Roy Brown (blues Musician)
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Roy James Brown (September 10, 1920 or 1925May 25, 1981) was an American
blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...
singer who had a significant influence on the early development of
rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...
and the direction of R&B. His original song and hit recording " Good Rockin' Tonight" has been covered by many artists including
Wynonie Harris Wynonie Harris (August 24, 1915 – June 14, 1969) was an American blues shouter best remembered as a singer of upbeat songs, featuring humorous, often ribald lyrics. He had fifteen Top 10 hits between 1946 and 1952. Harris is attributed by ...
,
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...
,
Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American Rock music, rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", Springsteen has released 21 studio albums spanning six decades; most of his albums feature th ...
,
Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...
,
Joe Ely Joe Ely (; born February 9, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He was "one of the main movers" of Austin, Texas' progressive country scene in the 1970s and '80s. He has had a genre-crossing career, performing with Bruce ...
,
Ricky Nelson Eric Hilliard "Ricky" Nelson (May 8, 1940 – December 31, 1985) was an American musician and actor. From age eight, he starred alongside his family in the radio and television series ''The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet''. In 1957, he began a ...
,
Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lee Lewis (September 29, 1935October 28, 2022) was an American pianist, singer, and songwriter. Nicknamed "The Killer", he was described as "rock 'n' roll's first great wild man". A pioneer of rock and roll and rockabilly music, Lewis m ...
,
Pat Boone Patrick Charles Eugene Boone (born June 1, 1934) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, author, television personality, radio host and philanthropist. He sold nearly 50 million records, had 38 Top 40 hits, and has acted in many films. Boone ...
,
James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, musician, and record producer. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th-century music, he is referred to by Honorific nick ...
, the
Doors A door is a hinged or otherwise movable barrier that allows ingress (entry) into and egress (exit) from an enclosure. The created opening in the wall is a ''doorway'' or ''portal''. A door's essential and primary purpose is to provide secu ...
, the Treniers, and the rock group Montrose. Brown was one of the first popular R&B singers to perform songs with a gospel-steeped delivery, which was then considered taboo by many churches. In addition, his melismatic, pleading vocal style influenced notable artists such as
B.B. King Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues guitarist, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, sh ...
,
Bobby Bland Robert Calvin Bland (born Robert Calvin Brooks; January 27, 1930 – June 23, 2013), known professionally as Bobby "Blue" Bland, was an American blues singer. Bland developed a sound that mixed gospel with the blues and R&B. He was describ ...
,
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...
,
Jackie Wilson Jack Leroy "Jackie" Wilson Jr. (June 9, 1934 – January 21, 1984) was an American singer who was a prominent figure in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. Nicknamed "Mr. Excitement", he was considered a master showman and one of th ...
,
James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, musician, and record producer. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th-century music, he is referred to by Honorific nick ...
and
Little Richard Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American singer, pianist, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the "Ar ...
.


Early life and education

Brown was born in Kinder, Louisiana. Some sources report his birth date as September 10, 1925, but the researchers Bob Eagle and Eric LeBlanc gave the date as September 10, 1920, on the basis of information in the 1930 census and
Social Security Welfare spending is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specifically to social insurance ...
records, and stated that 1925 is incorrect. Media reports state that he was either 55 or 56 at the time of his death. Like many R&B singers, Brown started singing gospel music in church. His mother was an accomplished singer and church organist.Back cover of '' We Came to Party'', presumably by Brown. He moved to Los Angeles in the 1940s and for a short time was a professional boxer in the welterweight division. In 1945 he won a singing contest at the Million Dollar Theater, covering " There's No You", originally recorded by
Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, comedian, entertainer and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwi ...
. In 1946, Brown moved to
Galveston, Texas Galveston ( ) is a Gulf Coast of the United States, coastal resort town, resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island (Texas), Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a pop ...
, where he sang in Joe Coleman's group, performing mostly songs from the Hit Parade, in a nightclub called the Club Granada. His repertoire included " Good Rockin' Tonight". After being rejected by the armed forces because of flat feet, Brown secured his first major job in a club in Shreveport, Louisiana, singing mostly pop ballads, such as " Stardust" and " There's No You". The owner of Bill Riley's Palace Park hired him, as Brown told an interviewer for '' Blues Unlimited'', because of his appeal as "a Negro singer who sounds white."''Honkers and Shouters: The Golden Years of Rhythm and Blues''. New York: Crowell-Collier Press. 1978. p. 100. It was at the Palace Park that Brown started developing a blues repertoire, learning contemporary R&B tunes such as "Jelly Jelly" (recorded by
Billy Eckstine William Clarence Eckstine (July 8, 1914 – March 8, 1993) was an American jazz and pop singer and a bandleader during the swing and bebop eras. He was noted for his rich, almost operatic bass-baritone voice. In 2019, Eckstine was posthumously a ...
). He returned to New Orleans in 1947, where he performed at the Dew Drop Inn.


Career

Brown was a fan of blues singer
Wynonie Harris Wynonie Harris (August 24, 1915 – June 14, 1969) was an American blues shouter best remembered as a singer of upbeat songs, featuring humorous, often ribald lyrics. He had fifteen Top 10 hits between 1946 and 1952. Harris is attributed by ...
. When Harris appeared in town, Brown tried but failed to interest him in listening to "Good Rockin' Tonight". Brown then approached another blues singer, Cecil Gant, who was performing at another club in town. Brown introduced his song, and Gant had him sing it over the telephone to the president of De Luxe Records, Jules Braun, reportedly at 4:00 in the morning. Brown was signed to a recording contract immediately. He recorded the song in a
jump blues Jump blues is an uptempo style of blues, jazz, and boogie woogie usually played by small groups and featuring horn instruments. It was popular in the 1940s and was a precursor of rhythm and blues and rock and roll. Appreciation of jump blues wa ...
style with a swing beat. It was released in 1948 and reached number 13 on the ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' R&B
chart A chart (sometimes known as a graph) is a graphics, graphical representation for data visualization, in which "the data is represented by symbols, such as bars in a bar chart, lines in a line chart, or slices in a pie chart". A chart can repres ...
. Ironically, Harris recorded a cover version of the song, and his version rose to the top of the ''Billboard'' R&B chart later in 1948. Presley also covered the song for
Sun Records Sun Records is an American independent record label founded by producer Sam Phillips in Memphis, Tennessee on February 1, 1952. Sun was the first label to record Elvis Presley, Charlie Rich, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Jo ...
in 1954; it was re-released by
RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic ...
when his
recording contract A recording contract (commonly called a record contract or record deal) is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording act (artist or group), where the act makes an audio recording (or series of recordings) for the label to sell and ...
was sold to that label in 1956. According to the Paul McCartney Project, "the song has also been credited with being the most successful record to that point to use the word 'rock' not as a euphemism for sex, but as a descriptive for the musical style. Brown continued to make his mark on the R&B charts, having 14 hits for De Luxe from mid-1948 to late 1951, including the million-selling, " Hard Luck Blues" (1950, his biggest seller), "Love Don't Love Nobody", " Rockin' at Midnight", "Boogie at Midnight", "Miss Fanny Brown", and "Cadillac Baby", making him, along with Harris, one of the top R&B performers in those three years. One source suggests that Brown was the "best selling R&B artist from 1949-51". Another states that during 1948–51, "he had 15 records on the charts". A third source adds that Brown "chalked up a dozen top 10s". After his popularity had peaked, Brown began to experience a lull in his career. Doo-wop and R&B groups were quickly gaining popularity as the standard sound of R&B in the early to mid-1950s. His declining fortune coincided with the resolution of a
lawsuit A lawsuit is a proceeding by one or more parties (the plaintiff or claimant) against one or more parties (the defendant) in a civil court of law. The archaic term "suit in law" is found in only a small number of laws still in effect today ...
against King Records for unpaid
royalties A royalty payment is a payment made by one party to another that owns a particular asset, for the right to ongoing use of that asset. Royalties are typically agreed upon as a percentage of gross or net revenues derived from the use of an asset or ...
in 1952, in which Brown prevailed, one of the few African-American musicians to do so in the 1950s. This coincidence has led some, such as writer
Nick Tosches Nicholas P. Tosches (; October 23, 1949 – October 20, 2019) was an American journalist, novelist, biographer, and poet. His 1982 biography of Jerry Lee Lewis, ''Hellfire (Nick Tosches book), Hellfire'', was praised by ''Rolling Stone'' magazi ...
(in his book ''Unsung Heroes of Rock 'n' Roll'', which contains a chapter on Brown) to believe that Brown may have been
blacklist Blacklisting is the action of a group or authority compiling a blacklist of people, countries or other entities to be avoided or distrusted as being deemed unacceptable to those making the list; if people are on a blacklist, then they are considere ...
ed. Brown's other misfortunes included trouble with the
Internal Revenue Service The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the revenue service for the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, which is responsible for collecting Taxation in the United States, U.S. federal taxes and administerin ...
. When confronted by the government for unpaid taxes he owed, he approached
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...
for help. Presley wrote him a check on a brown paper bag, but it was not enough to keep Brown out of prison for tax evasion. In 1951, Brown performed at the seventh famed Cavalcade of Jazz concert held at
Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a ballpark on the North Side, Chicago, North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charl ...
in Los Angeles which was produced by Leon Hefflin, Sr. on July 8. Also featured were
Lionel Hampton Lionel Leo Hampton (April 20, 1908 – August 31, 2002) was an American jazz vibraphonist, percussionist, and bandleader. He worked with jazz musicians from Teddy Wilson, Benny Goodman, and Buddy Rich, to Charlie Parker, Charles Mingus, an ...
and his Revue, Percy Mayfield,
Jimmy Witherspoon James Witherspoon (August 8, 1920 – September 18, 1997) was an American jump blues and jazz singer. Early life, family and education Witherspoon was born in Gurdon, Arkansas. His father was a railroad worker who sang in local choirs, an ...
, Joe Liggins' Honeydrippers and
Billy Eckstine William Clarence Eckstine (July 8, 1914 – March 8, 1993) was an American jazz and pop singer and a bandleader during the swing and bebop eras. He was noted for his rich, almost operatic bass-baritone voice. In 2019, Eckstine was posthumously a ...
. The following year, June 1, 1952, he performed for the eighth Cavalcade of Jazz concert with His Mighty Men. Also featured that day were Anna Mae Winburn and Her Sweethearts, Jerry Wallace, Toni Harper,
Louis Jordan Louis Thomas Jordan (July 8, 1908 – February 4, 1975) was an American saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and bandleader who was popular from the late 1930s to the early 1950s. Known as "Honorific nicknames in popular music, the King ...
,
Jimmy Witherspoon James Witherspoon (August 8, 1920 – September 18, 1997) was an American jump blues and jazz singer. Early life, family and education Witherspoon was born in Gurdon, Arkansas. His father was a railroad worker who sang in local choirs, an ...
and
Josephine Baker Freda Josephine Baker (; June 3, 1906 – April 12, 1975), naturalized as Joséphine Baker, was an American and French dancer, singer, and actress. Her career was centered primarily in Europe, mostly in France. She was the first Black woman to s ...
. And Brown came back in 1953 to play at the 9th Cavalcade of Jazz on June 7. Also featured that day were, Don Tosti and His Mexican Jazzmen,
Earl Bostic Eugene Earl Bostic (April25, 1913October28, 1965) was an American alto saxophonist. Bostic's recording career was diverse, his musical output encompassing jazz, swing music, swing, jump blues and the post-war American rhythm and blues style, whi ...
, Nat "King" Cole, Shorty Roger's Orchestra, and
Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...
and his All Stars with Velma Middleton,. Brown had a brief comeback on Imperial Records in 1957. Working with
Dave Bartholomew David Louis Bartholomew (December 24, 1918 – June 23, 2019) was an American musician, bandleader, composer, arrangement, arranger, and record producer. He was prominent in the music of New Orleans throughout the second half of the 20th century ...
, he returned to the charts with the original version of "Let the Four Winds Blow", co-written with
Fats Domino Antoine Caliste Domino Jr. (February 26, 1928 – October 24, 2017), known as Fats Domino, was an American singer-songwriter and pianist. One of the pioneers of rock and roll music, Domino sold more than 65 million records. Born in New Orl ...
, who would later have a hit with it. Brown returned to King Records, but his popularity had diminished by 1959. He found sporadic work, performing wherever he was wanted, and he made some recordings through the 1960s. To supplement his income, he sold the rights to "Good Rockin' Tonight". "I was selling door to door," he reminisced, referring to his stint as an encyclopedia salesman. In 1970, Brown closed ''The
Johnny Otis Johnny Otis (born Ioannis Alexandres Veliotes (Greek language, Greek: Ιωάννης Αλέξανδρος Βελιώτης)); December 28, 1921 – January 17, 2012) was a Greek American singer, musician, composer, bandleader, record producer, ...
Show'' at the
Monterey Jazz Festival The Monterey Jazz Festival is an annual music festival that takes place in Monterey, California, United States. It debuted on October 3, 1958, championed by Dave Brubeck and co-founded by jazz and popular music critic Ralph J. Gleason and jazz ...
. As a result of the positive reception by the audience, he recorded "Love for Sale", which became a hit for
Mercury Records Mercury Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group. It had significant success as an independent operation in the 1940s and 1950s. Smash Records and Fontana Records were sub labels of Mercury. Mercury Records released ...
.


Later life and death

In the late 1970s, a compilation album of his old recordings brought about a minor revival of interest in his music. In 1978, he made a successful tour in
Scandinavia Scandinavia is a subregion#Europe, subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also ...
following the releases of ''Laughing but Crying'' and '' Good Rockin' Tonight''. Shortly before his death he performed at the
Whisky a Go Go The Whisky a Go Go (informally nicknamed The Whisky) is a historic nightclub in West Hollywood, California, United States. It is located at 8901 Sunset Boulevard on the Sunset Strip, corner North Clark Street, opposite North San Vicente Boulev ...
in
West Hollywood, California West Hollywood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Incorporated in 1984, it is home to the Sunset Strip. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. Census, its population was 35,757. History Most historical writing ...
, and he was a headliner at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in 1981, dying a month later. According to ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'', "in 1952 he attempted to sue his manager for unpaid royalties, but succeeded only in getting himself blackballed from the music industry. He spent much of his life as a door-to-door encyclopedia salesman". In truth, he made a comeback in 1970, performing at the Monterey Jazz Festival; he continued touring for "the rest of the decade", including a tour of Europe in 1978. Brown died of a heart attack on May 25, 1981, at Pacoima Lutheran Memorial Hospital, near his home in the San Fernando Valley. The Reverend Johnny Otis conducted the funeral service. Years later,
Little Richard Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American singer, pianist, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the "Ar ...
said that Roy Brown had been one of the artists that inspired him in the early years.


Legacy

Brown was
posthumously Posthumous may refer to: * Posthumous award, an award, prize or medal granted after the recipient's death * Posthumous publication, publishing of creative work after the author's death * Posthumous (album), ''Posthumous'' (album), by Warne Marsh, 1 ...
inducted into the
Blues Hall of Fame The Blues Hall of Fame is a music museum operated by the Blues Foundation at 421 S. Main Street in Memphis, Tennessee. Initially, the "Blues Hall of Fame" was not a physical building, but a listing of people who have significantly contributed to b ...
in 1981. Two of his songs, "Butcher Pete, Pt. 1" and "Mighty Mighty Man" are featured in the 2008 video game, ''
Fallout 3 ''Fallout 3'' is a 2008 action role-playing game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. The third major installment in the ''Fallout'' series, it is the first game to be developed by Bethesda after acquiring ...
''. "Butcher Pete, Pt. 1", "Butcher Pete, Pt. 2", "Good Rockin' Tonight", and "Mighty Mighty Man" are featured in the 2015 sequel, ''
Fallout 4 ''Fallout 4'' is a 2015 action role-playing game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. It is the fourth main game in the ''Fallout'' series and was released worldwide on November 10, 2015, for Microsoft Windo ...
''. There is a quest named after his song "Hard Luck Blues" in the video game '' Fallout: New Vegas''.


Discography


Chart singles


Original 10" shellac (78-rpm) and 7" vinyl (45-rpm) releases

* Gold Star 636, "Deep Sea Diver" / "Bye Baby Bye", 1947 * DeLuxe 1093, "Good Rockin Tonight" / "Lolly Pop Mama", 1947 * DeLuxe 1098, "Special Lesson No. 1" / "Woman's a Wonderful Thing", 1947 * DeLuxe 1107, "Roy Brown Boogie" / "Please Don't Go (Come Back Baby)", 1947 * DeLuxe 1128, "Mighty Mighty Man" / "Miss Fanny Brown", 1947 * DeLuxe 1154, "Long 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 (also issued as Miltone 3093) * DeLuxe 3098, "Special Lesson No. 1" / "Woman's a Wonderful Thing" (reissue), 1950 * DeLuxe 3107, "Roy Brown Boogie" / "Please Don't Go (Come Back Baby)" (reissue), 1950 * DeLuxe 3128, "Mighty Mighty Man" / "Miss Fanny Brown" (reissue), 1950 * DeLuxe 3154, "Long About Midnight" / "Whose Hat Is That" (reissue), 1950 (also 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 in the Morning" / "Rainy Weather Blues", 1948 (also issued as Miltone 3198) * DeLuxe 3212, "Rockin' at Midnight" / "Judgement Day Blues", 1949 * DeLuxe 3226, "Please Don't Go (Come Back Baby)" / "Riding High", 1949 * DeLuxe 3300, "Boogie at Midnight" / "The Blues Got Me Again", 1949 * DeLuxe 3301, "Butcher Pete, Part 1" / "Butcher Pete, Part 2", 1949 * DeLuxe 3302, "I Feel That Young Man's Rhythm" / "End of My Journey" 1949 * DeLuxe 3304, "Hard Luck Blues" / "New Rebecca" 1950 * DeLuxe 3306, "Dreaming Blues" / "Love Don't Love Nobody", 1950 * DeLuxe 3308, "Long About Sundown" / "Cadillac Baby", 1950 * DeLuxe 3311, "Double Crossin' Woman" / "Teen Age Jamboree", 1951 * DeLuxe 3312, "Sweet Peach" / "Good Man Blues", 1951 * DeLuxe 3313, "Beautician Blues" / "Wrong Woman Blues", 1951 * DeLuxe 3318, "Train Time Blues" / "Big Town", 1951 * DeLuxe 3319, "Bar Room Blues" / "Good Rockin' Man", 1951 * DeLuxe 3323, "Brown Angel" / "I've Got the Last Laugh Now", 1952 * King 4602, "Hurry Hurry Baby" / "Travelin' Man", 1953 * King 4609. "Grandpa Stole My Baby" / "Money Can't Buy Love", 1953 * King 4627, "Mr. Hound Dog's in Town" / "Gamblin' Man", 1953 * King 4637, "Old Age Boogie, Part 1" / "Old Age Boogie, Part 2", 1953 * King 4654, "Laughing but Crying" / "Crazy Crazy Women", 1953 * King 4669, "Caldonia's Wedding Day" / "A Fool in Love", 1953 * King 4684, "Midnight Lover Man" / "Letter from Home", 1953 * King 4689, "Everything's Alright" / "Lonesome Lover", 1953 * King 4704, "Bootleggin' Baby" / "Trouble at Midnight", 1954 * King 4715, "Up Jumped the Devil" / "This Is My Last Goodbye", 1954 * King 4722, "Don't Let It Rain" / "No Love at All", 1954 * King 4731, "Ain't It a Shame" / "Gal from Kokomo", 1954 * King 4743, "Worried Life Blues" / "Black Diamond", 1954 * King 4761, "Fannie Brown Got Married" / "Queen of Diamonds", 1954 * King 4816, "Shake 'Em Up Baby" / "Letter to Baby", 1955 * King 4834, "She's Gone Too Long" / "My Little Angel Child", 1955 * Imperial 5422, "Saturday Night (That's My Night)" / "Everybody", 1956 * Imperial 5427, "
Party Doll "Party Doll" is a 1957 rock 'n' roll song written by Buddy Knox and Jimmy Bowen. Bronson, Fred (2003). ''The Billboard Book of #1 Hits'', 5th Edition (Billboard Publications), page 19. It was performed by Buddy Knox with the Rhythm Orchids, reco ...
" / " I'm Stickin' with You", 1957 * Imperial 5439, "Let the Four Winds Blow" / "Diddy-Y-Diddy-O", 1957 * Imperial 5455, "I'm Convicted of Love" / "I'm Ready to Play", 1957 * Imperial 5469, "The Tick of the Clock" / "Slow Down Little Eva", 1957 * Imperial 5489, "Ain't Gonna Do It" / "Sail on Little Girl", 1958 * Imperial 5510, "Hip Shakin' Baby" / "Be My Love Tonight", 1958 * Imperial 5969, "Let the Four Winds Blow" / "Diddy-Yi-Diddy-Yo" (reissue), 1963 * King 5178, "La-Dee-Dah-Dee" / "Melinda", 1959 * King 5207, "Rinky Dinky Doo" / "I Never Had It So Good", 1959 * King 5218, "Good Looking and Foxy Too" / "Hard Luck Blues, 1959 * King 5247, "School Bell Rock" / "Ain't No Rocking No More", 1959 * King 5333, "Ain't Got No Blues Today" / "Adorable One", 1960 * King 5521, "Mighty Mighty Man" / "Good Man Blues", 1962 * Home of the Blues 107, "A Man with the Blues" / "Don't Break My Heart", 1960 * Home of the Blues 110, "Rocking All the Time" / "Tired of Being Alone", 1960 * Home of the Blues 115, "Sugar Baby" / "Oh So Wonderful", 1961 * Home of the Blues 122, "Rock and Roll Jamboree" / "I Need a Friend", 1961 * Dra 321, "Goliath" / "Stop the Twist", 1962 * Summit 1001, "She's Alright" / "Let the Four Winds Blow", 1963 * ABC-Bluesway 61002, "New Orleans Women" / "Standing on Broadway (Watching the Girls)", 1967 * Gert 11123, "Baby It's Love" / "Going Home" 1968 * Gert 400, "The Message" / "Great Casaboo", 1968 * Tru-Love 448, "Good Sweet Loving" / "Separation Blues", 1968 * Tru-Love 449, "I'm Making Love" / "Rocks Is My Pillow", 1968 * Connie 303/304, "Young Blood Twist" / "I Love a Woman ", 1969 * Friendship 701, "It's My Fault Darling" / "Love for Sale", 1970 * Mercury 73166, "Love for Sale" / "It's My Fault Darling" (reissue), 1970 * Mercury 73219, "Hunky Funky Woman" / "Mail Man Blues", 1971 * Mobile Fidelity Productions MFP-2, "in the Eyes of My People" / "You've Got a Friend", 1972 * Topflight 103, "Hard Times" / "Separation Blues", 19??


LP releases of note

* King 536, ''Rock 'n' Roll Dance Party'', various artists (including Brown), 1956 * King 607, ''Battle of the Blues'', album shared with
Wynonie Harris Wynonie Harris (August 24, 1915 – June 14, 1969) was an American blues shouter best remembered as a singer of upbeat songs, featuring humorous, often ribald lyrics. He had fifteen Top 10 hits between 1946 and 1952. Harris is attributed by ...
, 1958 * King 627, ''Battle of the Blues, Volume 2'', album shared with Wynonie Harris 1959 * King 668, ''Battle of the Blues, Volume 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, ''Hard Times: The Classic Blues of Roy Brown'', 1973, same as BLS-6019 * King KS-1130, ''Hard Luck Blues'', 1976 * Gusto GD-5036X, ''Hard Luck Blues'', 2-LP set, 1976 * Route 66 KIX-2, ''Laughing but Crying'', recorded 1947–1959, released 1977 * Route 66 KIX-6, '' Good Rockin' Tonight'', recorded 1947–1954, released 1978 * Friendship RB-701, ''We Came to Party'', 1978 * Faith 91020, ''Cheapest Price in Town'', 1978 * Solid Smoke SS-8009, ''San Francisco Blues Festival, Vol. 1'', album shared with
Lowell Fulson Lowell Fulson (March 31, 1921March 7, 1999) was an American blues guitarist and songwriter, in the West Coast blues tradition. He also recorded for contractual reasons as Lowell Fullsom and Lowell Fulsom. After T-Bone Walker, he was the most i ...
(one side for each), 1981 * Mr. R&B 104, ''Saturday Nite'', recorded 1952–1959, released 1984 * Route 66 KIX-26, ''I Feel That Young Man's Rhythm'', recorded 1947–1955, released 1985 * Charly CRB-1093, ''Boogie at Midnight'', recorded 1947–1959, released 1985


CD releases of note

* Ace CHD-459, ''Mighty Mighty Man!'', recorded 1953–1955 and 1959 for King Records, released 1993 *
Rhino A rhinoceros ( ; ; ; : rhinoceros or rhinoceroses), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant taxon, extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates (perissodactyls) in the family (biology), famil ...
71545, ''Good Rockin' Tonight: The Best of Roy Brown'', recorded 1947–1957, released 1994 * Capitol-EMI 31743, ''The Complete Imperial Recordings'', recorded 1956–1958 for Imperial Records, released 1995 * Classics (Blues & Rhythm Series) 5021, ''The Chronological Roy Brown 1947–1949'', released 2002 * Classics (Blues & Rhythm Series) 5036, ''The Chronological Roy Brown 1950–1951'', released 2002 * Classics (Blues & Rhythm Series) 5090, ''The Chronological Roy Brown 1951–1953'', released 2004 * Collectables 2882, ''Rockin' at Midnight: The Very Best of Roy Brown'', recorded 1947–1959, released 2004 * Ace CHD-1072, ''Good Rockin' Brown: The King & DeLuxe Acetate Series'', recorded 1947 for DeLuxe Records, released 2005 * Fantastic Voyage FVDD-123, ''Good Rockin' Man: The Definitive Collection'', 2-CD set, recorded 1947–1960, released 2011 *
Jasmine Jasmine (botanical name: ''Jasminum'', pronounced ) is a genus of shrubs and vines in the olive family of Oleaceae. It contains around 200 species native to tropical and warm temperate regions of Eurasia, Africa, and Oceania. Jasmines are wid ...
JASMCD-3098, ''Good Rockin' Tonight: All His Greatest Hits + Selected Singles As & Bs 1947–1958'', 2-CD set, released 2018


See also

* List of artists who reached number one on the Billboard R&B chart * List of blues musicians * List of jump blues musicians * West Coast blues


References


External links


Rocknrollshow.co.uk biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, Roy 1920s births 1981 deaths 20th-century African-American male singers 20th-century American male singers 20th-century American singers American blues singers King Records artists Imperial Records artists Rhythm and blues musicians from New Orleans American rhythm and blues musicians ABC Records artists West Coast blues musicians Jump blues musicians Blues musicians from New Orleans Singers from Louisiana People from Allen Parish, Louisiana