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Tally Brown (August 1, 1924 – May 6, 1989) was an American
singer Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define singi ...
and
actress An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...
who was part of the New York underground performance scene, particularly
Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (;''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''"Warhol" born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director and producer. A leading figure in the pop art movement, Warhol ...
's "Factory" and who appeared in or was the subject of films by
Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (;''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''"Warhol" born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director and producer. A leading figure in the pop art movement, Warhol ...
and
Rosa von Praunheim Holger Bernhard Bruno Mischwitzky (born Holger Radtke; 25 November 1942), known professionally as Rosa von Praunheim, is a German film director, author, producer, professor of directing and one of the most influential and famous LGBT social move ...
. She was born and died in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
.


Musical and singing career

Brown began her classical musical training at
Juilliard The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Founded by Frank Damrosch as the Institute of Musical Art in 1905, the school later added dance and drama programs and became the Juilliard School, named aft ...
at the age of sixteen; however, she later took up the genres of jazz and the blues after having met
Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein ( ; born Louis Bernstein; August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was th ...
at
Tanglewood Tanglewood is a music venue and Music festival, festival in the towns of Lenox, Massachusetts, Lenox and Stockbridge, Massachusetts, Stockbridge in the Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts. It has been the summer home of the Boston Symphony ...
in 1947. Brown was an early and active supporter of Ruth W. Greenfield, the founder in 1951 of the Fine Arts Conservatory, in Miami, which ''The New York Times'' described as, "one of the first racially integrated theaters and art schools in the South." By the 1950s, Brown had developed a rhythm-and-blues style akin to such performers as
Ma Rainey Gertrude "Ma" Rainey ( Pridgett; April 26, 1886 – December 22, 1939) was an American blues singer and influential early-blues recording artist. Dubbed the " Mother of the Blues", she bridged earlier vaudeville and the authentic expression of ...
and
Bessie Smith Bessie Smith (April 15, 1892 – September 26, 1937) was an African-American blues singer widely renowned during the Jazz Age. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Empress of the Blues" and formerly Queen of the Blues, she was t ...
, and during this time, she released an album entitled, ''A Torch for Tally'', with the Jimmy Diamond Quartet. The album featured the songs '' Limehouse Blues'', '' Honeysuckle Rose'', and '' My Man''. Brown appeared on Broadway and in the California tour of ''
Mame MAME (formerly an acronym of Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) is a free and open-source emulator designed to emulate the hardware of arcade games, video game consoles, old computers and other systems in software on modern personal computers and ...
'', as well as on Broadway in a production of ''
Medea In Greek mythology, Medea (; ; ) is the daughter of Aeëtes, King Aeëtes of Colchis. Medea is known in most stories as a sorceress, an accomplished "wiktionary:φαρμακεία, pharmakeía" (medicinal magic), and is often depicted as a high- ...
'' (starring
Irene Papas Irene Papas or Irene Pappas (, ; born Eirini Lelekou (); 3 September 1929 – 14 September 2022) was a Greek actress and singer who starred in over 70 films in a career spanning more than 50 years. She gained international recognition through ...
), as well as off- Broadway. In the 1960s and 1970s, Brown sang in notable New York City nightclubs such as Reno Sweeney's and S.N.A.F.U. She also provided entertainment at the
Continental Baths The Continental Baths was a gay bathhouse in the basement of The Ansonia Hotel in New York City, which was operated from 1968 to 1976 by Steve Ostrow. It was advertised as reminiscent of "the glory of ancient Rome". It opened after Ostrow obs ...
, a
gay bathhouse A gay bathhouse, also known as a gay sauna or a gay steambath, is a public bath targeted towards Gay men, gay and Bisexuality, bisexual men. In gay slang, a bathhouse may be called just "the baths", "the sauna", or "the tubs". Historically, they ...
in New York City. Following her death, ''The New York Times'' published an obituary stating that Ms. Brown was known for her intense, dramatic renditions of songs by
Kurt Weill Kurt Julian Weill (; ; March 2, 1900April 3, 1950) was a German-born American composer active from the 1920s in his native country, and in his later years in the United States. He was a leading composer for the stage who was best known for hi ...
, the
Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...
and
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...
."


Acting career

Brown began her film acting career by appearing in the film ''
Batman Dracula ''Batman Dracula'' is a 1964 silent 16mm Bolex black and white American superhero fan film produced and directed by Andy Warhol without the permission of DC Comics, who owns the character Batman. It stars Jack Smith who plays the roles of both ...
'' (1964) and the film ''
Camp Camp may refer to: Areas of confinement, imprisonment, or for execution * Concentration camp, an internment camp for political prisoners or politically targeted demographics, such as members of national or minority ethnic groups * Extermination ...
'' (1965), both directed by Warhol. In one scene from ''Camp'', Brown mimicked
Yma Sumac Zoila Augusta Emperatriz Chávarri del Castillo (born Zoila Emperatriz Chávarri Castillo; September 13, 1922 – November 1, 2008), known as Yma Sumac (or Imma Sumack), was a Peruvian singer. She won a Guinness World Records, Guinness World Re ...
. Brown appeared in such experimental low-budget films as ''
Brand X Brand X were a British jazz rock band formed in London in 1974. They were initially active until 1980, followed by reformations between 1992–1999 and 2016–2021. Despite sometimes being considered to be a Phil Collins side project (due t ...
'' (1970) and '' The Illiac Passion'' (1964-67). She was also featured in the horror film '' Silent Night, Bloody Night'' (1972).


The New York underground performance scene

Brown was "prominent in the underground performance world of the 1960s and 70s." In the summer of 1964, Brown first met Warhol at a benefit for the Living Theatre, the alternative theatre in New York City. Brown would later be featured in at least two of Warhol's films. In 1970, she was among a panel of guests who participated in a discussion on the '' David Susskind Show'' about Warhol's underground film '' Trash'' (1970). Also interviewed were other members of Warhol's "
Factory A factory, manufacturing plant or production plant is an industrial facility, often a complex consisting of several buildings filled with machinery, where workers manufacture items or operate machines which process each item into another. Th ...
".


Tally Brown, New York

German filmmaker
Rosa von Praunheim Holger Bernhard Bruno Mischwitzky (born Holger Radtke; 25 November 1942), known professionally as Rosa von Praunheim, is a German film director, author, producer, professor of directing and one of the most influential and famous LGBT social move ...
directed a documentary based on the life of Brown entitled '' Tally Brown, New York'' in which he relied on "extensive interviews with Brown, as she recounts her collaboration with Warhol, Taylor Mead, and others...." Released in 1979 in the former West Germany, ''Tally Brown, New York'' was a portrait of Brown's singing and acting career. Distinguished cameo appearances in the film included that of actors
Divine Divinity (from Latin ) refers to the quality, presence, or nature of that which is divine—a term that, before the rise of monotheism, evoked a broad and dynamic field of sacred power. In the ancient world, divinity was not limited to a singl ...
,
Holly Woodlawn Holly Woodlawn (October 26, 1946 – December 6, 2015) was an American actress and Warhol superstar who appeared in the films '' Trash'' (1970) and '' Women in Revolt'' (1971). She is also known as the Holly in Lou Reed's hit glam rock song " Wal ...
and artist Ching Ho Cheng. At the time, Brown was a resident of
Washington Heights, Manhattan Washington Heights is a neighborhood in the northern part of the Borough (New York City), borough of Manhattan in New York City. It is named for Fort Washington (Manhattan), Fort Washington, a fortification constructed at the Bennett Park (Ne ...
.Diane Arbus 1923-1971 'Waitress, Nudist Camp, N. J.'
Sotheby's Sotheby's ( ) is a British-founded multinational corporation with headquarters in New York City. It is one of the world's largest brokers of fine art, fine and decorative art, jewellery, and collectibles. It has 80 locations in 40 countries, an ...
. Accessed April 16, 2020. "In her later years, Brown lived in Washington Heights, New York City, and was the focus of German director Rosa von Praunheim's award-winning documentary, ''Tally Brown, N. Y.'' (1979)."
In the same year of its release, the documentary won the ''Film Award in Silver'' at the German Film Awards for "Outstanding Non-Feature Film'. The documentary was also noteworthy for its use of
cinéma vérité Cinéma vérité (, , ) is a style of documentary filmmaking developed by Edgar Morin and Jean Rouch, inspired by Dziga Vertov's theory about '' Kino-Pravda''. It combines improvisation with use of the camera to unveil truth or highlight subje ...
in its opening shot by depicting New York's gritty street life in and around
Times Square Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and Neighborhoods in New York City, neighborhood in the Midtown Manhattan section of New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway (Manhattan), ...
in the 1970s, before it was later cleaned up. Tally Brown's biographical papers and artifacts are archived at the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, Pa. Tally Brown has been featured in her own exhibition a
The Andy Warhol Museum


Filmography

* ''
Batman Dracula ''Batman Dracula'' is a 1964 silent 16mm Bolex black and white American superhero fan film produced and directed by Andy Warhol without the permission of DC Comics, who owns the character Batman. It stars Jack Smith who plays the roles of both ...
'' (1964) directed by
Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (;''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''"Warhol" born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director and producer. A leading figure in the pop art movement, Warhol ...
* ''
Camp Camp may refer to: Areas of confinement, imprisonment, or for execution * Concentration camp, an internment camp for political prisoners or politically targeted demographics, such as members of national or minority ethnic groups * Extermination ...
'' (1965) directed by Warhol * '' Four Stars****'' (1967) directed by Warhol * '' The Illiac Passion'' (1967) as Venus; directed by Gregory Markopoulos * ''Brand X'' (1970) as Talk Show Hostess * ''
The Owl and the Pussycat "The Owl and the Pussy-Cat" is a nonsense verse, nonsense poem by Edward Lear, first published in 1870 in the American magazine ''Our Young Folks'' and again the following year in Lear's own book ''Nonsense Songs, Stories, Botany, and Alphabets ...
'' (1970) directed by
Herbert Ross Herbert David Ross (May 13, 1927 – October 9, 2001) was an American actor, choreographer, director and producer who worked predominantly in theater and film. He was nominated for two Academy Awards and a Tony Award. He is known for directing ...
* '' Scarecrow in a Garden of Cucumbers'' (1972) as Mary Poppins * '' Leidenschaften'' (1972) as Herself * '' 1 Berlin-Harlem'' (1974) * '' Silent Night, Bloody Night'' (1972) as Inmate * '' The Art of Crime'' (1975) (TV) as Cedie * '' Now or Never'' (1979) as Herself * '' Night of the Juggler'' (1980) as Peep Show Owner * '' Tally Brown, New York'' (1979) as Herself * '' Mein New York'' (1982) (TV) as Herself


Trivia

* Brown shared billing on "'' Silent Night, Bloody Night''" with many actors from Warhol's "Factory" years:
Mary Woronov Mary Woronov (born December 8, 1943) is an American actress, writer, and Figurative art, figurative painter. She is primarily known as a cult film star because of her work with Andy Warhol and her roles in Roger Corman's cult films. Woronov has ...
, Ondine,
Candy Darling Candy Darling (November 24, 1944 – March 21, 1974) was an American actress, best known as a Warhol superstar. She was a pioneer for transgender visibility, inspiring songs by the Rolling Stones and Lou Reed. Her performances Andy Warhol's f ...
, director Jack Smith, and artist
Susan Rothenberg Susan Charna Rothenberg (January 20, 1945 – May 18, 2020) was an American contemporary painter, printmaker, sculptor, and draughtswoman. She became known as an artist through her iconic images of the horse, which synthesized the opposing force ...
.


References


External links

* http://movies.amctv.com/person/198851/Tally-Brown/synopsis * * *
Tally Brown mixes singing with acting
nytimes.com. Accessed August 5, 2022.
Profile
warhol.org {{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, Tally 1934 births 1989 deaths Actresses from Manhattan AFAB queens American film actresses Juilliard School alumni 20th-century American actresses 20th-century American singers 20th-century American women singers People associated with The Factory People from Washington Heights, Manhattan