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Charles Brown
American blues singer and pianist (1922–1999)
Tony Russell "Charles" Brown was an American singer and pianist whose soft-toned, slow-paced nightclub style influenced West Coast blues in the 1940s and 1950s. Between 1949 and 1952, Brown had seven Top 10 hits in the U.S.
Billboard R&B chart. His best-selling recordings included "Driftin' Blues", "Merry Christmas Baby" and "Please Come Home for Christmas".
Brown was born in Texas City, Texas, United States. His mother died shortly after Brown's birth and he was raised by his grandparents. As a child he loved music and received classical music training on the piano. He graduated from Central High School in Galveston, Texas, in 1939 and Prairie View A&M College in 1942 with a degree in chemistry. He then became a chemistry teacher at George Washington Carver High School in Baytown, Texas, a mustard gas worker at the Pine Bluff Arsenal at Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and an apprentice electrician at a shipyard in Richmond, California, before settling in Los Angeles in 1943.
In Los Angeles, an influx of African Americans from the South during World War II created an integrated nightclub scene in which black performers tended to minimize the rougher blues elements of their style. The blues-club style of a light rhythm bass and right-hand tinkling of the piano and smooth vocals became popular, epitomized by the jazz piano of Nat King Cole. When Cole left Los Angeles to perform nationally, his place was taken by Johnny Moore's Three Blazers, featuring Brown's gentle piano and vocals.
In the 1980s Brown made a series of appearances at the New York City nightclub Tramps. As a result of these appearances he signed a recording contract with Blue Side Records and recorded One More for the Road in three days. Blue Side Records closed soon after, but distribution of its records was picked up by Alligator Records. Soon after the success of One More for the Road, Bonnie Raitt helped usher in a comeback tour for Brown.
Highly influential blues and rhythm & blues singer and piano player, born September 13, 1922, Texas City, Texas, USA, died January 21, 1999, Oakland, California, USA.
Brown began his career as a singer and pianist in Johnny Moore's Three Blazers in the mid-1940s and continued to make countless records, his last album for Verve being released in 1998.
Inducted into Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 1999 (Early Influence).
Also known as: Broen, Brown, Brown Charles, Brown Charles Mose, Brown, Charles
From Discogs (free to use). Their entry
Liner notes
Charles Brown, the records, oldest first
Sings Christmas Songs
1961 album
Legend!
1970 album
One More for the Road
1986 album
Please Come Home for Christmas
1988 album
Driftin' Blues
1989 album
Up and Jumpin’
1989 album
All My Life
1990 album
Someone to Love
1992 album
Charles Brown's Cool Christmas Blues
1994 album
Just a Lucky So and So
1994 album
These Blues
1994 album
Blues n' Brown
1995 album
Merry Christmas Baby
1996 album
The Blues Collection: Charles Brown, Drifting Blues
1996 album
Honey Dripper
1996 album
Live
1998 album
So Goes Love
1998 album
Blues and Other Love Songs
2000 album
Drifting Blues
2015 album
Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz With Guest Charles Brown
year unknown album
Records from MusicBrainz; covers from the Cover Art Archive.
"Black Night" is a blues song recorded by Charles Brown in 1951. Although the songwriter credit is usually given to Jessie Mae Robinson, "Brown is believed to have written 'Black Night'", according to author Steve Sullivan.
Background
A slow minor-key blues, it is performed in the West Coast blues-style. Brown, on vocal and piano, is backed by a small combo with the addition of Maxwell Davis on saxophone.
Cover versions
Many musicians have adapted "Black Night" in a variety of styles and the Blues Foundation notes renditions by:
