James Brown, who was born in Barnwell, S.C., and regarded as the "Godfather of Soul," is among eight Carolinas artists to be immortalized through paintings at Spirit Square.

James Brown, Romare Bearden and Maya Angelou are among eight Carolinas artists who’ll be immortalized on Spirit Square's columns.

More than 1,200 nominations from the public were sent from the public to Blumenthal Performing Arts officials, with images of Dizzy Gillespie, Andy Griffith, Earl Scruggs, Nina Simone, and James Taylor also to be painted.

• Angelou, an author, poet and civil rights activist, lived in Winston-Salem for nearly 30 years. Her notable works include “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” and “On the Pulse of Morning.”

• Bearden, who was born in Charlotte in 1911, was a painter and writer. His legacy was recently honored with the naming of Romare Bearden Park in Uptown Charlotte.

• Brown, who was born in Barnwell, S.C., is the “Godfather of Soul” and had hit singles with classic songs like “Say It Loud (I’m Black and I’m Proud),” “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag” and “I Got You (I Feel Good).”

• Gillespie, born in Cheraw, S.C., in 1917, was a jazz trumpeter, bandleader and composer.

• Griffith was best known as Sheriff Andy Taylor on the long-running TV comedy “The Andy Griffith Show,” which was based on Griffith’s hometown of Mt. Airy.

• Scruggs, a bluegrass musician from Shelby, gained fame for his three-finger style of playing. He and partner Lester Flatt recorded “The Ballad of Jed Clampett” from the TV comedy “The Beverly Hillbillies” and Scruggs won a Grammy for the instrumental “Foggy Mountain Breakdown.”

• Nina Simone, born in Tryon, N.C., in 1933, was a rblues singer and civil rights activist. She’s best known for “My Baby Just Cares for Me” and her version of “I Loves You, Porgy.”

• James Taylor is a singer-songwriter who grew up in Chapel Hill. His hit song “Carolina in My Mind” is an unofficial North Carolina anthem.

Blumenthal coordinated with Charlotte artist Matt Hooker to designate the local team to paint the columns. Hooker was one of 10 graffiti artists who painted the columns in the Knight Theater lobby for Breakin’ Convention in October. The project is expected to begin at Spirit Square March 21, and expected to end in April.

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