Music 
Welcome to the Brown Family club's section on "Famous and Notable Browns" devoted to Brown relatives who have worked in Hollywood motion pictures and television as actors, directors, producers, writers, stuntmen and other fields.
This site is sponsored by the Brown Family Association, a national, non-profit family club devoted to gathering and preserving family history of all Brown families.
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Music
Lester Raymond Brown Sr. Lester Raymond ("Les") Brown Sr. shook America -- literally -- with his music. Famed bandleader, composer, music arranger and conductor, author, Les was educated at Ithaca College, New York Military Academy and Duke University, He led the dance orchestra at Duke. After school, he worked as a freelance music arranger. Les formed the "Band of Renown" in 1938. The band toured the nation until 1947, becoming one of the most famous and popular bands of the "swing" era. He joined ASCAP in 1952, collaborating with Ben Homer and Bud Green. He made many records. Among his most popular music compositions were "Sentimental Journey"; "We Wish You the Merriest"; "Dance of the Blue Devils"; "Trylon Stomp"; "Duckfoot Waddle"; "Plumber's Revenge"; "My Number One Dream Come True"; "Bill's Well", and "Bill's Ill".
He served as president of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Les was instrumental in making the annual Grammy awards a nationally televised event. He persuaded such stars as Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra to participate in the first telecast.
Les was inducted into the "Big Band & Jazz Hall of Fame" in 1999.
Les appeared in several motion pictures, including one movie special made about him "Les Brown and His Band of Renown" which came out in 1949.
(On the resurgent popularity of big-band music) "I hate to say it, but there's no relationship between what these guys are doing now and our music, or Benny Goodman's or Artie Shaw's."
"Choosing goals that are important to you is one of the most essential things you can do in order to live your dreams."
Les was born 14 Mar 1912 in the small city of Reinertown, Pa.
He and his wife Evelyn had a son, Lester Raymond ("Les") Junior and a daughter Denise. Les died 4 Jan 2001 in Los Angeles, Ca.
Jim Edward Brown Jim Edward ("Jim Ed") Brown was born 1 Apr 1934 in Sparkman, Arkansas. He became a Country music singer and earned a Country Music Association award in 1977 for his duo with Helen Cornelius. He was associated with hit songs from 1954 through 1981.
Jim Ed began his singing career with The Browns, which included his older sister Maxine and younger sister Bonnie. The group is best know for their 1959 pop hit song The Three Bells, which was number one on the charts for several weeks.
Jim Ed's solo hits have included Pop a Top, 1967, Morning, 1970 and Southern Living, 1973. He teamed up with singer Helen Cornelius for such hits as I Don't Want to Have to Marry You, No. 1 on the country chart of Billboard magazine in 1976; Saying Hello, Saying I Love You, Saying Goodbye, 1977; If the World Ran out of Love Tonight, 1978; Lying in Love With you and Fools, 1979; Morning Comes too Early, 1980; and Don't Bother to Knock, 1981.
He appeared on the TV series You Can Be a Star as a regular from 1983-1989. He also appeared on an episode of Hee Haw.
More coming...
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