The Browns
Encyclopedia
The Browns were an American
country
and folk music
vocal trio best known for their 1959 Grammy-nominated hit, "The Three Bells
". The group, composed of Jim Ed Brown
and his sisters Maxine
and Bonnie Brown
, had a close, smooth harmony characteristic of the Nashville sound
, though their music also combined elements of folk and pop
. They disbanded in 1967.
until 1954, when Maxine and Jim Ed signed a record contract as a singing duo. They earned national recognition and a guest spot on Ernest Tubb
's radio show for their humorous song "Looking Back to See", which hit the top ten and stayed on the charts through the summer of 1954.
They were joined in 1955 by then-recent high school graduate, 18-year-old Bonnie, and began performing on Louisiana Hayride
in Shreveport, Louisiana
. By the end of 1955, the trio was appearing on KWTO-AM
in Springfield, Missouri
, and had another top ten hit with "Here Today and Gone Tomorrow", which got a boost by their appearances on ABC-TV's Ozark Jubilee
, which Maxine Brown called "our real breakthrough." Jim Ed and Maxine had first appeared on the show as a duo in 1955. Producer Si Siman signed them with RCA Victor in 1956, and soon they had two major hits, "I Take the Chance" (a cover of a Louvin Brothers
composition that showed the Browns' close harmony) and "I Heard the Bluebirds Sing". When Jim Ed was drafted in 1957, the group continued to record while he was on leave, and sister Norma filled in for him on tours, as did Billy Walker
.
In 1959, The Browns scored their biggest hit when their folk-pop single
"The Three Bells
" reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100
pop
and country charts. The song also peaked at No. 10 on Billboard's Rhythm and Blues listing. Based on a song called "Les trois cloches
", it was originally a hit in France
for Édith Piaf
. The recording sold over one million copies, and was nominated for both Record of the Year and the Best Group or Vocal Performance in the Grammy award categories in 1959.
The Browns appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show
and Dick Clark's American Bandstand
, and followed up with "Scarlet Ribbons
" and "The Old Lamplighter", recordings that also did well on both the pop and country charts. With an international following, they toured Europe
extensively and saw further moderate success on the country music charts. In 1963, they joined the Grand Ole Opry
; in 1967, the trio disbanded as the popularity of folk music faded.
In 2006, the Browns reunited to perform "The Old Lamplighter" and "The Three Bells" for the PBS special, Country Pop Legends.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
and folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
vocal trio best known for their 1959 Grammy-nominated hit, "The Three Bells
The Three Bells
"The Three Bells", also known as "Jimmy Brown" or "Little Jimmy Brown", is a song made popular by The Browns in 1959. The single reached number one on the U.S. country and pop charts,. outperforming a competing version by Dick Flood. The version by The Browns also hit number ten on the Hot R&B...
". The group, composed of Jim Ed Brown
Jim Ed Brown
Jim Ed Brown is an American country music singer who achieved fame in the 1950s with his two sisters as a member of The Browns. He later had a successful solo career from 1965 to 1974, followed by a string of major duet hits with Helen Cornelius through 1981...
and his sisters Maxine
Maxine Brown (country singer)
Maxine Brown is an American country music singer who was originally a member of the successful 1950s trio, The Browns, before a brief solo career.-Biography:...
and Bonnie Brown
Bonnie Brown (musician)
Bonnie Jean Brown is an American country music singer and former member of The Browns, a trio popular in the 1950s.-Biography:...
, had a close, smooth harmony characteristic of the Nashville sound
Nashville sound
The Nashville sound originated during the late 1950s as a sub-genre of American country music, replacing the chart dominance of honky tonk music which was most popular in the 1940s and 1950s...
, though their music also combined elements of folk and pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
. They disbanded in 1967.
History
James Edward, older sister Maxine, and younger sister Bonnie Brown sang individually in Pine Bluff, ArkansasPine Bluff, Arkansas
Pine Bluff is the largest city and county seat of Jefferson County, Arkansas, United States. It is also the principal city of the Pine Bluff Metropolitan Statistical Area and part of the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Pine Bluff, Arkansas Combined Statistical Area...
until 1954, when Maxine and Jim Ed signed a record contract as a singing duo. They earned national recognition and a guest spot on Ernest Tubb
Ernest Tubb
Ernest Dale Tubb , nicknamed the Texas Troubadour, was an American singer and songwriter and one of the pioneers of country music. His biggest career hit song, "Walking the Floor Over You" , marked the rise of the honky tonk style of music...
's radio show for their humorous song "Looking Back to See", which hit the top ten and stayed on the charts through the summer of 1954.
They were joined in 1955 by then-recent high school graduate, 18-year-old Bonnie, and began performing on Louisiana Hayride
Louisiana Hayride
Louisiana Hayride was a radio and later television country music show broadcast from the Shreveport Municipal Memorial Auditorium in Shreveport, Louisiana, that during its heyday from 1948 to 1960 helped to launch the careers of some of the greatest names in American music...
in Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
. By the end of 1955, the trio was appearing on KWTO-AM
KWTO
KWTO refers to two radio stations in Springfield, Missouri, USA. On AM, KWTO can be found at 560 kHz, where it airs a news-talk format. On FM, KWTO operates at 98.7 MHz and carries a sports talk format....
in Springfield, Missouri
Springfield, Missouri
Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. According to the 2010 census data, the population was 159,498, an increase of 5.2% since the 2000 census. The Springfield Metropolitan Area, population 436,712, includes the counties of...
, and had another top ten hit with "Here Today and Gone Tomorrow", which got a boost by their appearances on ABC-TV's Ozark Jubilee
Ozark Jubilee
Ozark Jubilee is the first U.S. network television program to feature country music's top stars, and was the centerpiece of a strategy for Springfield, Missouri to challenge Nashville, Tennessee as America's country music capital...
, which Maxine Brown called "our real breakthrough." Jim Ed and Maxine had first appeared on the show as a duo in 1955. Producer Si Siman signed them with RCA Victor in 1956, and soon they had two major hits, "I Take the Chance" (a cover of a Louvin Brothers
Louvin Brothers
The Louvin Brothers were an American country music duo composed of brothers Ira Lonnie Loudermilk and Charlie Elzer Loudermilk , better known as Ira and Charlie Louvin. They helped popularize close harmony, a genre of country music.-History:The brothers adopted the name Louvin Brothers in the...
composition that showed the Browns' close harmony) and "I Heard the Bluebirds Sing". When Jim Ed was drafted in 1957, the group continued to record while he was on leave, and sister Norma filled in for him on tours, as did Billy Walker
Billy Walker (musician)
William Marvin Walker , better known as Billy Walker, was an American country music singer and guitarist best-known for his 1962 hit, " Charlie's Shoes"...
.
In 1959, The Browns scored their biggest hit when their folk-pop single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
"The Three Bells
The Three Bells
"The Three Bells", also known as "Jimmy Brown" or "Little Jimmy Brown", is a song made popular by The Browns in 1959. The single reached number one on the U.S. country and pop charts,. outperforming a competing version by Dick Flood. The version by The Browns also hit number ten on the Hot R&B...
" reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and country charts. The song also peaked at No. 10 on Billboard's Rhythm and Blues listing. Based on a song called "Les trois cloches
Les trois cloches
"Les trois cloches" was a Swiss song written by Jean Villard Gilles written in French. Edith Piaf and Les Compagnons de la chanson started their US-Tour in 1945/46 with this song, which was one of Ms. Piaf's greatest hits...
", it was originally a hit in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
for Édith Piaf
Édith Piaf
Édith Piaf , born Édith Giovanna Gassion, was a French singer and cultural icon who became widely regarded as France's greatest popular singer. Her singing reflected her life, with her specialty being ballads...
. The recording sold over one million copies, and was nominated for both Record of the Year and the Best Group or Vocal Performance in the Grammy award categories in 1959.
The Browns appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan....
and Dick Clark's American Bandstand
American Bandstand
American Bandstand is an American music-performance show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989 and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as producer...
, and followed up with "Scarlet Ribbons
Scarlet Ribbons (For Her Hair)
"Scarlet Ribbons " is a popular song. The music was written by Evelyn Danzig and the lyrics by Jack Segal."Scarlet Ribbons" was written in only 15 minutes in 1949 at Danzig's home in Port Washington New York after she invited lyricist Segal to hear her music...
" and "The Old Lamplighter", recordings that also did well on both the pop and country charts. With an international following, they toured Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
extensively and saw further moderate success on the country music charts. In 1963, they joined the Grand Ole Opry
Grand Ole Opry
The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, that has presented the biggest stars of that genre since 1925. It is also among the longest-running broadcasts in history since its beginnings as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM-AM...
; in 1967, the trio disbanded as the popularity of folk music faded.
In 2006, the Browns reunited to perform "The Old Lamplighter" and "The Three Bells" for the PBS special, Country Pop Legends.
Albums
| Year | Album | US Country | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | Jim Edward, Maxine, and Bonnie Brown Jim Edward, Maxine, and Bonnie Brown Jim Edward, Maxine, and Bonnie Brown is a 1957 album by the American country music trio, The Browns.- Track listing :# "Looking Back to See"# "Draggin' Main Street"# "My Isle of Golden Dreams"# "I Guess I'm Crazy"# "Sky Princess"... |
RCA Victor | |
| 1959 | Sweet Sounds by the Browns Sweet Sounds by the Browns Sweet Sounds by the Browns is a 1959 album by American country music trio, The Browns, originally released on the RCA Victor label. In 2000, this album and another album, Grand Ole Opry Favorites, were re-released together on the same compact disc.... |
||
| 1960 | Town & Country | ||
| The Browns Sing Their Hits | |||
| 1961 | Our Favorite Folk Songs | ||
| The Little Brown Church Hymnal | |||
| 1963 | Grand Ole Opry Favorites Grand Ole Opry Favorites Grand Ole Opry Favorites is a 1964 album by American Country music group, the Browns. In 2000, this album and another album, Sweet Sounds by the Browns, were re-released together on the same compact disc.-Side one:... |
||
| 1964 | This Young Land | ||
| Three Shades of Brown | |||
| 1965 | I Heard the Bluebirds Sing | ||
| When Love Is Gone | 18 | ||
| 1966 | Alone with You | ||
| Our Kind of Country | 25 | ||
| The Best of The Browns | |||
| 1967 | The Old Country Church | ||
| Browns Sing the Big Ones from Country Browns Sing the Big Ones from Country Browns Sing the Big Ones from Country is an album by American Country music group, the Browns, released in 1967. The trio took on a number of country hits at a time when listeners often preferred to hear the latest songs by their favorite singers and groups.- Track listing :#"Where Does the Good... |
|||
| 1968 | A Harvest of Country Songs | Camden | |
| 1969 | Sugar Cane Country | Chart | |
| 1984 | Rockin' Rollin' Browns | Bear Family | |
| 1985 | 20 of the Best | RCA | |
| 1986 | Looking Back to See | Bear Family | |
| 1993 | The Three Bells The Three Bells (Browns album) The Three Bells is a compilation release by American Country music group, the Browns, released in 1993.This compilation box set release contains eight CDs with 258 songs covering the career of The Browns... |
||
| 1996 | Family Bible Family Bible (Browns album) Family Bible is an album by American Country music group, the Browns, released in 1996. This release contains all new recordings by the original trio.- Track listing :#"Amazing Grace" – 2:46#"Uncloudy Day" – 2:44... |
Rock Bottom | |
| 2008 | The Complete Hits | Collector's Choice Collectors' Choice Music Collectors' Choice Music is a company primarily in two businesses. They are best known for re-issuing albums originally recorded in LP record form as compact discs... |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
|||
| 1954 | "Looking Back To See" | 8 | Jim Edward, Maxine, and Bonnie Brown | |
| "Why Am I Falling" | single only | |||
| 1955 | "Draggin' Main Street" | Jim Edward, Maxine, and Bonnie Brown | ||
| "Do Memories Haunt You" | singles only | |||
| "Here Today And Gone Tomorrow" | 7 | |||
| 1956 | "I'll Take The Chance" | 2 | ||
| "Just As Long As You Love Me" | 11 | |||
| "Man With A Plan" | ||||
| 1957 | "Money" | 15 | ||
| "Getting Used To Being Lonely" | ||||
| "I Heard The Bluebirds Sing" | 4 | Jim Edward, Maxine, and Bonnie Brown | ||
| "True Love Goes For Beyond" | singles only | |||
| 1958 | "Crazy Dreams" | |||
| "Would You Care" | 13 | |||
| 1959 | "Beyond The Shadow" | 11 | ||
| "The Three Bells The Three Bells "The Three Bells", also known as "Jimmy Brown" or "Little Jimmy Brown", is a song made popular by The Browns in 1959. The single reached number one on the U.S. country and pop charts,. outperforming a competing version by Dick Flood. The version by The Browns also hit number ten on the Hot R&B... " |
1 | 1 | Sweet Sounds by the Browns | |
| "Scarlet Ribbons (For Her Hair) Scarlet Ribbons (For Her Hair) "Scarlet Ribbons " is a popular song. The music was written by Evelyn Danzig and the lyrics by Jack Segal."Scarlet Ribbons" was written in only 15 minutes in 1949 at Danzig's home in Port Washington New York after she invited lyricist Segal to hear her music... " |
7 | 13 | Town & Country | |
| 1960 | "The Old Lamplighter The Old Lamp-Lighter "The Old Lamp-Lighter" is a popular song.The music was written by Nat Simon, the lyrics by Charles Tobias. The song was published in 1946. Several versions of the song made the best-seller charts in 1946-1947:... " |
20 | 5 | |
| "Teen-Ex" | 47 | |||
| "Lonely Little Robin" | 105 | The Browns Sing Their Hits | ||
| "Whiffenpoof Song" | 112 | |||
| "Send Me the Pillow That You Dream On Send Me the Pillow That You Dream On "Send Me the Pillow That You Dream On" is Country-And-Western song written and recorded by Hank Locklin. The song met success and made it to hit No. 5 on the charts, and became a standard for the Nashville sound. It has been covered by both Pop and Country Artists.Locklin first released the song in... " |
23 | 56 | I Heard the Bluebirds Sing | |
| "Blue Christmas Blue Christmas "Blue Christmas" is a Christmas song written by Billy Hayes and Jay W. Johnson. The heart-broken tale of unrequited love during the holidays had long been considered a Christmas staple of country music, having been recorded first by Doye O'Dell in 1948 and popularised by Ernest Tubb the next year... " |
97 | singles only | ||
| 1961 | "Ground Hog" | 97 | ||
| "My Baby's Gone" | I Heard the Bluebirds Sing | |||
| "Alpha And Omega" | ||||
| 1962 | "Buttons And Bows" | 104 | ||
| "The Old Master Painter" | 118 | singles only | ||
| 1963 | "Twelfth Rose Watching" | |||
| 1964 | "Oh No!" | 42 | I Heard the Bluebirds Sing | |
| "Then I'll Stop Loving You" | 12 | The Best of The Browns | ||
| "Everybody's Darlin', Plus Mine" | 40 | 135 | singles only | |
| 1965 | "I Feel Like Cryin'" | |||
| "You Can't Grow Peaches From A Cherry Tree"A | 120 | The Best of The Browns | ||
| 1966 | "Meadowgreen" | 46 | single only | |
| "I'd Just Be Fool Enough" | 16 | Our Kind of Country | ||
| "Coming Back To You" | 19 | singles only | ||
| 1967 | "I Hear It Now" | 54 | ||
| 1968 | "Big Daddy" | 52 | ||
| "I Will Bring You Water" | 64 |
- A"You Can't Grow Peaches From A Cherry Tree" also peaked at No. 35 on Hot Adult Contemporary TracksHot Adult Contemporary TracksThe Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
.
External links
- [ The Browns at Allmusic.com]
- The Browns at CMT.com
- Jim Ed Brown's artist profile at Countrypolitian.com