Roy brown bio

Arthur Roy Brown (1893-1944) achieved lasting fame during the First World War for being credited as the air ace who finally brought the 'Red Baron' - Manfred von Richthofen - to earth.

Born on 23 December 1893 in Carleton Place, Ontario the son of a flour mill and power company owner, Brown was one of five children.  Following a high school education Brown studied at business school in order to take his place running the family businesses.  This was followed by a course at Victoria High School in Edmonton from 1913-15 so as to gain his high school matriculation.

A somewhat shy but intelligent man Brown enlisted in 1915 as an Officer Cadet at the Army Officers' Training Corps.  Even at this early stage Brown was fascinated by the aerial war; it was a more attractive draw than trench warfare.

Although Brown expressed interest in joining the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) his father, concerned at the high casualty rate for RFC pilots, declined Brown's request for elementary flying school lessons.  Service with the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) was deemed a potentially safer avenue, since these airmen were less likely to routinely undertake combat missions, instead flying coastal patrols for much of the time.

Consequently Brown, along with three friends, applied to join the RNAS upon the former completing his schooling at Edmonton.  Finding that they needed Aero certificates before they could join the RNAS they embarked upon flying lessons conducted at the Wright Brothers school in Dayton, Ohio (the Toronto flying school being full).

On 13 November 1915 Brown emerged from training with his pilot's certificate after just six hours air time.  Joining the RNAS in Ottawa along with his friends he was appointed Temporary Probationary Flight Sub-Lieutenant.  Brown set sail for England on 22 November 1915 and upon his arrival Brown unde

There is an on-going debate about the origins of Rock'n'Roll, but there is little doubt that it sounded very much like the R&B that Roy Brown was producing in New Orleans around 1950. His powerful, emotional Gospel style vocals, with melismatic swoops, shrieks and bellowing choruses, influenced the singing of generations of Rockers and Bluesmen that followed. Bobby 'Blue' Bland, Little Richard and James Brown all took a lesson from Roy, but he could also write a great song, and his best remembered composition saw him inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame.

American blues singer (d. 1981)

Musical artist

Roy James Brown (September 10, 1920 or 1925 – May 25, 1981) was an American blues singer who had a significant influence on the early development of rock and roll and the direction of R&B. His original song and hit recording "Good Rockin' Tonight" has been covered by many artists including Wynonie Harris, Elvis Presley, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Joe Ely, Ricky Nelson, Jerry Lee Lewis, Pat Boone, James Brown, the Doors, the Treniers, 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, pleading vocal style influenced notable artists such as B.B. King, Bobby Bland, Elvis Presley, Jackie Wilson, James Brown and Little Richard.

Early life and education

Brown was born in Kinder, Louisiana. 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 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. 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, covering "There's No You", originally recorded by Bing Crosby. In 1946, Brown moved to Galveston, Texas, 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".

Aft

Puerto Rican composer and singer (born 1945)

Musical artist

Roy Brown Ramírez (born July 18, 1945) is a Puerto Rican musician and singer.

Early years

Brown's father was an American naval officer and his mother a native of Puerto Rico. Brown was raised during turbulent times in the United States. Among the important issues of those days were racism, the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War. Most of these events went on to form an important part in his ideals and his way of thinking.

In the late-1960s Brown graduated from Academia del Perpetuo Socorro, later enrolled in the University of Puerto Rico. He enjoyed writing poems and while he was a student, he became actively involved in groups against the Vietnam War, poor living conditions, and especially in favor of the independence movement of Puerto Rico. Brown was also involved in the student disturbances which spread throughout the university, by participating in the protest and picket lines.

First Recordings

During this period he recorded two albums, Yo Protesto (1970) and Basta Ya... Revolución. During that decade he also recorded: Roy Brown III, La Profecía de Urayoán and Distancias. Brown's personal life started to suffer because of his political beliefs. He got into trouble with the police, his father and brother didn't want anything to do with him and he was fired from his job in the university. His mother was also dying.

In the late-1970s, Brown moved to New York City and formed a group called Aires Bucaneros, with fellow musicians Zoraida Santiago, Carl Royce, Pablo Nieves, and Rucco Gandía, among others. The group traveled and performed in many countries such as Greece, Germany, Spain, Mexico, Ecuador, Cuba, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. He recorded Aires Bucaneros (1979), Casi Alba (1980), Nuyol (1983), Árboles (1987) and Balada de Ot