanted our marital home to become a Graceland. He wanted us to have a James Brown museum,” Hynie said.
Brown’s children wanted to consult with Elvis Presley’s family to see how they transformed his Memphis, home into Graceland after Presley’s death.