Joe Brown & The Bruvvers
Career.
Brown's family moved to London when he was two and ran the Sultan public house in Grange Road, Plaistow. In 1956, Brown formed The Spacemen skiffle group, which lasted until the US led rock and roll invasion brought skiffle to a halt. In 1958 Brown was spotted by television producer Jack Good who hired him as lead guitarist in the orchestra of his new TV series, Boy Meets Girls.[2]
Brown signed a management agreement with impressario Larry Parnes and signed to Decca Records. Brown charted with "The Darktown Strutters Ball" in 1960 and had UK Top 10 hits on the Piccadilly label in 1962-63 with "A Picture Of You", "It Only Took A Minute" and "That's What Love Will Do". In April 1961, Piccadilly Records released Brown's "Crazy Mixed Up Kid" as its first single.[3] Brown's recording band was a collection of session musicians, and was named The Bruvvers by Good, to give Brown the identity of having his own backing band for record releases. It was in 1962 when he needed a band to tour with him that 'Joe Brown and the Bruvvers' was cemented, containing two members of the Spacemen, brothers Tony and Pete Oakman.
Brown was voted 'Top UK Vocal Personality' in the 1962 NME magazine poll.[1] In December 1963, What a Crazy World starring Brown and Marty Wilde, had its world premiere in London.[4] Brown appeared in films, pantomime and stage musicals, notably Charlie Girl in the West End. He presented the children's television series, Joe & Co, on BBC Television, and a daytime quiz show on ITV called Square One, and three series of The Joe Brown Show for ITV.
In 1972, he formed another band, Brown's Home Brew, which played rock and roll, country and gospel music and featured his wife, Vicki Brown, who died of cancer in 1991. Their daughter, Sam Brown, is also a singer and son Pete Brown[5] is a record producer, who produced all but one of Brown's nine most recent albums.
Brown plays acoustic guitar, electric guitar, ukulele, mandolin, fiddle and banjo.
George Harrison was best man at Brown's second marriage in 2000. Following Harrison's death from lung cancer on 29 November 2001, Brown appeared with his group at the Concert for George singing "Here Comes the Sun", "That's The Way It Goes" and "I'll See You in My Dreams", accompanying himself on the ukulele, for the latter. Brown had appeared on a track on Harrison's last album, Brainwashed, and on two songs on an earlier album, Gone Troppo.
Brown performs and makes occasional TV appearances. He is working on a musical, Don't You Rock Me Daddio, with songwriter Roger Cook. In December 2006, he was one of three guest hosts of Sounds of the 60s on BBC Radio 2 during the absence of host Brian Matthew, following on from Brown presenting two series on rock and roll for the same station.
In 2008 Brown's 50th anniversary celebrations included a UK gold album for sales over 100,000 Joe Brown - The Very Best Of, performed a 37 date spring tour, a concert at the Royal Albert Hall with Mark Knopfler, Jools Holland, Dennis Locorriere, Dave Edmunds, Sam Brown and Chas & Dave and a 36 date autumn/winter tour.
His latest album, More Of The Truth, was released in the UK on 13 October 2008, and early in 2009 the US musical instrument manufacturer, Kala, launched a series of 'Joe Brown' ukuleles. At the Mojo magazine's awards in London on 11 June 2009, Brown was presented with the lifetime award for outstanding contribution to music after 51 years' recording .
Brown was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2009 Birthday Honours.[6]
Joe Brown was asked by Rick Parfitt of Status Quo to support them for 10 nights of their UK Tour in late 2010. He agreed to do the support and will embark on his own UK Tour in 2011.
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