Ken Brown (musician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ken Brown
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| Background information | |
| Born | 20 August 1940 Enfield, Middlesex, England |
| Origin | Middlesex |
| Died | c. 9 June 2010 (aged 69) Essex, England |
| Genres | Skiffle, Rock and roll |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | 1959–1960 |
| Associated acts | The Les Stewart Quartet, The Quarrymen, The Blackjacks |
Kenneth Brown (born August 20, 1940 – died around June 9, 2010) was a British guitarist. He was part of a band called The Quarrymen. This group was an early version of the famous band The Beatles.
Contents
Early Life and Moving to Liverpool
Ken Brown was born in Enfield, Middlesex, England, in August 1940. When he was very young, his family moved to Liverpool the next year.
Ken Brown's Music Career
Ken Brown was a member of a group called the Les Stewart Quartet. Other members included Les Stewart, George Harrison, and Geoff Skinner.
Playing at The Casbah Coffee Club
A woman named Mona Best opened a music club called The Casbah Coffee Club. This happened on August 29, 1959. Ken Brown helped arrange for his quartet to play there regularly.
One time, Ken Brown missed rehearsals because he was helping to decorate the club. Because of this, Les Stewart refused to play. So, Ken Brown and George Harrison quickly asked John Lennon and Paul McCartney to join them. They played under the name The Quarrymen.
They played seven Saturday night shows at The Casbah. These shows took place from August to October 1959. The band included Ken Brown, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison. They did not have a drummer at this time. They also only had one microphone connected to the club's small sound system.
About 300 local teenagers came to the first show. The club's cellar had no air-conditioning. As people danced, it got very hot and hard to breathe.
Leaving The Quarrymen
On October 10, Ken Brown hurt his leg. He could not play that night. He rested upstairs while John Lennon, George Harrison, and Paul McCartney played the show.
Mona Best still divided the band's payment equally among all four of them. This caused an argument. Because of this argument, Ken Brown left The Quarrymen.
Forming The Blackjacks
After leaving The Quarrymen, Ken Brown started a new band. It was called The Blackjacks. Pete Best, Mona Best's son, played drums in this group. 'Chas' Newby also joined them.
The Blackjacks continued to play at The Casbah. However, Pete Best was later asked to join The Beatles. This happened just before The Beatles' first trip to Hamburg, Germany, in 1960.
After Pete Best left, The Blackjacks broke up. Ken Brown then moved to London. He never became a professional musician.
Later Life and Passing
Ken Brown suffered from a lung condition called emphysema. He passed away at his home in Essex, England, when he was 69 years old. His body was found on June 14, 2010. Police believed he had died about five days earlier.
