If there were a musical Mt. Rushmore, the bust of James Brown--pompadoured 'do and all--would be on it.

The legendary "Godfather of Soul," whose music has influenced countless other genres, been copied by an array of stars, and sampled in infinite hip-hop songs, died today of heart failure at an Atlanta hospital. He was 73.

Brown's agent, Frank Copsidas, told the Associated Press that the soul icon was hospitalized with pneumonia at Emory Crawford Long Hospital on Sunday. He died around 1:45 a.m. today.

He initially seemed fine at the hospital and even told people that he planned to be on stage in New York on New Year's Eve, Copsidas said.

Brown is survived by at least four children--two daughters and sons Daryl and James Brown III. Friends were making flight arrangements Monday to come to Atlanta to determine how to memorialize Brown, Copsidas said.