LONDON: Late singing legend James Brown was poisoned by thieves wanting to dig up the fortune he had buried on his estate in South Carolina, according to a new exposé.

After hearing this news, his business associates and backing singers want his body to be exhumed and have tests conducted, conatctmusic.com reports. His widow Tomi Rae Hynie is also agreeing with the claim, but she is afraid to go public fearing the thieves might come back to hurt her. She said, “I can’t comment on that right now for the safety of myself and my son.” But his former associate Jacque Hollander is speaking out and said, “Toxicology tests on his body, especially on his hair, would easily show if poison was administered to him before he died. An autopsy was never done at the time, but his body should be exhumed and one carried out now.”