James Brown 2004 Premium Cotton T-Shirt
Mugshot Story
In the early morning of 28 January 2004, Aiken County deputies arrested the 70-year-old “Godfather of Soul” at his Beech Island, South Carolina home after his wife, Tomi Rae Brown, told officers he had pushed her to the floor during an argument, leaving bruises and scratches. He was booked for criminal domestic violence, held overnight at the county jail, and released on personal recognizance the next afternoon.
The booking camera captured Brown in a brightly–striped bathrobe with wild, uncombed hair—yet still flashing his trademark grin. The image quickly went viral, out-shining the sober charges and joining his notorious 1988 mugshot as an unlikely pop-culture icon.
Facing up to 30 days in jail and a $500 fine, Brown at first vowed to fight the case but later pleaded no contest in June 2004; by forfeiting his $1,087 bond he avoided further jail time or probation and closed the matter quietly.