James Brown on drug charge

James Brown, the Godfather of Soul, has been charged with drug and gun offences just a week after leaving hospital for treatment for drug addiction.

Brown, 64, the man behind hits such as "Living in America" and "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag", has been charged with possession of cannabis and unlawful use of a firearm. He surrendered voluntarily and was released on bond.

After being charged, he said he had smoked a small amount of cannabis for medicinal purposes.

"I have bad eyes," he told a newspaper in Augusta, Georgia. "It was just a little tiny bit. It wasn't even a misdemeanour." Brown, who served three years in prison for 1988 convictions on weapons and assault charges, said he keeps guns and doesn't plan to get rid of them.