We're continuing our discussion of James Brown, his will, the trust he set up to help needy children, his own children, his wives and, introduced at the end of our last post, two former trustees of the needy children trust -- and, we believe, not a soul in Florida. Brown's will stated clearly that he wanted his entire estate to go to the trust. His family fought for a share. When a court came up with a reasonable solution, the trustees stepped in and objected.

They argued that there wasn't really any question about Brown's intentions -- he meant to exclude his family. And, they said, neither the court nor the family had ever proved that the trust documents and will were invalid. How could the court overrule valid legal documents?

At this point, another player stepped in. One of the Godfather of Soul's former producers sued, asking that the settlement be set aside.

Her argument had nothing to do with the validity of the documents. Rather, she said that a partnership existed between her and Brown, the purpose of which was to put her in charge of the trust for the needy children. Her proof? A videotape that feature's Brown saying that he wanted to help needy children through the trust. Rolling Stone magazine viewed the tape and confirmed that Brown's message was clear.

The producer hasn't gained much momentum with her suit, though, because of venue issues. Courts in two states have dismissed her complaints. She is appealing one decision, but the appeal is still pending.

So, the former trustees' suit is winding its way through the courts, as the family mounts a defense that Brown lacked capacity or was unduly influenced when he made his will. The family also says the will doesn't reflect the singer's true wishes because he didn't update it after he married his last wife -- if, in fact, they were married.

While the right hand takes care of the family's claim, the left hand is waiting for the former producer's case to find a court. And all the while, Brown's estate is in limbo.

One of our favorite records -- yes, it's an LP -- featured opera singer and comedienne Anna Russell explaining Wagner's Ring Cycle. In 20 minutes, she gives a truly funny Cliff's Notes version of the 15-hour work. She tells us of the ring early on, then moves on to the romance, the drama, the melodrama and all the singing. Finally, after about 15 minutes, she says something like, "Then she collects the ring ... remember the ring?"

The story of James Brown's estate brought that to mind. After years of litigation, we can hear Anna Russell saying, "Remember the poor and needy children?"

Source: Forbes, "James Brown's Estate and Wishes Remain in Limbo," Danielle and Andy Mayoras, Aug. 8, 2011