Charles Brown
Charles Brown (September 13, 1922 – January 21, 1999), born in Texas City, … Read Full Bio ↴Charles Brown (September 13, 1922 – January 21, 1999), born in Texas City, Texas was an American blues singer and pianist whose soft-toned, slow-paced blues-club style influenced the development of blues performance during the 1940s and 1950s. He had several hit recordings, including "Driftin' Blues" and "Merry Christmas Baby".
In the late 1940s a rising demand for blues was driven by an increasing white teenage audience in the South which quickly spread north and west. Blues shouters got the attention, but also greatly influential was what writer Charles Keil dubbs "the postwar Texas clean-up movement in blues" led by stylists such as T-Bone Walker, Amos Milburn and Charles Brown. Their singing was lighter, more relaxed and they worked with bands and combos that had saxophone sections and used arrangements.
As a child Brown demonstrated his love of music and took classical piano lessons. Early on, Brown moved out to Los Angeles, where the great influx of blacks created an integrated nightclub scene in which black performers tended to minimize the rougher blues elements of their style. The blues club style of a light rhythm bass and right-hand tinkling of the piano and smooth vocals became popular, epitomized by the jazz piano of Nat King Cole. When Cole left Los Angeles to perform nationally, his place was taken by Johnny Moore's Three Blazers, featuring Charles Brown's gentle piano and vocals.
Brown signed with Aladdin Records and his 1945 recording on that label of the bestseller "Driftin' Blues" with a small combo was a typical club blues song. The single was on the R&B charts for six months, putting Brown at the forefront of a musical evolution that changed American musical performance. His style dominated the influential Southern California club scene on Central Avenue during that period and he influenced such performers as Floyd Dixon, Cecil Gant, Ivory Joe Hunter, Percy Mayfield, Johnny Ace and Ray Charles.
"Driftin'" was the first of several hits Brown subsequently released "Get Yourself Another Fool", "Black Night", "Hard Times" and "Trouble Blues", all major hits in the early 1950s on such labels as Modern Records as well as Alladin. He was unable to compete with the burgeoning rock and roll sound, though he maintained a small and devoted audience.
Brown's approach was too mellow to survive the transition to rock's harsher rhythms, and he faded from the national limelight. His Please Come Home for Christmas, a hit in 1960 on the King Records remained seasonally popular. During the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, he occasionally recorded and tried to regain some prominence. This continued until the 1980s, when Bonnie Raitt helped usher in a Charles Brown comeback tour.
He began a recording and performing career again, under the musical direction of guitarist Danny Caron, to greater success than he had achieved since the 1950s. Several records received Grammy Award nominations.
He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and received both the National Endowment for the Arts' National Heritage Fellowship and the W. C. Handy Award.
Brown died in 1999 in Oakland, California.
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In the late 1940s a rising demand for blues was driven by an increasing white teenage audience in the South which quickly spread north and west. Blues shouters got the attention, but also greatly influential was what writer Charles Keil dubbs "the postwar Texas clean-up movement in blues" led by stylists such as T-Bone Walker, Amos Milburn and Charles Brown. Their singing was lighter, more relaxed and they worked with bands and combos that had saxophone sections and used arrangements.
As a child Brown demonstrated his love of music and took classical piano lessons. Early on, Brown moved out to Los Angeles, where the great influx of blacks created an integrated nightclub scene in which black performers tended to minimize the rougher blues elements of their style. The blues club style of a light rhythm bass and right-hand tinkling of the piano and smooth vocals became popular, epitomized by the jazz piano of Nat King Cole. When Cole left Los Angeles to perform nationally, his place was taken by Johnny Moore's Three Blazers, featuring Charles Brown's gentle piano and vocals.
Brown signed with Aladdin Records and his 1945 recording on that label of the bestseller "Driftin' Blues" with a small combo was a typical club blues song. The single was on the R&B charts for six months, putting Brown at the forefront of a musical evolution that changed American musical performance. His style dominated the influential Southern California club scene on Central Avenue during that period and he influenced such performers as Floyd Dixon, Cecil Gant, Ivory Joe Hunter, Percy Mayfield, Johnny Ace and Ray Charles.
"Driftin'" was the first of several hits Brown subsequently released "Get Yourself Another Fool", "Black Night", "Hard Times" and "Trouble Blues", all major hits in the early 1950s on such labels as Modern Records as well as Alladin. He was unable to compete with the burgeoning rock and roll sound, though he maintained a small and devoted audience.
Brown's approach was too mellow to survive the transition to rock's harsher rhythms, and he faded from the national limelight. His Please Come Home for Christmas, a hit in 1960 on the King Records remained seasonally popular. During the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, he occasionally recorded and tried to regain some prominence. This continued until the 1980s, when Bonnie Raitt helped usher in a Charles Brown comeback tour.
He began a recording and performing career again, under the musical direction of guitarist Danny Caron, to greater success than he had achieved since the 1950s. Several records received Grammy Award nominations.
He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and received both the National Endowment for the Arts' National Heritage Fellowship and the W. C. Handy Award.
Brown died in 1999 in Oakland, California.
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Charles Brown Lyrics
A Hundred Years From Today Life is such a great adventure Learn to live it as…
A Song For Christmas Bells will be ringing the glad, glad news Oh, what a…
Again This couldn't happen again This is that once in a lifetime T…
All My Life Oh my life I've been waiting for you My wonderful one I begu…
Amazing Grace Looking in your eyes Is like looking through a window seein…
Bad Bad Whiskey Though folks with good intentions Tell me to save my tears W…
Black Night Nobody cares about me Ain't even got a friend Baby's gone an…
Black Nite Nobody cares about me I ain't even got a friend Baby's gone…
Blue Christmas want to climb down your chimney, baby, I want to…
Bobby Sox Blues Bobby Sox, baby, I've got to let you go Bobby Sox,…
Bringing in a Brand New Year At the stroke of midnight On that great big holiday We're …
C.O.D. You C C Rider, see what you done done C C…
christmas blues want to climb down your chimney, baby, I want to…
Christmas Comes But Once a Year Christmas time comes but once a year Oh I'm so happy My…
Christmas Questions At Christmas time At Christmas time My head is in a whirl Al…
Come Home for Christmas Bells will be ringing the glad, glad news Oh, what a…
Cottage for Sale Our little dream castle with every dream gone, Is lonely an…
Cryin' and Driftin' Blues Well I'm drifting and drifting, Like a ship out on the…
Drifting Blues Well I'm drifting and drifting, Like a ship out on the…
Driftin’ Blues Well I'm drifting and drifting, Like a ship out on the…
Every Little Bit Hurts Every little bit hurts Every little bit hurts Every night I …
Fool's Paradise I often think of the life I've led It's a wonder…
For You I remember other days how I used to weep Over…
Gloomy Sunday Sunday is gloomy; my hours are slumber-less Dearest, the sh…
Go Away Little Girl Won't you go away (little girl) Wish you wouldn't stay (litt…
goodnight my love Goodnight my love, the tired old moon is descending Goodnigh…
Hard Times Before she passed away Said "Son when I'm gone Don't forge…
Honey Scene is a June night, flooded with moonlight Fragrant rose…
How Deep Is the Ocean How much do I love you? I'll tell you no lie How…
How High the Moon Somewhere there's music How faint the tune Somewhere there's…
How High The Moon? Somewhere there's music How faint the tune Somewhere there…
I Cried For You I remember other days how I used to weep Over…
I Cried Last Night Well, I cried last night And I cried the night before Well,…
I Don't Know Now don't put all your dreams in one basket. Don't put…
I Got It Bad Though folks with good intentions Tell me to save my tears W…
I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good Though folks with good intentions Tell me to save my tears …
I Just Want To Talk To You I just wanna talk to you I know it′s crazy to…
I Surrender Dear Pride, sad, splendid liar, Sworn enemy of love Kept my…
I Want a G.I.R.L. One never knows, does one? When love will come along Then so…
I Want You I Need You I could show the world how to smile I could be…
I've Got a Right to Cry I′ve got a right to cry I've got a right to…
If I Had You I could show the world how to smile I could be…
If You Don't Why Don't You All right, Jacob, let's get you started See that shovel? Get…
It Had To Be You It had to be you, it had to be you. I…
It's A Sin To Tell A Lie Be sure it's true when you say I love you It's…
It's The Talk Of The Town We were more than lovers, We were more than sweethearts, It'…
Lost In A Dream Now don't put all your dreams in one basket. Don't put…
Love Is A Gamble There is no greater love Than what I feel for you No…
Merry Christmas Merry Christmas baby, you sure did treat me nice Ooh, merry…
Merry Christmas Baby Merry Christmas, baby, you sure did treat me nice Merry Chri…
More Whether you are here or yonder, Whether you are false…
My Interpretation Of Love Goodnight my love, the tired old moon is descending Goodnigh…
Nite After Nite Nobody cares about me I ain't even got a friend Baby's gone…
Oh! Oh! Sugar Bells will be ringing the glad glad news. Oh, what a…
One Never Knows Does One One never knows, does one? When love will come along Then so…
Please Come Home Bells will be ringing the glad, glad news Oh, what a…
Precious Lord Precious Lord, take my hand Lead me on, let me stand I'm…
Silent Night Silent night, holy night All is calm, all is bright Round yo…
St. Louis Blues I hate to see that evening sun go down I hate…
Stay With Me If you look in my eyes, say you donâ??t need…
Stormy Monday They call it stormy Monday, but Tuesday's just as bad They…
The Christmas Song Chestnuts roasting on an open fire Jack Frost nipping at you…
The Very Thought Of You The very thought of you And I forget to do Those little…
There Is No Greater Love There is no greater love Than what I feel for you No…
They All Say I'm The Biggest Fool I cried because we parted I cried the night I was…
To You My Love Goodnight my love, the tired old moon is descending Goodnigh…
Trouble So many tears Since you went away I'll always think of you E…
When Did You Leave Heaven I used to dream about angels But then I never…
You Won't Let Me Go I want you and I need you I'm all packed up…
You'll Never Know You'll never know just how much I miss you You'll never…