Brown and his sisters, Maxine and Bonnie, moved to Pine Bluff, Arkansas as children. They formed a singing group in the early 1950s and also sang individually until 1954, when Jim Ed and Maxine signed a record contract as a duo. They earned national recognition and a guest spot on Ernest Tubb's radio show for their humorous song "Looking Back To See", which hit the top ten and stayed on the charts through the summer of 1954.
Jim Ed and Maxine were joined in 1955 by 18-year-old Bonnie, and The Browns began performing on Louisiana Hayride in Shreveport, Louisiana. By the end of 1955, the trio was appearing on KWTO-AM in Springfield, Missouri, and had another top ten hit with "Here Today and Gone Tomorrow", which got a boost by their national appearances on ABC-TV's Ozark Jubilee. They signed with RCA Victor in 1956, and soon had two major hits, "I Take the Chance" and "I Heard the Bluebirds Sing". When Jim Ed was drafted in 1957, the group continued to record while he was on leave, and sister Norma filled in for him on tours. He was stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado.
In 1959, The Browns scored their biggest hit when their folk-pop single "The Three Bells" reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop and country charts. The song also peaked at No. 10 on Billboard's Rhythm and Blues listing. Remakes of the pop hits "Scarlet Ribbons" and "The Old Lamplighter" continued the hit streak, reaching the top 15 on Billboard's Pop and Country surveys. The trio had moderate successes on the country music charts for seven years thereafter. In 1963, they joined the Grand Ole Opry and in 1967 the group disbanded.
Brown continued to record for RCA Victor and had a number of country hits, starting in 1965 while still with his sisters. In 1967, he released his first solo top ten hit, "Pop a Top", which became his signature song. Beginning in 1969, he also gained his own syndicated TV series "The Country Place", which would become famous for introducing Crystal Gayle. The show ended in 1971. In 1970, he gained a crossover hit with "Morning" which went to No. 4 on the country charts and No. 47 on the pop charts. Other hits included "Angel's Sunday" (1971), "Southern Loving" (1973), "Sometime Sunshine" (1974) and "It's That Time Of Night" (1974).
Beginning in 1976, Brown released a string of major duet hits with Helen Cornelius starting with the No. 1 hit, "I Don't Want to Have to Marry You". Other hits for the duo included "Saying Hello, Saying I Love You, Saying Goodbye" (1977), "Born Believer" (1977), "I'll Never Be Free" (1978), "If the World Ran Out of Love Tonight" (1978), "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" (a cover of the then-recent Neil Diamond-Barbra Streisand hit) (1979), "Lying In Love With You" (1979), "Fools" (1979), "Morning Comes Too Early" (1980) and "Don't Bother to Knock" (1981).
Brown hosted the syndicated country television show Nashville On The Road, along with Jerry Clower, Helen Cornelius, and Wendy Holcombe. The entire cast was replaced in 1981. The new host, Jim Stafford, kept hosting it until it ended in 1983. He also hosted The Nashville Network programs, You Can Be A Star (a talent show), and Going Our Way, which featured Brown and his wife traveling the U.S. in an RV. Brown lived in the south Nashville suburb of Brentwood, Tennessee with his wife Becky.
Brown hosted two nationally syndicated country music radio shows, the weekly two-hour Country Music Greats Radio Show and the weekday short-form vignette, Country Music Greats Radio Minute. Both were broadcast by over 300 radio stations to a weekly audience exceeding three million, as well as on the Internet. Recorded at the Hard Scuffle Studios in Nashville, the Country Music Greats Radio Show blended music from the 1940s through the 1990s with an interview archive of country stars past and present. Brown also told tales of living and working in the country music industry.
Beginning in 1975, Brown became a national spokesperson for the Dollar General Stores discount retailer. He appeared in frequent TV advertisements using the slogan, "Every day is dollar day at your Dollar General Store," and an autographed photo hung behind the cash register at many stores.
Jim Ed Brown remained an active and popular member of the Grand Ole Opry until his death, where he had been a member since 1963 and occasionally reunited onstage with Cornelius.
In March 2015, it was announced that The Browns would be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame later in the year. With his health declining, Brown was inducted in June.
Brown announced in September 2014 that he had been diagnosed with lung cancer and had temporarily retired from hosting his radio programs; he had since returned to hosting. After he had been diagnosed in early 2015 to be in remission, Brown announced on June 3, 2015 that the cancer had returned. He died a week later, on June 11, 2015, at the age of 81.
Whispering Hope
Jim Ed Brown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Breathing a lesson unheard
Hope with a gentle persuasion
Whispers her comforting word.
Wait, till the darkness is over
Wait, till our tempest is done
Hope for the sunshine tomorrow
Chorus:
Whispering hope
Oh, how welcome thy voice
Making my heart
In it's sorrow rejoice.
--- Instrumental ---
If, in the dusk of the twilight
Dim be the region afar
Will not the deepening darkness
Brighten the glimmering star?
Then when the night is upon us
Why should the heart sink away?
When the dark midnight is over
Watch for the breaking of day.
Chorus:
Whispering hope
Oh, how welcome thy voice
Making my heart
In it's sorrow rejoice...
In Jim Ed Brown’s song “Whispering Hope,” the singer talks about the power of hope in the face of dark times. The lyrics evocatively speak of the gentleness of hope, as it whispers a lesson unheard yet full of persuasion and comfort. Hope is portrayed as an angelic voice, soft and calm, that helps the singer’s heart rejoice in the midst of sorrow.
The song encourages waiting out the storms of life and having hope for a better tomorrow. It acknowledges that darkness will come, but asks why should the heart sink away, when ultimately the night will end and the day will break. By trusting in hope, one can endure any difficulty and look forward to a future filled with happiness and light.
Overall, “Whispering Hope” portrays a message of resilience and faith, encouraging listeners to hold on to hope no matter how dark it may seem. The song’s understated, soothing melody only adds to its comforting message, making it a timeless classic.
Interesting facts about the song:
1. The original version of the song was written in 1868 by Septimus Winner under the title “Whispering Hope.”
2. The song has since been covered by numerous artists, including Elvis Presley and Glen Campbell.
3. Jim Ed Brown’s version was released in 1961 and reached #4 on the country charts.
4. The song has also become a popular choice for funerals and memorial services.
5. In 2006, the song was featured in the movie “We Are Marshall,” about the aftermath of a devastating plane crash.
6. The song has been translated into several languages, including Spanish, French, and German.
7. The lyrics have been altered over time, with different versions that emphasize Christian themes or offer a message of universal hope.
8. The song has been recorded in various musical styles, including gospel, country, and pop.
9. In 2009, “Whispering Hope” was included in a collection of songs played on NASA’s STS-132 mission to space.
10. The chords for the song are as follows: G, C, D, Am, G, Em, A7, D7.
Line by Line Meaning
Soft as the voice of an Angel
Hope is represented by the soft and comforting voice of an Angel.
Breathing a lesson unheard
Hope offers a unique message of comfort that has not been heard before.
Hope with a gentle persuasion
Hope has a gentle and encouraging manner that inspires people.
Whispers her comforting word.
Hope whispers comforting words that offer solace and reassurance.
Wait, till the darkness is over
We must wait until the darkness or difficult time is over before we can see the light.
Wait, till our tempest is done
We should wait until our emotional storm is over and things have settled down before taking any further actions.
Hope for the sunshine tomorrow
We must have hope and faith that there will be a better tomorrow with brighter prospects.
After the shower is gone.
Things will improve after the rain or difficult time has passed.
If, in the dusk of the twilight
Even when we are in the darkest, most uncertain situations or times, we can hope for a brighter future.
Dim be the region afar
Even if the situation seems bleak or far away, we can find hope in the distance.
Will not the deepening darkness
The darkness deepening will eventually lead to the light becoming brighter, bringing with it hope.
Brighten the glimmering star?
The light will brighten up the stars whose shine had faded previously.
Then when the night is upon us
When the world is at its darkest, we must hold on to hope and faith that things will get better.
Why should the heart sink away?
We should not despair or lose hope when faced with tough times, as that would only weigh our heart down.
When the dark midnight is over
When the worst is over, hope will emerge, and we will be able to see the light.
Watch for the breaking of day.
We should be alert and wait for the dawn to break to see the new day and a brighter future.
Chorus:
This is the recurring chorus of the song.
Whispering hope
Hope is a quiet and gentle force that inspires and comforts people.
Oh, how welcome thy voice
Hope's voice is always welcome, especially in difficult and dark times.
Making my heart
Hope brings joy and inspiration that can touch the heart.
In it's sorrow rejoice.
Even in our grief or sorrow, hope brings with it a sense of joy and optimism that can uplift us.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind