The Browns

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Jim Ed Brown (2012)

The Browns was an American country music vocal trio of the late 1950s and 1960s . It consisted of the siblings Jim Ed Brown (born March 1, 1934 in Sparkman, Arkansas , † June 11, 2015 in Franklin, Tennessee ), Maxine Brown (born April 27, 1931 in Campti , Louisiana , † January 21, 2019 ) and Bonnie Brown (born July 31, 1938 in Sparkman, Arkansas, † July 16, 2016 ). Her most famous hit was The Three Bells .

Career

Beginnings

The Browns began their musical career as a duo when Jim Ed and his older sister Maxine first appeared on local radio stations in the early 1950s. In 1954 the first single was recorded on the Fabor label. The own composition Looking Back to See was able to place itself in the country top 10 straight away. Meanwhile, the youngest sister Bonnie had finished school. The duo became a trio. This was followed by an engagement at the Louisiana Hayride Show, with which they gained national fame. In 1955, Here Today and Gone Tomorrow was another top 10 hit.

breakthrough

Her next career move was an engagement with the Ozark Jubilee TV show, which in 1956 led to a record deal with RCA-Victor. Her first two singles, I Take the Chance and I Heard the Bluebirds Sing , nearly reached the top of the country charts. After that, Jim Ed was drafted into the military. Another sister, Norma, took his place during this time.

After Jim Ed's return to civilian life, the trio achieved one of the greatest hits of the 1950s with the folk-oriented The Three Bells . The former hit song by Édith Piaf ( Les trois cloches ) held number one in the country charts for ten weeks and also reached the top position in the pop hit parade. Their extremely finely tuned harmony vocals , for which producer Chet Atkins was responsible, had made them the undisputed leading vocal group.

Their success continued in the next few years, even if no hit comparable to The Three Bells could be booked. Her most famous songs during this time were Scarlet Ribbon , The Old Lamplighter and Send Me the Pillow You Dream On . In 1963 they became a member of the Grand Ole Opry . Her last hits were I Hear It Now and Big Daddy . Then the trio broke up as the now married Maxine and Bonnie wanted to devote more time to their families. Jim Ed Brown had already started his solo career in 1965 and was able to continue it without a major slump. He was successful for many years with his later singing partner Helen Cornelius . Maxine later returned to the music business and the charts for a short time.

Discography

Chart positions
Explanation of the data
Singles
The Three Bells
  DE 7th 10/01/1959 (24 weeks)
  UK 6th 09/24/1959 (13 weeks)
  US 1Template: Infobox chart placements / maintenance / NR1 link 08/01/1959 (17 weeks)
Scarlet Ribbons (For Her Hair)
  US 13 07/11/1959 (14 weeks)
The Old Lamplighter
  US 5 March 19, 1960 (15 weeks)
Teen ex
  US 47 04/02/1960 (7 weeks)
Send Me the Pillow You Dream On
  US 56 11/19/1960 (7 weeks)
Blue Christmas
  US 97 December 24, 1960 (1 week)
Ground Hog
  US 97 04/15/1961 (2 weeks)

Albums

  • 1957: Jim Edward, Maxine & Bonnie Brown
  • 1959: Sweet Sounds by the Browns
  • 1960: Town & Country (feat. Jim Edward Brown)
  • 1961: Our Favorite Folk Songs (feat.Jim Edward Brown)
  • 1961: Songs from the Little Brown Church Hymnal (feat.Jim Edward Brown)
  • 1964: Grand Ole Opry Favorites
  • 1964: This Young Land
  • 1965: Three Shades of Brown
  • 1965: I Heard the Bluebirds Sing
  • 1965: When Love Is Gone
  • 1966: Alone with You
  • 1966: Our Kind of Country
  • 1967: The Old Country Church
  • 1967: Sing the Big Ones from the Country
  • 1968: Sing a Harvest of Country Songs
  • 1969: Sugar Cane County
  • 1983: Rockin 'Rollin' Browns
  • 1986: Jim Ed Brown & the Browns (Jim Edward Brown & the Browns)
  • 1996: Family Bible

Compilations

  • 1960: The Browns Sing Their Hits (feat.Jim Edward Brown)
  • 1966: The Best of the Browns
  • 1980: The Beautiful Country Music of the Browns
  • 1985: 20 of the Best
  • 1986: Looking Back to See: First Four Albums 1957-60
  • 1993: The Three Bells (8 CDs)
  • 2008: The Complete Hits
  • 2009: A Country Music Odyssey
  • 2012: Soft as the Voice of an Angel
  • 2013: Complete Pop & Country Hits

Singles

  • 1955: Here Today and Gone Tomorrow
  • 1955: You Thought I Thought
  • 1956: I Take the Chance
  • 1956: I'm in Heaven
  • 1956: Just as Long as You Love Me
  • 1956: A Man with a Plan
  • 1957: It Takes a Long Long Train with a Red Caboose
  • 1957: The Last Thing I Want
  • 1957: I Heard the Bluebirds Sing
  • 1958: Would You Care
  • 1959: Forty Miles of Bad Road
  • 1959: Beyond the Shadow
  • 1959: The Three Bells (Les trois cloches)
  • 1959: Scarlet Ribbons (For Her Hair)
  • 1960: The Old Lamplighter
  • 1960: Teen-Ex
  • 1960: Lonely Little Robin
  • 1960: Whiffenpoof Song
  • 1960: Send Me the Pillow You Dream On
  • 1960: Blue Christmas
  • 1961: Ground Hog
  • 1961: My Baby's Gone
  • 1961: Foolish Pride
  • 1961: Angel's Dolly
  • 1962: Buttons and Bows
  • 1962: It's Just a Little Heartache
  • 1962: Remember Me
  • 1962: Whispering Wine
  • 1963: The Twelfth Rose
  • 1963: Oh, No!
  • 1964: Then I'll Stop Loving You
  • 1965: No Sad Songs for Me
  • 1965: You Can't Grow Peaches on a Cherry Tree
  • 1965: Meadowgreen
  • 1966: I'd Just Be Fool Enough
  • 1966: Coming Back to You
  • 1967: I Hear It Now
  • 1967: Big Daddy

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Country Music Hall of Famer Bonnie Brown dead at 77. Retrieved July 16, 2016 (English).
  2. ↑ Chart sources: DE, US UK