Late soul legend James Brown was poisoned by thieves intent on digging up the fortune he'd buried on his South Carolina estate, according to a stunning new expose.

Former business associates and backing singers insist the Godfather Of Soul's remains should be exhumed for toxicology tests after hearing rumors he was poisoned before his death on Christmas Day 2006.

Their claims have been backed up by Brown's widow Tomi Rae Hynie, but she refuses to go on record about the crime fearing the thieves will turn on her.

In a Globe article about the alleged crime, Hynie says, "I can't comment on that right now for the safety of myself and my son."

But Brown's former associate Jacque Hollander isn't afraid to speak out.

She tells the publication, "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."

Hollander insists she never accepted the energetic 73-year-old had just died, claiming the fact that Brown complained of severe stomach pains in the days leading up to his death should be investigated.

A new film about Brown's life, directed by Harrison Starks, will delve into the myth that the soul star was poisoned.

He says, "The real question is who killed James Brown."

His death isn't the only controversy swirling around Brown - his family are still fighting trustees of his estate over the soul man's fortune, and Hynie is attempting to prove her young son, James Brown II, is the singer's legitimate heir.