PITTSBURGH -- James Brown, known as the godfather of soul, unexpectedly passed away in an Atlanta hospital from heart failure on Christmas morning at 73 years old.

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Slideshow: James Brown Picture Obituary

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Before Brown died, a local man was lucky enough to shoot exclusive footage of the singer's last visit to Heinz Hall along with a never-before-seen interview.

"Pittsburgh, you never let me down," Brown said in one of his final performances in the city. "Thank God for you."

The performance was caught on video by Sam Sandora, along with a behind-the-scenes and a sit-down interview with Brown during one of his last performances in Pittsburgh in 1998.

"God created the music, and I was just the messenger," Brown said in the interview. "Funk, soul is gospel and jazz put together, and right after rock 'n' roll came James Brown."

Brown credited Pittsburgh with giving him a big break. During one of his last visits, Brown reunited with legendary DJ Porky Chedwick, who played Brown's songs when no one else would.

"I just said, 'Thank you,'" said Brown.

"We've had a long relationship," said Chedwick.

"God has been good," Brown replied. "We're beautiful, but God is prettier."

"That is what I really remember the most, is how gracious he was to take the time to do that interview, and he spoke very well of Porky," said Sandora.

Sandora said it is a day he'll never forget, especially now that Brown is gone.

"What really exudes out of him is his spirituality," said Sandora. "You can just see how touched he is. And it's contagious. It's not in your face, but it is really contagious."

"This is a man that is responsible for soul music, for hip-hop, for rap -- just a pioneer and a legend, you know. It is shocking," said Sandora.

In the interview, Brown said he "would like to be remembered as a man, like Dr. (Martin Luther) King, a man who tried to help someone like Porky Chedwick."

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