Charles Brown
Charles Brown, born Tony Russell Brown on September 13, 1922, in Texas City, Texas, was an influential American blues singer and pianist. Raised by his grandmother after his mother's death, Brown began studying classical piano at the age of ten. He graduated from Central High School in Galveston, Texas, in 1939, and from Prairie View A&M College in 1942 with a degree in chemistry. Before pursuing a music career, he worked as a chemistry teacher and held various other jobs, including as a mustard gas worker and an apprentice electrician.
In 1943, Brown moved to Los Angeles, where he joined Johnny Moore's Three Blazers, a group that played a significant role in the West Coast blues scene. Their 1945 recording of "Driftin' Blues," with Brown on piano and vocals, became a major hit. Brown's style, characterized by soft-toned, slow-paced, and sophisticated blues, influenced many artists, including Ray Charles and Sam Cooke. He left the Blazers in 1948 to pursue a solo career, achieving success with hits like "Trouble Blues" and "Black Night."
Despite the decline of traditional R&B with the rise of rock and roll, Brown continued to perform and was rediscovered by blues enthusiasts in the 1980s. He recorded several albums later in his career and toured with Bonnie Raitt in 1990. Charles Brown passed away on January 21, 1999, in Oakland, California. He was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999, leaving behind a legacy as a pivotal figure in the evolution of blues music.
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