The Jody Brown Indian Family
Encyclopedia
The Jody Brown Indian Family (JBIF) was a professional Southern Gospel
group from Robbinsville, NC. The family recorded on the Crossroads Recording Label.
, plays bass guitar
and also served as the band's bus driver; Donna Brown who sang alto
; Jeremy Brown who sang bass/baritone, played both the guitar
and mandolin
; Stephanie Brown who sang mezzo-soprano
, plays mandolin
and also writes most of the material for the group. Finishing out the group was Ashley Brown, who sang soprano
for the group. Jeremy Brown currently works for the Cherokee Indian Tribe as an Audio/Video specialist.
sound but also incorporated traditional southern gospel as well as some Bluegrass
flavor to their concerts. Due to the fact that most of the group were tribal members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
, the group performed several songs in the Cherokee
language in almost every concert.
charts in the mid-2000s. The group enjoyed success in 2003 with their hit song, "Where Is Your Faith?", which peaked at #22. The group's most successful single was released in 2003 entitled, "Life Is Good". The song peaked at #5 on the Singing News charts in the spring of 2004. This would later be the highest the group got in the charts. Later in 2004, the group released what most people believe to be their best album, "God Writes Our Story". In 2005, the group enjoyed 2 Top 10 songs, "Jump out of the Boat" and "Nothing's Too Hard for God", which both peaked at #10. These songs were from the album, "God Writes Our Story". In 2006, the group had their last Top 20 song, "God Is Great", a song that peaked at #15 from their "Come Ride with Me" cd. They continued singing until 2007 with hit songs like "It Still Excites Me" (#21), "Mad Mary" (#59), and "Come Ride with Me" (#80).
The JBIF also enjoyed a number of accolades during their decade in Southern Gospel Music. In September 2000 they were nominated for the Singing News Magazine Horizon Group Fan Award. In May 2004 they were given the honor of singing for the Klaudt Indian Family
at Lee University
for the Klaudt Indian Family
scholarship presentation.
By 2007 however, the road life grew tiresome, and the family retired from the road, returning home to their comfortable family lives in the mountains of North Carolina. Stephanie Brown soon married Dale Scragg (a former member of Karen Peck & New River's band); and the couple has now made their home in Huntington, West Virginia. Jeremy and Ashley Brown continue to pursue a career in music, doing studio work and filling in with various Christian bands from time to time. Jody and Donna Brown continue to perform locally.
Southern Gospel
Southern Gospel music—at one time also known as "quartet music"—is music whose lyrics are written to express either personal or a communal faith regarding biblical teachings and Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music...
group from Robbinsville, NC. The family recorded on the Crossroads Recording Label.
Members
The band was composed of Jody Brown who sang baritoneBaritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
, plays bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and also served as the band's bus driver; Donna Brown who sang alto
Alto
Alto is a musical term, derived from the Latin word altus, meaning "high" in Italian, that has several possible interpretations.When designating instruments, "alto" frequently refers to a member of an instrumental family that has the second highest range, below that of the treble or soprano. Hence,...
; Jeremy Brown who sang bass/baritone, played both the guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
; Stephanie Brown who sang mezzo-soprano
Mezzo-soprano
A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above...
, plays mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
and also writes most of the material for the group. Finishing out the group was Ashley Brown, who sang soprano
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
for the group. Jeremy Brown currently works for the Cherokee Indian Tribe as an Audio/Video specialist.
Musical style
The family was known for their Progressive Southern GospelProgressive Southern Gospel
Progressive Southern gospel music is music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music...
sound but also incorporated traditional southern gospel as well as some Bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
flavor to their concerts. Due to the fact that most of the group were tribal members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians , is a federally recognized Native American tribe in the United States of America, who are descended from Cherokee who remained in the Eastern United States while others moved, or were forced to relocate, to the west in the 19th century. The history of the...
, the group performed several songs in the Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
language in almost every concert.
Musical career
The group had increased success in the Singing NewsSinging News
The Singing News is an American magazine which focuses on the Southern Gospel music industry....
charts in the mid-2000s. The group enjoyed success in 2003 with their hit song, "Where Is Your Faith?", which peaked at #22. The group's most successful single was released in 2003 entitled, "Life Is Good". The song peaked at #5 on the Singing News charts in the spring of 2004. This would later be the highest the group got in the charts. Later in 2004, the group released what most people believe to be their best album, "God Writes Our Story". In 2005, the group enjoyed 2 Top 10 songs, "Jump out of the Boat" and "Nothing's Too Hard for God", which both peaked at #10. These songs were from the album, "God Writes Our Story". In 2006, the group had their last Top 20 song, "God Is Great", a song that peaked at #15 from their "Come Ride with Me" cd. They continued singing until 2007 with hit songs like "It Still Excites Me" (#21), "Mad Mary" (#59), and "Come Ride with Me" (#80).
The JBIF also enjoyed a number of accolades during their decade in Southern Gospel Music. In September 2000 they were nominated for the Singing News Magazine Horizon Group Fan Award. In May 2004 they were given the honor of singing for the Klaudt Indian Family
Klaudt Indian Family
The Klaudt Indian Family was a professional southern gospel group. They were noted as being one of the most diverse groups to ever travel the gospel music circuits....
at Lee University
Lee University
Lee University is an American accredited, private, four-year liberal arts college located in Cleveland, Tennessee, United States. It is historically affiliated with the Church of God, a Pentecostal denomination, and was the denomination's Bible Training School from 1918 until 1947, when the name...
for the Klaudt Indian Family
Klaudt Indian Family
The Klaudt Indian Family was a professional southern gospel group. They were noted as being one of the most diverse groups to ever travel the gospel music circuits....
scholarship presentation.
By 2007 however, the road life grew tiresome, and the family retired from the road, returning home to their comfortable family lives in the mountains of North Carolina. Stephanie Brown soon married Dale Scragg (a former member of Karen Peck & New River's band); and the couple has now made their home in Huntington, West Virginia. Jeremy and Ashley Brown continue to pursue a career in music, doing studio work and filling in with various Christian bands from time to time. Jody and Donna Brown continue to perform locally.