Diabetes fear is a condition which can hit anybody at any time in their life and upon diagnosis can be a very stressful period when many thoughts will go through a suffers mind. However, a look around the world today shows that many famous people from all walks of life are diabetes sufferers and can often be an inspiration to many. One such person is James Brown the musician who went on to lead a full and highly successful life despite being diagnosed with diabetes at a very early stage.

Born in May 1933, James Brown was, referred to as the “Godfather of Soul”, the “King of funk” and was deemed by many to be one of the hardest working men in show business. He was not only a singer but a songwriter and bandleader and he opened new music avenues for ethnic minorities at a time when it was very difficult to make the break through.

Despite his diabetes James Brown began his music career in 1953 and until the day he died in December 2006 he was still very active in both in music and politics. While many artists of today have a sob story to tell there can be few to match the early life of James Brown who came from extreme poverty in the small town of Barnwell, South Carolina in the era of the depression. It is not common knowledge but James Brown was actually mistakenly called James Joseph Brown Jr on his birth certificate, when in fact he should have been Joseph James Brown Jr after his father.

While James Brown was very keen to make people aware of his diabetes condition, it was not something which was heavily reported in the press. To say his life was full and exciting would be an understatement in the extreme as James Brown is known to have lived life to the full until the day he died. Not only does he have six of his song in the Rolling Stones Magazine top 500 of all time but he also appeared in numerous films and documentaries over the years.

Rather bizarrely he holds the record for the most number of singles on the Billboard Hot 100 although he never actually hit number one on that particular chart. The rate at which he was able to churn out award-winning and popular records is unprecedented and something which is unlikely to be repeated in the modern era. Despite the fact that he required daily injections of insulin and life on the road could not have been easy, James Brown never ever mentioned his diabetes in a negative manner and has been an inspiration to many.

James Brown is just one of many stars of today and yesteryear who learned at a very young age of their diabetes condition but overcame initial concerns and obvious worry to become superstars and an inspiration to many. We will be covering a number of sports stars, politicians, business people and other well-known figures of today and yesteryear who have a connection with various forms of the condition yet never let this impinge on their lifestyle.