Michael Jackson has been 'set up' in his child abuse trial because he is famous, music legend James Brown said yesterday.

The singer should be touring parts of Asia ravaged by the tsunami instead of defending himself in court, added the Godfather of Soul.

Advising Jackson to pray, Brown, who spent two years in jail on drug and assault charges in the 1990s, compared the star's trial with his own.

'I think he's has been set up like most entertainers. People think you have a lot of money. They've been trying to do that to me all my life - trying to get something for nothing,' said Brown.

The 71-year-old, famous for hits such as Please, Please and Papa's Got ABrand New Bag, spoke before a tsunami fundraising concert in Indonesia.

He said: 'We need Michael out here entertaining. One day, I'll be too old to travel and I'll want to see good entertainers like him spreading the good word.'

The soul man said he and his wife Tommie Rae, 33, were thinking of adopting Asian

children orphaned by the tsunami and shrugged off talk of retirement, saying: 'Retire for what? What would I do? I want to make the world better and more peaceful.'

He also boasted: 'The 21st century is just James Brown period. Whether it's rap, hip hop, gospel or country doesn't make much difference. They are all using my stuff.'

Jackson's trial in California will resume today. The 45-year-old faces up to 20 years in jail if convicted of sexually abusing a 13-year-old cancer patient.