Tommy Brown (singer)
Encyclopedia
Tommy Brown is an American
R&B
singer, who achieved most success in the early 1950s, particularly on records
with The Griffin Brothers.
Brown formed a small band with himself as the drummer
in the 1940s, and worked in clubs around Atlanta. In 1949 he recorded "Atlanta Boogie" on the Regent label, a subsidiary of Savoy Records
. The track contained early references to rock and roll
:
In 1951 he moved on to Dot
where he was teamed with the Griffin Brothers, an R&B orchestra led by brothers Jimmy Griffin
(trombone) and Ernest "Buddy" Griffin (piano) from Norfolk, Virginia
. They had toured widely with Amos Milburn
, Paul Williams
and others, and recorded as the backing band for Margie Day
on two R&B Top 10 hits
, "Street Walkin' Daddy" and "Little Red Rooster
".
In June of that same year Brown was featured singer on the R&B Top 10 hit "Tra-La-La", credited to the Griffin Brothers Orchestra, and later in the year the combination reached # 1 on the R&B chart with "Weepin' and Cryin'", credited to The Griffin Brothers Orchestra featuring Tommy Brown.
The Griffin Brothers disbanded in 1954. Buddy Griffin later recorded with Gloria Swann, as the duo Buddy and Gloria who had an R&B hit with "I Wanna Hug Ya, Kiss Ya, Squeeze Ya", while Jimmy Griffin joined Atlantic Records
. They both did not achieve the same hits as previous, and were dropped from their respective record label
s.
In the early 1950s, Brown was called up for military service, and when he returned he moved to United Records
in Chicago
. He played for a while in Bill Doggett
's band, and claimed to help write Doggett's hit "Honky Tonk". He also recorded with Walter Horton during this period. Over the next decade he recorded R&B for a number of smaller labels, before starting to perform and record as a comedian in the 1960s and 1970s.
After a later career as a social care worker, he returned to performance in 2001, subsequently appearing in clubs and at blues
festivals
around the world.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
singer, who achieved most success in the early 1950s, particularly on records
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
with The Griffin Brothers.
Brown formed a small band with himself as the drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
in the 1940s, and worked in clubs around Atlanta. In 1949 he recorded "Atlanta Boogie" on the Regent label, a subsidiary of Savoy Records
Savoy Records
Savoy Records is an American record label specializing in jazz, R&B and gospel. Starting in the mid 1940s, Savoy played an important part in popularizing bebop.Savoy Records is an American record label specializing in jazz, R&B and gospel. Starting in the mid 1940s, Savoy played an important part...
. The track contained early references to rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
:
-
- Well, the whole town's rockin' just about the break of day
- Well, when the bar starts jumpin' you can hear the cats all say
- Well, let's rock'n'roll, well, let's rock'n'roll
- Yes, let's rock'n'roll till the break of day...
In 1951 he moved on to Dot
Dot Records
Dot Records was an American record label and company that was active between 1950 and 1977. It was founded by Randy Wood. In Gallatin, Tennessee, Wood had earlier started a mail order record shop, known for its radio ads on WLAC in Nashville and its R&B air personality Bill "Hoss" Allen...
where he was teamed with the Griffin Brothers, an R&B orchestra led by brothers Jimmy Griffin
Jimmy Griffin
James Arthur Griffin was a singer, guitarist, and songwriter with the 1970s rock band Bread.-Early life:An Academy Award winning songwriter, Griffin was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, but grew up in Memphis, Tennessee. His musical training began when his parents signed him up for accordion lessons...
(trombone) and Ernest "Buddy" Griffin (piano) from Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
. They had toured widely with Amos Milburn
Amos Milburn
Amos Milburn was an African American rhythm and blues singer and pianist, popular during the 1940s and 1950s...
, Paul Williams
Paul Williams (saxophonist)
Paul "Hucklebuck" Williams was an American blues and rhythm and blues saxophonist and songwriter. In his Honkers and Shouters, Arnold Shaw credits Williams as one of the first to employ the honking tenor sax solo that became the hallmark of rhythm and blues and rock and roll in the 1950s and...
and others, and recorded as the backing band for Margie Day
Margie Day
Margie Day , now Margie Day Walker, is an American former R&B singer who had success in the 1950s and 1960s.- Life and career :Margaret Hoffler was born and brought up in Norfolk, Virginia, one of four children...
on two R&B Top 10 hits
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
, "Street Walkin' Daddy" and "Little Red Rooster
Little Red Rooster
"Little Red Rooster" is a song that is a classic of the blues. Howlin' Wolf recorded "The Red Rooster" in 1961, a song credited to blues arranger and songwriter Willie Dixon, although earlier songs have been cited as inspiration...
".
In June of that same year Brown was featured singer on the R&B Top 10 hit "Tra-La-La", credited to the Griffin Brothers Orchestra, and later in the year the combination reached # 1 on the R&B chart with "Weepin' and Cryin'", credited to The Griffin Brothers Orchestra featuring Tommy Brown.
The Griffin Brothers disbanded in 1954. Buddy Griffin later recorded with Gloria Swann, as the duo Buddy and Gloria who had an R&B hit with "I Wanna Hug Ya, Kiss Ya, Squeeze Ya", while Jimmy Griffin joined Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
. They both did not achieve the same hits as previous, and were dropped from their respective record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
s.
In the early 1950s, Brown was called up for military service, and when he returned he moved to United Records
United Records
For "United Records", see United Records United Records was in business from July 1951 to December 1957. It was operated by Chicago businessman Leonard Allen, initially in collaboration with Lew Simpkins...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. He played for a while in Bill Doggett
Bill Doggett
Bill Doggett was an American jazz and rhythm and blues pianist and organist. He is best known for his tracks, "Honky Tonk" and "Hippy Dippy", and variously working with The Ink Spots, Johnny Otis, Wynonie Harris, Ella Fitzgerald, and Louis Jordan.-Biography:William Ballard Doggett was born in...
's band, and claimed to help write Doggett's hit "Honky Tonk". He also recorded with Walter Horton during this period. Over the next decade he recorded R&B for a number of smaller labels, before starting to perform and record as a comedian in the 1960s and 1970s.
After a later career as a social care worker, he returned to performance in 2001, subsequently appearing in clubs and at blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
festivals
Music festival
A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...
around the world.