The Godfather of Soul, who died of heart failure in Atlanta on Christmas Day, will be buried later Saturday in his hometown of Augusta, Copsidas said. The R&B legend was 73.

The Rev. Al Sharpton, a close friend of Brown's, will officiate the public funeral service.

"It would almost be unthinkable for a man who lived such a sensational life to go away quietly," Sharpton told the Associated Press from Georgia, where he was making funeral arrangements with Brown's children.

Fans have flocked to Brown's statue in Augusta, draping it in an American flag and adorning it with flowers.

Brown died less than two days after he had been hospitalized with pneumonia, and three days after leading his annual holiday toy giveaway in Augusta, according to reports. He also suffered from diabetes and was in remission from prostate cancer.

Brown initially seemed fine at the hospital and talked about his New Year's Eve show at the B.B. King Blues Club in New York, Copsidas told AP.

The Grammy winner had been scheduled to kick off a national tour Jan. 3 in Waterbury, CT.

Photo gallery: James Brown at Bimbo's, San Francisco