Submitted by: kirkland on Friday August 06th, 2004 at 05:34 PM EST

Flamboyant funk music pioneer Rick James, a dynamic performer famed for the sensuous 1981 dance hit "Super Freak (Part 1)" as well as a descent into drugs and crime, died in his sleep Friday morning of natural causes, officials said.

James, 56, the self-proclaimed "icon of drug use and eroticism," battled a crack- cocaine habit for years. He had been in fragile health since suffering a stroke in 1998 after bursting a blood vessel at a concert in Denver.

He sometimes required help walking, but was in upbeat spirits as recently as late June when he received a lifetime achievement award at a music industry dinner in Beverly Hills.

"I'm Rick James, bitch," he defiantly proclaimed at the event, echoing the catchphrase used in a skit by cable TV comedian Dave Chappelle.

A spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Police Department said officers responded to a radio call of a natural death at a house near Hollywood at 9:45 a.m., and found James' body. There were no plans for an autopsy, said an official for the Los Angeles County Coroner.

James, who was born James Johnson, Jr. in Buffalo, New York, was infamous for his outrageous behavior. His stage image -- outlandish hair braids, extravagant costumes and spiky guitars -- prompted comparisons with colorful funk artists like Sly and the Family Stone and George Clinton's Parliament-Funkadelic.

His last performance was at the BET Awards in Hollywood in July, when he played his hit "Fire & Desire" with protegee Teena Marie. James is survived by three children and two grandchildren.

» Read full story @ Reuters