J Anthony Brown
Encyclopedia
James Anthony Brown is an American comedian, actor and radio personality. He received the Peabody Award and the NAACP Image Award.
after relocating there from his home in South Carolina
almost thirty years ago. A tailor by trade, Brown aspired to be a clothing designer before stitching together a comedy routine after entering a local 'gong show' contest in a local nightclub, Mr. V's Figure Eight. Invited back to host on a regular basis, Brown became a fixture at the hot spot, performing there for the next two years.
in 1989 to pursue work in television, quickly landing a prime gig as a staff writer for the nationally-syndicated, late-night talk show, The Arsenio Hall Show
. After that five-year stint ended, Brown racked up other writing assignments for such sitcoms as The Parenthood and Me and the Boys.
He has performed on Vibe, Def Jam, It's Showtime at the Apollo, An Evening at the Improv and The Oprah Winfrey Show
, and landed recurring roles on Moesha
, Living Single
and The Parenthood, as well as guest spots on The Parkers
and Sparks
. His motion picture work includes roles in Def Jam's How to Be a Player, Pay the Price, Drumline
and Mr. 3000
. He also won gigs warming up audiences at the tapings of Martin
, Sister, Sister
, Roc
and Hangin' with Mr. Cooper
.
Brown is currently a radio personality on the Tom Joyner Morning Show
, a nationwide radio show aired out of Dallas, Texas.
Brown was awarded a NAACP Image Award and Peabody Award in 1993 for his contribution in reconstruction after the 1992 LA uprising.
fraternity, Eta Beta Sigma alumni chapter in Nashville. Additionally, he is the owner of the J. Anthony Brown Collection, The J. Spot Clothing Store, and The J. Anthony Brown Comedy Store in Los Angeles, California.
Brown lost both of his parents to diabetes.
Early life
Brown started his career in Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
after relocating there from his home in South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
almost thirty years ago. A tailor by trade, Brown aspired to be a clothing designer before stitching together a comedy routine after entering a local 'gong show' contest in a local nightclub, Mr. V's Figure Eight. Invited back to host on a regular basis, Brown became a fixture at the hot spot, performing there for the next two years.
Professional career
He left Atlanta for Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
in 1989 to pursue work in television, quickly landing a prime gig as a staff writer for the nationally-syndicated, late-night talk show, The Arsenio Hall Show
The Arsenio Hall Show
The Arsenio Hall Show is an American variety/talk show that aired late weeknights in syndication from January 3, 1989 to May 27, 1994. The show was created and hosted by comedian/actor Arsenio Hall.- Background :...
. After that five-year stint ended, Brown racked up other writing assignments for such sitcoms as The Parenthood and Me and the Boys.
He has performed on Vibe, Def Jam, It's Showtime at the Apollo, An Evening at the Improv and The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
, and landed recurring roles on Moesha
Moesha
Moesha is an American sitcom series that aired on the UPN network from January 23, 1996 to May 14, 2001. The series stars R&B singer Brandy Norwood as Moesha Mitchell, a high school student living with her family in the Leimert Park neighborhood of South Central Los Angeles.-Overview:The show...
, Living Single
Living Single
Living Single is an American television sitcom which aired for five seasons on the Fox network from August 29, 1993 to January 1, 1998. The show centered on the lives of six friends who share personal and professional experiences while living in a Brooklyn brownstone.Throughout its run, Living...
and The Parenthood, as well as guest spots on The Parkers
The Parkers
The Parkers is an American sitcom . A spin-off of UPN's Moesha, The Parkers featured the mother-daughter team of Nikki and Kim Parker . The Parkers' signature "Heeyyy" greeting made its way into popular vernacular in the early 2000s.-Premise:The series centered around a mother and daughter who...
and Sparks
Sparks (TV series)
Sparks is an American sitcom that aired on UPN from August 26, 1996 to March 2, 1998. The series stars James Avery, Robin Givens, Terrence Howard, and Miguel A. Núñez, Jr.. The sitcom is set in Compton, California, and is about the every day lives of a family of lawyers running a family owned law...
. His motion picture work includes roles in Def Jam's How to Be a Player, Pay the Price, Drumline
Drumline (film)
Drumline is a 2002 American film directed by Charles Stone III. The screenplay, which was inspired by The Southwest Dekalb High School Drumline , was written by Tina Gordon Chism and Shawn Schepps...
and Mr. 3000
Mr. 3000
Mr. 3000 is a 2004 American sports comedy film starring Bernie Mac and Angela Bassett. The film's plot surrounds a retired Major League Baseball player who makes a comeback at age 47 in order to attain 3,000 hits.-Plot:...
. He also won gigs warming up audiences at the tapings of Martin
Martin (TV series)
Martin is an American sitcom produced by HBO Independent Productions that aired for five seasons, from August 27, 1992 to May 1, 1997 on Fox...
, Sister, Sister
Sister, Sister (TV series)
Sister, Sister is an American television sitcom about identical twin girls Tia Landry and Tamera Campbell , who were separated and adopted at birth, when one day they come face-to-face after 14 years apart....
, Roc
Roc (TV series)
Roc is an American comedy-drama television series which ran on Fox from August 1991 to May 1994. The series stars Charles S. Dutton as Baltimore garbage collector Roc Emerson and Ella Joyce as his wife Eleanor.-Early episodes:...
and Hangin' with Mr. Cooper
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper is an American television sitcom that originally aired on ABC from 1992 to 1997, starring Mark Curry and Holly Robinson. The show took place in Curry's hometown of Oakland, California. Hangin' with Mr. Cooper was produced by Jeff Franklin Productions, in association with...
.
Brown is currently a radio personality on the Tom Joyner Morning Show
Tom Joyner Morning Show
The Tom Joyner Morning Show is a nationally-syndicated program, featuring host Tom Joyner and a team of comedians and commentators reporting and discussing the latest news and sports of the day, playing popular R&B songs from the 1970s through the 1990s as well as contemporary R&B hits, and an...
, a nationwide radio show aired out of Dallas, Texas.
Brown was awarded a NAACP Image Award and Peabody Award in 1993 for his contribution in reconstruction after the 1992 LA uprising.
Personal life
Brown was initiated into Phi Beta SigmaPhi Beta Sigma
Phi Beta Sigma is a predominantly African-American fraternity which was founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C. on January 9, 1914, by three young African-American male students. The founders A. Langston Taylor, Leonard F. Morse, and Charles I...
fraternity, Eta Beta Sigma alumni chapter in Nashville. Additionally, he is the owner of the J. Anthony Brown Collection, The J. Spot Clothing Store, and The J. Anthony Brown Comedy Store in Los Angeles, California.
Brown lost both of his parents to diabetes.
External links
- www.thejspotstore.com -- The J. Spot Clothing Store