Youth and schooling

Brown was born in Kinder, Louisiana.^[1] Some sources report his delivery date as September 10, 1925,^[2] however the researchers Bob Eagle and Eric LeBlanc gave the date as September 10, 1920, on the idea of data within the 1930 census and Social Safety information, and said that 1925 is wrong.^[1] Media experiences state that he was both 55 or 56 on the time of his loss of life.^[4]

Like many R&B singers, Brown began singing gospel music in church. His mom was an achieved singer and church organist.^[5] He moved to Los Angeles within the Forties and for a short while was an expert boxer within the welterweight division. In 1945 he received a singing contest on the Million Greenback Theater, masking “There’s No You”, initially recorded by Bing Crosby. In 1946, Brown moved to Galveston, Texas, the place he sang in Joe Coleman’s group, performing largely songs from the Hit Parade, in a nightclub referred to as the Membership Granada. His repertoire included “Good Rockin’ Tonight”.

After being rejected by the armed forces due to flat toes, Brown secured his first main job in a membership in Shreveport, Louisiana, singing largely pop ballads, reminiscent of “Stardust” and “Blue Hawaii”. The proprietor of Invoice Riley’s Palace Park employed him, as Brown advised an interviewer for Blues Limitless, due to his enchantment as “a Negro singer who sounds white.”^[6] It was on the Palace Park that Brown began growing a blues repertoire, studying modern R&B tunes reminiscent of “Jelly Jelly” (recorded by Billy Eckstine).^[6] He returned to New Orleans in 1947, the place he carried out on the Dew Drop Inn.^[7]

Profession

Brown was a fan of blues singer Wynonie Harris. When Harris appeared on the town, Brown tried however did not curiosity him in listening to “Good Rockin’ Tonight”. Brown then approached one other blues singer, Cecil Gant, who was acting at one other membership on the town. Brown launched his music, and Gant had him sing it over the phone to the president of De Luxe Data, Jules Braun, reportedly at 4:00 within the morning. Brown was signed to a recording contract instantly. He recorded the music in a leap blues fashion with a swing beat. It was launched in 1948 and reached quantity 13 on the Billboard R&B chart. Mockingly, Harris recorded a canopy model of the music, and his model rose to the highest of the Billboard R&B chart later in 1948.^[2] Presley additionally lined the music for Solar Data in 1954; it was re-released by RCA Victor when his recording contract was offered to that label in 1956.^{[citation needed]} In response to the Paul McCartney Venture, “the music has additionally been credited with being essentially the most profitable file to that time to make use of the phrase ‘rock’ not as a euphemism for intercourse, however as a descriptive for the musical fashion.^[8]

Brown continued to make his mark on the R&B charts, having 14 hits for De Luxe from mid-1948 to late 1951, together with “Onerous Luck Blues” (1950, his greatest vendor), “Love Do not Love No person”, “Rockin’ at Midnight”, “Boogie at Midnight”, “Miss Fanny Brown”, and “Cadillac Child”, making him, together with Harris, one of many high R&B performers in these three years. One supply means that Brown was the “finest promoting R&B artist from 1949-51”.^[9] One other states that in 1948–51, “he had 15 information on the charts”.^[10] A 3rd supply provides that Brown “chalked up a dozen high 10s”.^[11]

After his reputation had peaked, Brown started to expertise a lull in his profession. Doo-wop and R&B teams had been shortly gaining reputation as the usual sound of R&B within the early to mid-Nineteen Fifties. His declining fortune coincided with the decision of a lawsuit in opposition to King Data for unpaid royalties in 1952, through which Brown prevailed, one of many few African-American musicians to take action within the Nineteen Fifties. This coincidence has led some, reminiscent of the author Nick Tosches (in his ebook Unsung Heroes of Rock ‘n’ Roll, which comprises a chapter on Brown) to consider that Brown might have been blacklisted. Brown’s different misfortunes included hassle with the Inner Income Service. When confronted by the federal government for unpaid taxes he owed, he approached Elvis Presley for assist. Presley wrote him a verify on a brown paper bag, but it surely was not sufficient to maintain Brown out of jail for tax evasion.

In 1951, Brown carried out on the seventh famed Cavalcade of Jazz live performance held at Wrigley Subject in Los Angeles which was produced by Leon Hefflin, Sr.on July 8. Additionally featured had been Lionel Hampton and his Revue, Percy Mayfield, Jimmy Witherspoon, Joe Liggins’ Honeydrippers and Billy Eckstine.^[12] The next 12 months, June 1, 1952, he carried out for the eighth Cavalcade of Jazz live performance with His Mighty Males. Additionally featured that day had been Anna Mae Winburn and Her Sweethearts, Jerry Wallace, Toni Harper, Louis Jordan, Jimmy Witherspoon and Josephine Baker.^[13] And Brown got here again in 1953 to play on the ninth Cavalcade of Jazz on June 7. Additionally featured that day had been, Don Tosti and His Mexican Jazzmen, Earl Bostic, Nat “King” Cole, Shorty Roger’s Orchestra, and Louis Armstrong and his All Stars with Velma Middleton,.^[14]

Brown had a short comeback on Imperial Data in 1957. Working with Dave Bartholomew, he returned to the charts with the unique model of “Let the 4 Winds Blow”, co-written with Fat Domino, who would later have successful with it.

Brown returned to King Data, however his reputation had diminished by 1959. He discovered sporadic work, performing wherever he was wished, and he made some recordings by the Nineteen Sixties.^[2] To complement his revenue, he offered the rights to “Good Rockin’ Tonight”. “I used to be promoting door to door,” he reminisced,^[15] referring to his stint as an encyclopedia salesman.^[16]

In 1970, Brown closed The Johnny Otis Present on the Monterey Jazz Competition. Because of the optimistic reception by the viewers, he recorded “Love for Sale”, which turned successful for Mercury Data.^[5]

Later life and loss of life

Within the late Nineteen Seventies, a compilation album of his outdated recordings caused a minor revival of curiosity in his music. In 1978, he made a profitable tour in Scandinavia following the releases of Laughing however Crying and Good Rockin’ Tonight.^[17] Shortly earlier than his loss of life he carried out on the Whisky a Go Go in West Hollywood, California, and he was a headliner on the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Competition in 1981, dying a month later.^[17]

In response to The Guardian, “in 1952 he tried to sue his supervisor for unpaid royalties, however succeeded solely in getting himself blackballed from the music trade. He spent a lot of his life as a door-to-door encyclopedia salesman”.^[18] In fact, he made a comeback in 1970, performing on the Monterey Jazz Competition; he continued touring for “the remainder of the last decade”, together with a tour of Europe in 1978.^[19][9]

Brown died of a coronary heart assault on Might 25, 1981, at Pacoima Lutheran Memorial Hospital,^[20] close to his dwelling within the San Fernando Valley.^[1][2] The Reverend Johnny Otis carried out the funeral service.

Years later, Little Richard stated that Roy Brown had been one of many artists that impressed him within the early years.^[21]

Legacy

Brown was posthumously inducted into the Blues Corridor of Fame in 1981.

Two of his songs, “Butcher Pete, Pt. 1” and “Mighty Mighty Man” are featured within the 2008 online game, Fallout 3. “Butcher Pete, Pt. 1”, “Butcher Pete, Pt. 2”, “Good Rockin’ Tonight”, and “Mighty Mighty Man” are featured within the 2015 sequel, Fallout 4. There’s a quest named after his music “Onerous Luck Blues” within the online game Fallout: New Vegas.

Discography

Chart singles

Authentic 10″ shellac (78-rpm) and seven” vinyl (45-rpm) releases

• Gold Star 636, “Deep Sea Diver” / “Bye Child Bye”, 1947
• DeLuxe 1093, “Good Rockin Tonight” / “Lolly Pop Mama”, 1947
• DeLuxe 1098, “Particular Lesson No. 1” / “Girl’s a Great Factor”, 1947
• DeLuxe 1107, “Roy Brown Boogie” / “Please Do not Go (Come Again Child)”, 1947
• DeLuxe 1128, “Mighty Mighty Man” / “Miss Fanny Brown”, 1947
• DeLuxe 1154, “Lengthy About Midnight” / “Whose Hat Is That”, 1948
• DeLuxe 1166, “All My Love Belongs to You” / “Ebony Rhapsody” (B-side by Ethel Morris), 1948
• DeLuxe 3093, “Good Rockin’ Tonight” / “Lolly Pop Mama” (reissue), 1950 (additionally issued as Miltone 3093)
• DeLuxe 3098, “Particular Lesson No. 1” / “Girl’s a Great Factor” (reissue), 1950
• DeLuxe 3107, “Roy Brown Boogie” / “Please Do not Go (Come Again Child)” (reissue), 1950
• DeLuxe 3128, “Mighty Mighty Man” / “Miss Fanny Brown” (reissue), 1950
• DeLuxe 3154, “Lengthy About Midnight” / “Whose Hat Is That” (reissue), 1950 (additionally issued as Miltone 3154)
• DeLuxe 3166, “All My Love Belongs to You” / “Ebony Rhapsody” (B-side by Ethel Morris) (reissue), 1950
• DeLuxe 3189, “Miss Fanny Brown Returns” / “Roy Brown Boogie”, 1948
• DeLuxe 3198, “Fore Day within the Morning” / “Wet Climate Blues”, 1948 (additionally issued as Miltone 3198)
• DeLuxe 3212, “Rockin’ at Midnight” / “Judgement Day Blues”, 1949
• DeLuxe 3226, “Please Do not Go (Come Again Child)” / “Using Excessive”, 1949
• DeLuxe 3300, “Boogie at Midnight” / “The Blues Received Me Once more”, 1949
• DeLuxe 3301, “Butcher Pete, Half 1” / “Butcher Pete, Half 2”, 1949
• DeLuxe 3302, “I Really feel That Younger Man’s Rhythm” / “Finish of My Journey” 1949
• DeLuxe 3304, “Onerous Luck Blues” / “New Rebecca” 1950
• DeLuxe 3306, “Dreaming Blues” / “Love Do not Love No person”, 1950
• DeLuxe 3308, “Lengthy About Sunset” / “Cadillac Child”, 1950
• DeLuxe 3311, “Double Crossin’ Girl” / “Teen Age Jamboree”, 1951
• DeLuxe 3312, “Candy Peach” / “Good Man Blues”, 1951
• DeLuxe 3313, “Beautician Blues” / “Flawed Girl Blues”, 1951
• DeLuxe 3318, “Prepare Time Blues” / “Massive City”, 1951
• DeLuxe 3319, “Bar Room Blues” / “Good Rockin’ Man”, 1951
• DeLuxe 3323, “Brown Angel” / “I’ve Received the Final Chortle Now”, 1952
• King 4602, “Hurry Hurry Child” / “Travelin’ Man”, 1953
• King 4609. “Grandpa Stole My Child” / “Cash Cannot Purchase Love”, 1953
• King 4627, “Mr. Hound Canine’s in City” / “Gamblin’ Man”, 1953
• King 4637, “Previous Age Boogie, Half 1” / “Previous Age Boogie, Half 2”, 1953
• King 4654, “Laughing however Crying” / “Loopy Loopy Girls”, 1953
• King 4669, “Caldonia’s Marriage ceremony Day” / “A Idiot in Love”, 1953
• King 4684, “Midnight Lover Man” / “Letter from Dwelling”, 1953
• King 4689, “All the things’s Alright” / “Lonesome Lover”, 1953
• King 4704, “Bootleggin’ Child” / “Hassle at Midnight”, 1954
• King 4715, “Up Jumped the Satan” / “This Is My Final Goodbye”, 1954
• King 4722, “Do not Let It Rain” / “No Love at All”, 1954
• King 4731, “Ain’t It a Disgrace” / “Gal from Kokomo”, 1954
• King 4743, “Nervous Life Blues” / “Black Diamond”, 1954
• King 4761, “Fannie Brown Received Married” / “Queen of Diamonds”, 1954
• King 4816, “Shake ‘Em Up Child” / “Letter to Child”, 1955
• King 4834, “She’s Gone Too Lengthy” / “My Little Angel Youngster”, 1955
• Imperial 5422, “Saturday Night time (That is My Night time)” / “All people”, 1956
• Imperial 5427, “Get together Doll” / “I am Stickin’ with You”, 1957
• Imperial 5439, “Let the 4 Winds Blow” / “Diddy-Y-Diddy-O”, 1957
• Imperial 5455, “I am Convicted of Love” / “I am Able to Play”, 1957
• Imperial 5469, “The Tick of the Clock” / “Sluggish Down Little Eva”, 1957
• Imperial 5489, “Ain’t Gonna Do It” / “Sail on Little Lady”, 1958
• Imperial 5510, “Hip Shakin’ Child” / “Be My Love Tonight”, 1958
• Imperial 5969, “Let the 4 Winds Blow” / “Diddy-Yi-Diddy-Yo” (reissue), 1963
• King 5178, “La-Dee-Dah-Dee” / “Melinda”, 1959
• King 5207, “Rinky Dinky Doo” / “I By no means Had It So Good”, 1959
• King 5218, “Good Trying and Cunning Too” / “Onerous Luck Blues, 1959
• King 5247, “College Bell Rock” / “Ain’t No Rocking No Extra”, 1959
• King 5333, “Ain’t Received No Blues At the moment” / “Lovely One”, 1960
• King 5521, “Mighty Mighty Man” / “Good Man Blues”, 1962
• Dwelling of the Blues 107, “A Man with the Blues” / “Do not Break My Coronary heart”, 1960
• Dwelling of the Blues 110, “Rocking All of the Time” / “Bored with Being Alone”, 1960
• Dwelling of the Blues 115, “Sugar Child” / “Oh So Great”, 1961
• Dwelling of the Blues 122, “Rock and Roll Jamboree” / “I Want a Good friend”, 1961
• Dra 321, “Goliath” / “Cease the Twist”, 1962
• Summit 1001, “She’s Alright” / “Let the 4 Winds Blow”, 1963
• ABC-Bluesway 61002, “New Orleans Girls” / “Standing on Broadway (Watching the Women)”, 1967
• Gert 11123, “Child It is Love” / “Going Dwelling” 1968
• Gert 400, “The Message” / “Nice Casaboo”, 1968
• Tru-Love 448, “Good Candy Loving” / “Separation Blues”, 1968
• Tru-Love 449, “I am Making Love” / “Rocks Is My Pillow”, 1968
• Connie 303/304, “Younger Blood Twist” / “I Love a Girl “, 1969
• Friendship 701, “It is My Fault Darling” / “Love for Sale”, 1970
• Mercury 73166, “Love for Sale” / “It is My Fault Darling” (reissue), 1970
• Mercury 73219, “Hunky Funky Girl” / “Mail Man Blues”, 1971
• Cellular Constancy Productions MFP-2, “within the Eyes of My Individuals” / “You’ve got Received a Good friend”, 1972
• Topflight 103, “Onerous Instances” / “Separation Blues”, 19??

LP releases of observe

• King 536, Rock ‘n’ Roll Dance Get together, varied artists (together with Brown), 1956
• King 607, Battle of the Blues, album shared with Wynonie Harris, 1958
• King 627, Battle of the Blues, Quantity 2, album shared with Wynonie Harris 1959
• King 668, Battle of the Blues, Quantity 4, album shared with Eddie Cleanhead Vinson and Wynonie Harris, 1959
• King 956, Roy Brown Sings 24 Hits, 2-LP set, 1966
• ABC-Bluesway BLS-6019, The Blues Are All Brown, 1968
• ABC-Bluesway BLS-6056, Onerous Instances: The Traditional Blues of Roy Brown, 1973, identical as BLS-6019
• King KS-1130, Onerous Luck Blues, 1976
• Gusto GD-5036X, Onerous Luck Blues, 2-LP set, 1976
• Route 66 KIX-2, Laughing however Crying, recorded 1947–1959, launched 1977
• Route 66 KIX-6, Good Rockin’ Tonight, recorded 1947–1954, launched 1978
• Friendship RB-701, We Got here to Get together, 1978
• Religion 91020, Most cost-effective Worth in City, 1978
• Strong Smoke SS-8009, San Francisco Blues Competition, Vol. 1, album shared with Lowell Fulson (one aspect for every), 1981
• Mr. R&B 104, Saturday Nite, recorded 1952–1959, launched 1984
• Route 66 KIX-26, I Really feel That Younger Man’s Rhythm, recorded 1947–1955, launched 1985
• Charly CRB-1093, Boogie at Midnight, recorded 1947–1959, launched 1985

CD releases of observe

• Ace CHD-459, Mighty Mighty Man!, recorded 1953–1955 and 1959 for King Data, launched 1993
• Rhino 71545, Good Rockin’ Tonight: The Better of Roy Brown, recorded 1947–1957, launched 1994
• Capitol-EMI 31743, The Full Imperial Recordings, recorded 1956–1958 for Imperial Data, launched 1995
• Classics (Blues & Rhythm Collection) 5021, The Chronological Roy Brown 1947–1949, launched 2002
• Classics (Blues & Rhythm Collection) 5036, The Chronological Roy Brown 1950–1951, launched 2002
• Classics (Blues & Rhythm Collection) 5090, The Chronological Roy Brown 1951–1953, launched 2004
• Collectables 2882, Rockin’ at Midnight: The Very Better of Roy Brown, recorded 1947–1959, launched 2004
• Ace CHD-1072, Good Rockin’ Brown: The King & DeLuxe Acetate Collection, recorded 1947 for DeLuxe Data, launched 2005
• Incredible Voyage FVDD-123, Good Rockin’ Man: The Definitive Assortment, 2-CD set, recorded 1947–1960, launched 2011
• Jasmine JASMCD-3098, Good Rockin’ Tonight: All His Biggest Hits + Chosen Singles As & Bs 1947–1958, 2-CD set, launched 2018

See additionally

• Record of artists who reached primary on the Billboard R&B chart
• Record of blues musicians
• Record of leap blues musicians
• West Coast blues