Maxine Brown (country singer)
Encyclopedia
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.
, but her family moved to a farm near Pine Bluff, Arkansas
when she was a toddler. Encouraged by her parents, she began singing and performing at local venues. Brown signed a recording contract
in 1954 with RCA Records
as half of a duo
with younger brother Jim Ed Brown
. 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.
Their younger sister Bonnie Brown
joined them in 1955. 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. They became members of the Grand Ole Opry
in Nashville, Tennessee
in 1965, and disbanded in 1967.
Brown had a brief solo career during the late 1960s, releasing a single and an album for Chart Records
titled Sugar Cane Country.
Her autobiography
, Looking Back to See, was published in 2005 by The University of Arkansas Press. It delivered a revealing first-hand account of the American country music business in the 1950s and 1960s.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
country music
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...
singer who was originally a member of the successful 1950s trio, The Browns
The Browns
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...
, before a brief solo career.
Biography
Brown was born in Campti, LouisianaCampti, Louisiana
Campti is a town in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 1,057 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Natchitoches Micropolitan Statistical Area. Campti is a flat area of mostly farmland. It sets on the eastern bank of the Red River...
, but her family moved to a farm near Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Pine 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...
when she was a toddler. Encouraged by her parents, she began singing and performing at local venues. Brown signed a recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
in 1954 with RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
as half of a duo
Duet (music)
A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...
with younger brother 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...
. 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.
Their younger sister 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:...
joined them in 1955. 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. They became members of 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 Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
in 1965, and disbanded in 1967.
Brown had a brief solo career during the late 1960s, releasing a single and an album for Chart Records
Chart Records
Chart Records was a country music record label of the 1960s, best known for turning Lynn Anderson into a major country star. It was owned by Slim Williamson.The label was founded in 1964...
titled Sugar Cane Country.
Her autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
, Looking Back to See, was published in 2005 by The University of Arkansas Press. It delivered a revealing first-hand account of the American country music business in the 1950s and 1960s.
External links
- [ The Browns at Allmusic.com]
- The Browns at CMT.com