Samantha Brown (born 7 October 1964) is an English singer, musician and songwriter. Brown is a

blue-eyed soul Blue-eyed soul (also called white soul) is rhythm and blues (R&B) and soul music performed by white artists. The term was coined in the mid-1960s, to describe white artists whose sound was similar to that of the predominantly-black Motown and Stax ...

and

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

singer, and

ukulele The ukulele ( ; from haw, ukulele , approximately ), also called Uke, is a member of the lute family of instruments of Portuguese origin and popularized in Hawaii. It generally employs four nylon strings. The tone and volume of the instrumen ...

and

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

player. She came to prominence in the late 1980s as a solo artist, and released six singles that entered the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

during the 1980s and 1990s. Her solo singles, sometimes dealing with lost love, include " Stop!", " This Feeling", " Can I Get a Witness", "

Kissing Gate A kissing gate is a gate that allows people, but not livestock, to pass through. The normal construction is a half-round, rectangular, trapezoidal or V-shaped part-enclosure with the free end of a hinged gate trapped between its arms. When the ...

", " With a Little Love" and "Just Good Friends". She worked as a session backing vocalist, working with artists such as

Gary Moore Robert William Gary Moore (4 April 19526 February 2011) was a Northern Irish musician. Over the course of his career he played in various groups and performed a range of music including blues, blues rock, hard rock, heavy metal, and jazz fus ...

George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian c ...

Small Faces Small Faces were an English rock band from London, founded in 1965. The group originally consisted of Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane, Kenney Jones and Jimmy Winston, with Ian McLagan replacing Winston as the band's keyboardist in 1966. The ...

Spandau Ballet Spandau Ballet () were an English new wave band formed in Islington, London, in 1979. Inspired by the capital's post-punk underground dance scene, they emerged at the start of the 1980s as the house band for the Blitz Kids, playing "European D ...

Adam Ant Stuart Leslie Goddard, better known as Adam Ant (born 3 November 1954), is an English singer, musician, and actor. He gained popularity as the lead singer of new wave group Adam and the Ants and later as a solo artist, scoring 10 UK top ten ...

Jon Lord John Douglas Lord (9 June 194116 July 2012) was an English orchestral and rock composer, pianist, and Hammond organ player known for his pioneering work in fusing rock with classical or baroque forms, especially with the British rock band Deep ...

(of

Deep Purple Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock music, but their musical style has changed over the course of its existence. Originally formed as ...

Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philosophical lyrics an ...

(also

David Gilmour David Jon Gilmour ( ; born 6 March 1946) is an English guitarist, singer, songwriter, and member of the rock band Pink Floyd. He joined as guitarist and co-lead vocalist in 1967, shortly before the departure of founding member Syd Barrett. P ...

The Firm The FIRM (stylized as The FIRM) is a brand of exercise videos and equipment currently owned by Gaiam. The original "The FIRM" videos are best known for popularizing a hybrid of aerobic exercise and weight training. History In 1979, Anna Ben ...

, Dodgy and

Nick Cave Nicholas Edward Cave (born 22 September 1957) is an Australian singer, songwriter, poet, lyricist, author, screenwriter, composer and occasional actor. Known for his baritone voice and for fronting the rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, ...

. Brown released her debut album '' Stop!'' in 1988 and in total has released six

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records c ...

s, one EP, one

live album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records c ...

, and three

compilation album A compilation album comprises tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several performers. If by one artist, then generally the tracks were not originally intended for rel ...

s, as well as three albums as part of the group Homespun. She developed serious problems with her singing voice in 2007 after which she stopped recording and singing live. She is due to release a new album in 2023.

Early years

Samantha Brown was born on 7 October 1964, in Stratford, east London, England. She is the daughter of musician Joe Brown and session singer

Vicki Brown Vicki Brown (23 August 1940 – 16 June 1991) was an English pop, rock and contemporary classical singer. She was a member of both The Vernons Girls and The Breakaways and was the first wife of fellow singer and musician Joe Brown and mother o ...

. Brown's first work in the music industry was in 1978 aged 14, when she sang backing vocals on the final studio album by the

, ''

78 in the Shade ''78 in the Shade'' is the fifth and final studio album, and the second during their reunion, by Small Faces. It was released on the Atlantic label in 1978 and re-issued in 2005 on Wounded Bird. The album was created during the brief re-union ...

''. She also worked as a backing vocalist with several other bands, including

and with her mother on former

keyboardist

's third solo album '' Before I Forget''.

Career

Brown signed a recording contract with A&M in 1986. Her most successful song with A&M was " Stop!", released as a single in 1988. She issued an album of the same name that same year. Other singles taken from the album included " Walking Back to Me", " This Feeling" and her

cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song relea ...

of " Can I Get a Witness". The album ''Stop!'' has sold over two-and-a-half million copies worldwide, doing particularly well in the UK and Australia. Brown's second studio album, '' April Moon'' (1990), included two

hit Hit means to strike someone or something. Hit or HIT may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Hit, a fictional character from '' Dragon Ball Super'' * Homicide International Trust, or HIT, a fictional organization ...

singles, "

" and " With a Little Love". Three further singles were released from the album: " Mindworks", "Once in Your Life" and "As One". She also played the ukulele. Brown's third studio album, '' 43 Minutes...'', was made around the same time that her mother was dying from breast cancer. A&M, Brown's record label at the time, were not satisfied with the album and wanted some potential hit singles recorded and added to the track listing. Brown, unwilling to compromise and after a protracted legal battle, bought back the master recordings of the album and released them in 1992 on her own label Pod Music, a year after the death of her mother. Few copies were initially released, but it was reissued in 2004. Brown provided backing vocals for

on their 14th studio album, ''

The Division Bell ''The Division Bell'' is the fourteenth studio album by the English progressive rock band Pink Floyd, released on 28 March 1994 by EMI Records in the United Kingdom and on 4 April by Columbia Records in the United States. The second Pink Flo ...

'', released in 1994, and accompanied them on their tour to promote the release. Her involvement was documented on the following year's Pink Floyd release, ''

Pulse In medicine, a pulse represents the tactile arterial palpation of the cardiac cycle (heartbeat) by trained fingertips. The pulse may be palpated in any place that allows an artery to be compressed near the surface of the body, such as at the n ...

'', in which she sang backing vocals and was the first lead vocalist on the song "

The Great Gig in the Sky "The Great Gig in the Sky" is the fifth track on '' The Dark Side of the Moon'', the 1973 album by the English progressive rock band Pink Floyd. The song features music by Richard Wright and non-lexical vocals by Clare Torry, being one of only ...

". In 1995, she had a minor chart hit with a

duet A duet is a musical composition for two performers in which the performers have equal importance to the piece, often a composition involving two singers or two pianists. It differs from a harmony, as the performers take turns performing a sol ...

with fellow singer-songwriter

Fish Fish are Aquatic animal, aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack Limb (anatomy), limbs with Digit (anatomy), digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and Chondrichthyes, cartilaginous and bony fish as we ...

, entitled "Just Good Friends". In 1997, Brown returned with her fourth studio album '' Box'', released via the independent record label

Demon Music Group Demon Music Group (DMG) is a record company owned by BBC Studios that is mainly concerned with back-catalogue rights and re-issuing recordings as compilations on physical media (CDs and vinyl) via supermarkets and specialist stores. History DM ...

. Tracks on this album included "Embrace the Darkness", "Whisper" and "I Forgive You" which was co-written with

Maria McKee Maria Luisa McKee (born August 17, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter. She is best known for her work with Lone Justice, her 1990 song "Show Me Heaven", and her song "If Love Is a Red Dress (Hang Me in Rags)" from the film ''Pulp Fiction''. ...

. McKee's version of the song originally appeared on her second album, ''

You Gotta Sin to Get Saved ''You Gotta Sin to Get Saved'' is the second album by the American singer-songwriter Maria McKee, released in 1993. The album includes two Van Morrison covers and a take on Goffin/King's "I Can't Make It Alone". The first single was " I'm Gonna So ...

''. In 2000, her fifth studio album, ''

ReBoot In computing, rebooting is the process by which a running computer system is restarted, either intentionally or unintentionally. Reboots can be either a cold reboot (alternatively known as a hard reboot) in which the power to the system is physi ...

'', was released via another independent label, Mud Hut, as was the single "In Light of All That's Gone Before." In 2003, Brown formed the band Homespun with Dave Rotheray,. The group has released three albums. Brown also released several solo recordings in this period, including an EP, ''Ukulele and Voice''. In 2004,

released '' Beyond the Notes'', for which she wrote almost all the lyrics. In late 2006, she undertook an extensive UK tour as special guest of her father, Joe Brown. The shows also included appearances by her brother, Pete Brown. In 2007, seven years after her last album, Brown released ''Of the Moment''. She also returned to the Top 10 of the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...

in October 2007, when "Valentine Moon" was included on

Jools Holland Julian Miles Holland, (born 24 January 1958) is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer and television presenter. He was an original member of the band Squeeze and has worked with many artists including Jayne County, Sting, Eric C ...

's hit album ''Best of Friends''. That same year she developed problems with her singing voice, and for unknown reasons has not been able to sing consistently since. In an interview in 2013 she explained that "I can't get vocal cord closure and achieve the proper pitch simultaneously. It feels like there are some muscles that aren't working." After a cyst was found on her vocal cords, she had the cyst successfully removed, but problems with her voice persisted, leaving her unable to hold a note. Seeking alternative musical occupation, Brown started a ukulele club in 2010 and expanded to several clubs in

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the north west of South East England. It is a mainly rural county, with its largest settlement being the city of Oxford. The county is a centre of research and development, primaril ...

Dorset Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset. Covering an area of , ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

and online which have continued to thrive. In 2021 she released her only live album ''Wednesday The Something Of April'' a recording of a one-woman show from 2004 featuring songs from across her career. Brown's first studio album in fifteen years ''Number 8'' will be released on 20 January 2023. It was written and recorded with long-time collaborator Danny Schogger and makes use of Melodyne software to help Brown's vocals.

Backing vocalist

As well as her solo career, Brown has had a successful career as a backing vocalist and collaborator with other artists. She has worked with the band

Barclay James Harvest Barclay James Harvest are an English progressive rock band. They were founded in Oldham, in September 1966 by bassist/vocalist Les Holroyd (b. 1948), guitarist/vocalist John Lees (b. 1947), drummer/percussionist Mel Pritchard (1948–2004), ...

(1984),

('' David Gilmour in Concert'') and Pink Floyd,

(''

In Concert with The London Symphony Orchestra ''In Concert with The London Symphony Orchestra'' (also cited as ''In Concert with The London Symphony Orchestra Conducted by Paul Mann'') is a live album and DVD by the British hard rock band Deep Purple, recorded on 25–26 September 1999 ...

''),

and

. She has often appeared as a member of

Jools Holland's Rhythm and Blues Orchestra Jools Holland's Rhythm and Blues Orchestra (also known as Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra) is a rhythm and blues band led by boogie-woogie pianist Jools Holland. History Holland formed the band in 1994. In May 2022 the 17-piece ...

and achieved further prominence with her 2002 performance at the

Concert for George The Concert for George was held at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 29 November 2002 as a memorial to George Harrison on the first anniversary of his death. The event was organised by Harrison's widow, Olivia, and his son, Dhani, and arrang ...

, which was a memorial to George Harrison on the first anniversary of his death, where she sang " Horse to the Water". This song is included in the film of the concert, not on the

album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records c ...

. In 2002, she was a backing vocalist at

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...

at the

Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II The Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II was the international celebration held in 2002 marking the 50th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. It was intended by the Queen to be both a commemoration of her 50 years as ...

's concert,

Party at the Palace The Party at the Palace was a British pop/rock music concert held at Buckingham Palace Garden in London on 3 June 2002. The event was in commemoration of the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II held over the Golden Jubilee Weekend. It was the ...

. In 2015, Brown started teaching backing vocals classes at the

Academy of Contemporary Music The Academy of Contemporary Music (ACM) is a music academy in Guildford, Surrey, England providing contemporary music-based courses. The school of music has a focus on rock, pop music, electronic dance music and a vocational approach. T ...

(ACM) in

Guildford Guildford () is a town in west Surrey, around southwest of central London. As of the 2011 census, the town has a population of about 77,000 and is the seat of the wider Borough of Guildford, which had around inhabitants in . The name "Guildf ...

, Surrey, a school for rock and pop musicians.

Personal life

Brown has two children, born 1993 and 1995, with her ex-husband, producer and musician Robin Evans. On 16 June 1991, Brown's mother

died aged 50 from

breast cancer Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or ...

Album titles

The titles of Brown's seven solo studio albums and one live album spell out her name: * ''Stop!'' * ''April Moon'' * ''(43) Minutes...'' * ''Box'' * ''ReBoot'' * ''Of the Moment'' * ''Wednesday the Something of April'' * ''Number 8'' Brown said that she was unaware of the pattern until it was pointed out after the release of ''ReBoot'' in 2000. Once it was brought to her attention she vowed to continue the trend, asking fans to submit suggestions for the next title beginning with 'O'. ''Of the Moment'' was released in September 2007: its title was suggested by a fan via Brown's website.

Discography

Studio albums * '' Stop!'' (1988) * '' April Moon'' (1990) * '' 43 Minutes...'' (1993) * '' Box'' (1997) * ''

'' (2000) * ''Of the Moment'' (2007) * ''Number 8'' (2023) Live albums * ''Wednesday the Something of April'' (2021)

References

External links

Miss Sam Brown – Official websiteOne Candle – Sam Brown fan club
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, Sam 1964 births Living people A&M Records artists British ukulele players English women singer-songwriters English jazz singers English record producers English session musicians English soul singers People from Stratford, London Singers from London British women jazz singers 20th-century English women singers 20th-century English singers 21st-century English women singers 21st-century English singers British women record producers Jools Holland's Rhythm and Blues Orchestra members