Roy James Brown (September 10, 1920 or 1925May 25, 1981) was an American

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

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, or 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 Africa ...

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 and rhythm-and-blues 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), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...

, Joe Ely,

Ricky Nelson Eric Hilliard Nelson (May 8, 1940 – December 31, 1985) was an American musician, songwriter 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 bega ...

Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lee Lewis (September 29, 1935October 28, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Nicknamed "The Killer", he was described as "rock & roll's first great wild man". A pioneer of rock and roll and rockabilly music, Lewis made ...

Pat Boone Patrick Charles Eugene Boone (born June 1, 1934) is an American singer and actor. He was a successful pop singer in the United States during the 1950s and early 1960s. He sold more than 45 million records, had 38 Top 40 hits, and appeared in mo ...

James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the honor ...

, 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 security b ...

, 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 Melisma ( grc-gre, μέλισμα, , ; from grc, , melos, song, melody, label=none, plural: ''melismata'') is the singing of a single syllable of text while moving between several different notes in succession. Music sung in this style is refer ...

, 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 singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, shi ...

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 descr ...

Jackie Wilson Jack Leroy Wilson Jr. (June 9, 1934 – January 21, 1984) was an American singer and performer of the 1950s and 60s. He was a prominent figure in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. Nicknamed "Mr. Excitement", he was considered a mas ...

and

Little Richard Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the " ...

Early life and education

Brown was born in

Kinder, Louisiana Kinder is a small town in Allen Parish, Louisiana, in the United States. The population was 2,477 at the 2010 census. The Lieutenant Douglas B. Fournet Memorial Park, an American Legion enterprise, was dedicated on June 11, 1988, in Kinder t ...

. 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, or commonly social welfare, 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 specificall ...

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 The Million Dollar Theatre at 307 S. Broadway in Downtown Los Angeles is one of the first movie palaces built in the United States. It opened in 1917 with the premiere of William S. Hart's '' The Silent Man''. It's the northernmost of the collect ...

, covering "

There's No You "There's No You" is a popular song written by Harold S. Hopper better known as Hal Hopper with lyrics by Tom Adair. The song was first published in 1944. Two of the best-known versions of the song were recorded in 1944 by Jo Stafford and Frank Sin ...

", originally recorded by

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...

. In 1946, Brown moved to

Galveston, Texas Galveston ( ) is a coastal resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a population of 47,743 in 2010, is the county seat of surrounding Galvesto ...

, 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 " Blue Hawaii". 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 ...

). He returned to New Orleans in 1947, where he performed at the

Dew Drop Inn Dew Drop Inn may refer to: *Dew Drop Inn (New Orleans, Louisiana) *Dew Drop Inn (Mountain View, Arkansas) *Dew Drop Inn (musical), 1923 Broadway musical {{disambiguation ...

Career

Brown was a fan of blues singer

. 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 Cecil Gant (April 4, 1913 – February 4, 1951) was an American blues singer, songwriter and pianist, whose recordings of both ballads and "fiery piano rockers" were successful in the mid- and late 1940s, and influenced the early development of ...

, 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 De Luxe Records (later DeLuxe Records) was a record company and label formed in 1944 by brothers David Braun (1908–1985) and Julius "Jules" Braun (1911–2002), the sons of Hungarian Jewish immigrants, in Linden, New Jersey. The label ...

, 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 up-tempo style of blues, 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 was renewed in the 1990s as ...

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 advertise ...

'' R&B

chart A chart (sometimes known as a graph) is a 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 represent tabu ...

. 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 in February 1952. Sun was the first label to record Elvis Presley, Charlie Rich, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny C ...

in 1954; it was re-released by

RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also Aris ...

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 artist (or group), where the artist makes a record (or series of records) for the label to sell and promote. Artists ...

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 " 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 a party or parties against another in the civil court of law. The archaic term "suit in law" is found in only a small number of laws still in effect today. The term "lawsuit" is used in reference to a civil actio ...

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 o ...

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 the 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'', was praised by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine as "the best rock and roll ...

(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 (or black list) of people, countries or other entities to be avoided or distrusted as being deemed unacceptable to those making the list. If someone is on a blacklist, t ...

ed. Brown's other misfortunes included trouble with the

Internal Revenue Service The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the revenue service for the United States federal government, which is responsible for collecting U.S. federal taxes and administering the Internal Revenue Code, the main body of the federal statutory ta ...

. When confronted by the government for unpaid taxes he owed, he approached

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 Major League Baseball (MLB) stadium on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home of the Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charles Weeghman's Chicago Wh ...

in Los Angeles which was produced by

Leon Hefflin, Sr. Leon Norman Hefflin, Sr. (August 17, 1898 – November 20, 1975) was a pioneering African-American producer, director, business owner, furniture manufacturer, and entrepreneur. After losing his large and successful manufacturing business in the ...

on July 8. Also featured were

Lionel Hampton Lionel Leo Hampton (April 20, 1908 – August 31, 2002) was an American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, and bandleader. Hampton worked with jazz musicians from Teddy Wilson, Benny Goodman, and Buddy Rich, to Charlie Parker, Charles M ...

and his Revue, Percy Mayfield,

Jimmy Witherspoon James Witherspoon (August 8, 1920 – September 18, 1997) was an American jump blues singer. Early life, family and education Witherspoon was born in Gurdon, Arkansas. His father was a railroad worker who sang in local choirs, and his mot ...

, Joe Liggins' Honeydrippers and

. 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 Anna Mae Winburn ''(née'' Darden; August 13, 1913 – September 30, 1999) was an influential American vocalist and jazz bandleader who flourished beginning in the mid-1930s. An African American, she is best known for having directed the Interna ...

and Her Sweethearts,

Jerry Wallace Jerry Leon Wallace (December 15, 1928 – May 5, 2008) was an American country and pop singer. Between 1958 and 1964, Wallace charted nine hits on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, including the No. 8 "Primrose Lane" that was later used as the theme ...

, 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 " the King of the Jukebox", he earned his high ...

and

Josephine Baker Josephine Baker (born Freda Josephine McDonald; naturalised French Joséphine Baker; 3 June 1906 – 12 April 1975) was an American-born French dancer, singer and actress. Her career was centered primarily in Europe, mostly in her adopted Fran ...

. And Brown came back in 1953 to play at the 9th Cavalcade of Jazz on June 7. Also featured that day were,

Don Tosti Don Tosti (given name: Edmundo Martínez Tostado) (March 27, 1923 – August 2, 2004) was an American musician and composer. Tosti forged a career spanning several decades and styles, from classical to jazz and rhythm and blues. He was best rem ...

and His Mexican Jazzmen,

Earl Bostic Eugene Earl Bostic (April 25, 1913 – October 28, 1965) was an American alto saxophonist. Bostic's recording career was diverse, his musical output encompassing jazz, swing, jump blues and the post-war American rhythm and blues style, which h ...

, 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 Velma Middleton (September 1, 1917 – February 10, 1961) was an American jazz vocalist and entertainer who sang with Louis Armstrong's big bands and small groups from 1942 until her death. Biography Middleton was born in Holdenville, Okla ...

,. Brown had a brief comeback on

Imperial Records Imperial Records is an American record company and label started in 1947 by Lew Chudd. The label was reactivated in 2006 by EMI, which owned the label and back catalogue at the time. Imperial is owned by Universal Music Group. Early years to ...

in 1957. Working with

Dave Bartholomew David Louis Bartholomew (December 24, 1918 – June 23, 2019) was an American musician, bandleader, composer, arranger, and record producer. He was prominent in the music of New Orleans throughout the second half of the 20th century. Originally ...

, he returned to the charts with the original version of "Let the Four Winds Blow", co-written with

Fats Domino Antoine Dominique Domino Jr. (February 26, 1928 – October 24, 2017), known as Fats Domino, was an American pianist, singer and songwriter. One of the pioneers of rock and roll music, Domino sold more than 65 million records. Born in New O ...

, 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; December 28, 1921 – January 17, 2012) was an American singer, musician, composer, bandleader, record producer, and talent scout. He was a seminal influence on American R&B and rock and roll. He ...

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 jaz ...

. As a result of the positive reception by the audience, he recorded "Love for Sale", which became a

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 ...

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. In the United States, it is ...

Later life and death

In the late 1970s, a

compilation Compilation may refer to: *In computer programming, the translation of source code into object code by a compiler **Compilation error **Compilation unit *Product bundling, a marketing strategy used to sell multiple products *Compilation thesis M ...

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; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...

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 Boule ...

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. It is considered one of the most ...

, and he was a headliner at the

New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (commonly called Jazz Fest or Jazzfest) is an annual celebration of local music and culture held at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, Louisiana. Jazz Fest attracts thousands of visitors to New ...

in 1981, dying a month later. According to ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'', "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,

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 – material published after the author's death * ''Posthumous'' (album), by Warne Marsh, 1987 * ''Posthumous'' (E ...

inducted into the

Blues Hall of Fame The Blues Hall of Fame is a music museum located 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 blues music. Started in 1 ...

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 PlayStation 4, ...

''. 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, rec ...

" / "

I'm Stickin' with You "I'm Stickin' with You" is a song written by Jimmy Bowen and Buddy Knox and performed by Jimmy Bowen with The Rhythm Orchids. It reached #9 on the US R&B chart and #14 on the US pop chart in 1957. The song was originally released as the B-sid ...

", 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

, 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 Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson (born Edward L. Vinson Jr.; December 18, 1917 – July 2, 1988) was an American jump blues, jazz, bebop and R&B alto saxophonist and blues shouter. He was nicknamed Cleanhead after an incident in which his hair was a ...

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 imp ...

(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 An ace is a playing card, die or domino with a single pip. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit symbol (a heart, diamond, spade, or club) located in the middle of the card, sometimes large and decorated, especially in the c ...

CHD-459, ''Mighty Mighty Man!'', recorded 1953–1955 and 1959 for King Records, released 1993 *

Rhino A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species o ...

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 JASMCD-3098, ''Good Rockin' Tonight: All His Greatest Hits + Selected Singles As & Bs 1947–1958'', 2-CD set, released 2018

References

External links

Rocknrollshow.co.uk biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, Roy 1920 births 1981 deaths 20th-century African-American male 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