What Do James Brown and Anna Nicole Smith Have in Common?

They Both Remain Unburied with Paternity Suit Issues

What do Anna Nicole Smith and James Brown have in common?

Well, they share a couple of common threads; they are both unburied, and both have legal issues regarding paternity of children.

The information about Anna Nicole Smith need not be rehashed; we see it on the news nearly all day, every day.

Recently it has been resolved, however, that she will be buried in the Bahamas next to her recently deceased son. Well, it was resolved until her mother appealed it.

And of course, there is the issue of paternity of her daughter.

But who would have known? The Godfather of Soul is having the same troubles these days.

James Brown passed away on December 25, 2006 of a heart failure at the age of 73. He remains unburied while the dispute continues over his estate and the rightful owner, as well as where he should be buried.

The funeral director who handled James Brown's funeral and who has been responsible for the storage of his corpse during the legal battle says he is looking good. He's been preserved well by Charles Reid, director of the C.A. Reid Funeral Home.

Anna Nicole isn't so lucky. A medical examiner in Florida says Anna Nicole Smith's body is decomposing at such a rapid pace that a public viewing might not be possible.

According to experts, the reason for the difference is that James Brown was immediately embalmed after death, within a few hours, in fact. Anna Nicole Smith, however, was refrigerated for nearly a week before she was embalmed, and during refrigeration, moisture speeds up decomposition.