Chuck Brown packs them in one last time The hordes of fans, devoted enough to know that what you wear to a Chuck Brown event matters, tried outdoing each other by wearing the most Chuck Brown-centric outfits they could. Anthony Gooding, in fact, may have won on that score: As he tried finding a spot in line, people stopped Gooding to snap photos of his T-shirt - a black, Mario Puzo-themed "Godfather of Go-Go" garment. "I'm the celebrity here," he said with a smile. Most of those interviewed said they came because Brown's music evoked powerful recollections from their childhood: the time they sneaked into a club as a teenager to hear him play, or the times that Brown's music boomed from neighbors" porches and everyone just partied outside, as a community. Brown got sick in early March and died May 16 at age 75. The line of mourners Thursday morning was deep enough that it snaked about halfway around the convention center, from the Mount Vernon Place NW entrance to Seventh Street, down to M Street and to Ninth Street. Some people brought lawn chairs and umbrellas. Others came on crutches, one woman hobbled around in a foot injury boot and another leaned on his cane. One person, among a seeming handful, carried a bouquet of flowers. About noon, the memorial service kicked off with vocals, brass and a range of rhythm instruments in a rendition of a go-go version of "Can't Nobody Do Me Like Jesus." Brown's body was resting in a gold-colored coffin perched amid a garden of flowers inside the convention center. Brown's longtime manager, Tom Goldfogle, said he wasn't surprised at the large turnout. "I expected to see thousands because he touched people across many generations," Goldfogle said. He touched everybody. He took the time to give everybody a word of encouragement, so I expected the people to be here. Local politicians tried to one-up each other with designs for future Chuck Brown honors. D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray (D) said that he planned to name a park after Brown. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) said she wanted to turn Brown's Aug. 22 birthday into "Chuck Brown Day." And D.C. Council Chairman Kwame R. Brown (D) said he planned to create a "Go-Go Hall of Fame." Brown even got feisty. "For all of the people who just moved to Washington, D.C., and have a problem with go-go music, get over it," he said. Throughout Brown's funeral service, music was irrepressible. During moments of silence, the Chuck Brown Band would introduce ethereal strands of jazz. During gospel songs, they'd sneak go-go beats into the mix. When Cliff Jones sang "Steal Away to Jesus," he added Brown's lyrics: "Don't mean a thing if it ain't got the go-go swing."