Roy Brown

Roy Brown

Source: Blues Tour Database

Not a few have been credited with the elusive first rock n roll song, as it's something arbitrary as to where to begin a "proper" history of rock. It was 1954 that disc jockeys began to commonly use the term "rock and roll" to sell rhythm and blues to white audiences. One could conceivably start with others, such as, say, blues guitarists, Arthur Crudup or T-Bone Walker. Some find deeper roots in such as Tampa Red. Others cite Fats Domino's 'The Fat Man' or Jimmy Preston's 'Rock This Joint'. Some think the first rock tune belongs to 'Rocket 88' by Jackie Brenston and Ike Turner. Among the several earlier good contenders in the forties we find R&B shouter, Roy Brown, as apt as any. After all, among his first recordings in 1947 was 'Good Rockin' Tonight' (covered by Wynonie Harris in 1948 though he had originally declined to purchase the song offered to him by Brown before the latter decided to record it himself). Backed by 'Lolly Pop Mama', that had been preceded by 'Deep Sea Diver' / 'Bye Baby Bye' (Gold Star 636). The Gold Star titles were Brown's first recordings sometime in 1947, though not released until 1948 after several other issues including his first, 'Good Rockin' Tonight', on Deluxe 1093. Brown's last titles of 1947 are thought to have been 'Mighty, Mighty Man' and 'Miss Fanny Brown' issued on Deluxe 3128 the same year. He put together his Mighty Mighty Men in 1948. Of the several discographies used herein, Rocky Productions and Soulful Kinda Music are the main.

Born on 10 September of 1920 or 1925 in Linder, Louisiana. He first began singing in a gospel group called the Rookie Four in 1937. Brown left home for Los Angeles in the forties where he held 18 matches as a professional boxer. He did some gigs in L.A. with his Melodeers formed in 1945 before some restless traveling about as a vocalist, first back to Shreveport, Louisiana, then Houston, then Galveston where he sang 'Good Rockin' Tonight' on radio. Come his first recording session per above in Houston in 1947 to issue on Gold Star in 1948, followed by 'Rockin' at Midnight' which was his initial record release in 1947. It was no doubt a nice surprise for Brown to see 'Good Rockin' Tonight' rise to #13 on Billboard's R&B in June 1948. 'Long About Midnight' rose to #1 four months later in October.

'Good Rockin' Tonight'   Roy Brown w Bob Ogden & Orchestra

Recorded July 1947   Deluxe 1093 A

First issued recording   Billboard R&B #13 1948

Composition: Roy Brown

Fourteen of Brown's titles penetrated the Top Ten in the next nine years. 'Hard Luck Blues' became another #1 title in 1950. His last Top Ten was 'Let the Four Winds Blow' in 1957 at #5. Brown on Billboard's charts:

  06/1948   Good Rocking Tonight / Deluxe 1093   R&B #13   Comp: Brown
  10/1948   'Long About Midnight / Deluxe 3154   R&B #1   Comp: Brown
  12/1948   'Fore Day in the Morning / Deluxe 3198   R&B #6 Country #12   Comp: Brown
  01/1949   Rainy Weather Blues / Deluxe 3198   R&B #5   Comp: Brown
  03/1949   Rockin' at Midnight / Deluxe 3212   R&B #2   Comp: Brown
  04/1949   Miss Fanny Brown / Deluxe 3128    R&B #8   Comp: Brown
  04/1949   Good Rocking Tonight / Deluxe 3093    R&B #11   Comp: Brown
  09/1949   Please Don't Go (Come Back Baby) / Deluxe 3226   R&B #9   Comp: Brown
  11/1949   Boogie at Midnight / Deluxe 3300   R&B #3   Comp: Brown / Henry Glover as Henry Bernard
  06/1950   Hard Luck Blues / Deluxe 3304   R&B #1   Comp: Brown / best performing title overall
  09/1950   Love Don't Love Nobody / Deluxe 3306   R&B #2   Comp: Brown
  10/1950   'Long About Sundown / Deluxe 3308   R&B #2   Comp: Brown
  10/1950   Cadillac Baby / Deluxe 3308   R&B #6   Comp: Brown
  08/1951   Big Town / Deluxe 3318   R&B #8   Comp: Brown
  12/1951   Bar Room Blues / Deluxe 3319   R&B #6   Comp: Brown
  03/1957   Party Doll / Imperial 5427   R&B #13 Pop #89   Comp: Buddy Knox / Jimmy Bowen
  05/1957   Let the Four Winds Blow / Imperial 5439   R&B #13 Pop #29   Comp: Dave Bartholomew / Fats Domino

'Rockin' at Midnight'   Roy Brown & His Mighty Mighty Men

Recorded 1949   Deluxe 3212   Billboard R&B #2 1949

Composition: Roy Brown

'Judgment Day Blues'   Roy Brown & His Mighty Mighty Men

Recorded 1949   Deluxe 3212

Composition: Roy Brown

'The Blues Got Me Again'   Roy Brown & His Mighty Mighty Men

Recorded 29 Sep 1949   Deluxe 3300

Composition: Roy Brown

'Hard Luck Blues'   Roy Brown & His Mighty Mighty Men

Recorded 1950   Deluxe 3304   Billboard R&B #1 1950

Best-selling title overall

Composition: Roy Brown

'Wrong Woman Blues'   Roy Brown

Recorded 1951   Deluxe 3313 A

Composition: Roy Brown

'Big Town'   Roy Brown & His Mighty Mighty Men

Recorded 1951   Deluxe 3318   Billboard R&B #8 1951

Composition: Roy Brown

'Bar Room Blues'   Roy Brown & His Mighty Mighty Men

Recorded 1951   Deluxe 3319   Billboard R&B #6 1951

Composition: Roy Brown

'Grandpa Stole My Baby'   Roy Brown & His Mighty Mighty Men

Recorded 1953   King 4609

Composition: Roy Brown

'Let the Four Winds Blow'   Roy Brown

Recorded 1957   Imperial 5439   Billboard R&B #13 Pop #29 1957

Composition: Dave Bartholomew / Fats Domino

'Hip Shakin' Baby'   Roy Brown

Recorded 1958 in Hollywood   Imperial 5510

Composition: Dorsey Burnette / Johnny Burnette

Brown died of heart attack on 25 May 1981 in California, only 55 years of age. In addition to mentions above, among his numerous compositions in alphabetical order were: 'Beautician Blues', 'Lolly Pop Mama', 'Mighty, Mighty Man' and 'Train Time Blues'.