Bonnie Brown (musician)
Encyclopedia
Bonnie Jean Brown is an American
country music
singer and former member of The Browns
, a trio popular in the 1950s.
into a musical family. In 1955, at age 18, she joined her older sister Maxine Brown
and brother Jim Ed Brown
to form the musical trio
, The Browns. Signed by RCA Records
in 1956, the trio scored their biggest hit when their folk-pop single
"The Three Bells
" reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100
pop
and country charts. They joined the Grand Ole Opry
in Nashville, Tennessee
in 1965 and disbanded in 1967.
Unlike her siblings, Bonnie did not pursue a solo music career after The Browns dissolved.
Brown's daughter, Kelly Ring, is the evening news anchor at WTVT
in Tampa, Florida.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer and former member of The Browns
The Browns
The Browns were an American country and folk music vocal trio best known for their 1959 Grammy-nominated hit, "The Three Bells". The group, composed of Jim Ed Brown and his sisters Maxine and Bonnie Brown, had a close, smooth harmony characteristic of the Nashville sound, though their music also...
, a trio popular in the 1950s.
Biography
Bonnie Brown was born in Sparkman, ArkansasSparkman, Arkansas
Sparkman is a city in Dallas County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 586 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Sparkman is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
into a musical family. In 1955, at age 18, she joined her older sister Maxine Brown
Maxine Brown (country singer)
Maxine Brown is an American country music singer who was originally a member of the successful 1950s trio, The Browns, before a brief solo career.-Biography:...
and brother Jim Ed Brown
Jim Ed Brown
Jim Ed Brown is an American country music singer who achieved fame in the 1950s with his two sisters as a member of The Browns. He later had a successful solo career from 1965 to 1974, followed by a string of major duet hits with Helen Cornelius through 1981...
to form the musical trio
Trio (music)
Trio is generally used in any of the following ways:* A group of three musicians playing the same or different musical instrument.* The performance of a piece of music by three people.* The contrasting section of a piece in ternary form...
, The Browns. Signed by RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
in 1956, the trio scored their biggest hit when their folk-pop single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
"The Three Bells
The Three Bells
"The Three Bells", also known as "Jimmy Brown" or "Little Jimmy Brown", is a song made popular by The Browns in 1959. The single reached number one on the U.S. country and pop charts,. outperforming a competing version by Dick Flood. The version by The Browns also hit number ten on the Hot R&B...
" reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and country charts. They joined the Grand Ole Opry
Grand Ole Opry
The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, that has presented the biggest stars of that genre since 1925. It is also among the longest-running broadcasts in history since its beginnings as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM-AM...
in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
in 1965 and disbanded in 1967.
Unlike her siblings, Bonnie did not pursue a solo music career after The Browns dissolved.
Brown's daughter, Kelly Ring, is the evening news anchor at WTVT
WTVT
WTVT, channel 13, is a television station in Tampa, Florida. It is an owned and operated station of the Fox Broadcasting Company, a subsidiary of the News Corporation...
in Tampa, Florida.
External links
- [ The Browns at Allmusic.com]
- The Browns at CMT.com