Michael Brown (writer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michael Brown
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Michael Brown in New York City, 2012
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| Born |
Marion Martin Brown II
December 14, 1920 |
| Died | June 11, 2014 (aged 93) New York City, New York City
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| Occupation | Composer, lyricist, producer, writer, director, performer |
Michael Brown (December 14, 1920 – June 11, 2014) was an American artist who did many things. He was a composer, writing music, and a lyricist, writing words for songs. He was also a writer, director, producer, and performer. Michael Brown was born in Mexia, Texas.
His career started in New York's cabaret scene, which is a type of entertainment with singing and dancing. He first performed at a place called Le Ruban Bleu. In the 1960s, he produced special musicals for big companies like J.C. Penney and DuPont. For example, at the 1964 New York World's Fair, he wrote and produced a musical called "The Wonderful World of Chemistry." This show was performed 48 times a day! Some of his songs, like "Lizzie Borden" and "The John Birch Society," became very popular. Kids know him best for his three Christmas books about Santa's helper, Santa Mouse.
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Michael Brown's Early Career in Cabaret and Theater
Michael Brown wrote many songs and lyrics for cabaret shows and off-Broadway productions. In 1948, he started performing his own music at Le Ruban Bleu. His show there lasted for a record 54 weeks! He returned to cabaret often, performing at famous places like The Blue Angel and The Savoy in London.
He wrote songs for many of Julius Monk's popular cabaret shows. These included "Lola Montez" and "The Third Avenue El." "The Third Avenue El" was a sweet song about a famous New York City train line that was taken down. It reminded people to keep memories of old places alive.
In 1964, his musical Is There Intelligent Life on Earth? was shown in Bristol, UK. Songs from this show included "Blue-Green Planet" and "Communicate with Me."
Michael Brown's Work on Broadway Shows
Michael Brown's first song on Broadway was "Lizzie Borden." It was part of New Faces of 1952, which was also made into a movie.
He wrote the lyrics for a song called "Indoor Girl" in the musical House of Flowers. This song was a big hit for singer Pearl Bailey. He also wrote a song for New Faces of 1956 and a dance number for Carol Channing's show Sugar Babies.
Michael Brown also wrote the story, lyrics, and music for a musical called Different Times. He even directed this show himself. It told the story of several generations of one family. The show opened in 1972.
His Unique One-Man Show: Out of Step
In the 1970s, Michael Brown created and toured a special one-man show called Out of Step: The Great American Nut Show. In this show, he shared his interest in unique historical figures. He researched people like John Dillinger and the original Siamese twins, Chang and Eng.
He used old letters, rare photos, and film clips to tell their stories. He also performed songs and dances. His songs were sometimes funny, like a campaign song for Calvin Coolidge. Other songs were sad, showing the difficult parts of a person's life, like Baby Doe Tabor. One touching song was "Starr Faithfull's Last Letter," about a young girl whose death is still a mystery.
Michael Brown's Life and Family
Michael Brown was very smart from a young age. He started reading at age 4 and playing piano at age 6. At 19, he graduated from the University of Texas. He also studied at Harvard University and the University of Iowa.
During World War II, he joined the Army Air Forces. He worked as a Cryptographic Officer, which meant he decoded secret messages. He also wrote and performed songs during his time in the Caribbean. After the war, he moved to New York City and started using the name Michael instead of his birth name, Marion Martin Brown II.
In 1950, he married Joy Williams Brown. Joy was a talented ballerina who danced in famous ballet companies. Through Joy, Michael became friends with the famous ballerina Margo Fonteyn.
Michael and Joy had three children: Michael Martin Brown, Jr. (born 1951), Kelly Kennedy Brown (born 1954), and Adam Anderson Brown (born 1964). Sadly, Adam passed away in 1994. Michael Brown died on June 11, 2014, at the age of 93 in New York City.
Helping Harper Lee Write a Classic Book
Michael and Joy Brown played a very important role in the career of writer Harper Lee. Michael met Harper Lee through his friend Truman Capote. In 1956, the Browns gave Harper Lee a wonderful Christmas gift: enough money to support her for a whole year. This allowed her to take time off from her job and focus on writing her famous book, To Kill a Mockingbird.
Harper Lee wrote about this special gift in a magazine article in 1961. However, she never said who gave her the gift, and the Browns kept it a secret for many years. People wondered who the kind helpers were until a book about Harper Lee was published. The Browns finally shared their story in a documentary called "Harper Lee: Hey, Boo" in 2012.
The Story of Santa Mouse
In 1966, Michael Brown wrote his first children's Christmas story, Santa Mouse. This book was very popular! He then wrote two more books about the little mouse: Santa Mouse Where Are You? in 1968 and Santa Mouse Meets Marmaduke in 1969.
Later, to avoid confusion with a comic strip, Santa Mouse Meets Marmaduke was renamed Santa Mouse Meets Montague. All three stories were later put together in a book called Santa Mouse Stories.
- Santa Mouse (1966)
- Santa Mouse, Where Are You (1968)
- Santa Mouse Meets Marmaduke (1969)
- Santa Mouse Treasury (1970)
- Santa Mouse Stories (2011)
Michael Brown's Music Recordings
Michael Brown released several music albums. These included albums where he sang his own songs and recordings from the special musicals he created for companies.
Published LP Albums
- Michael Brown Sings his Own Songs, 1956
- Michael Brown: Alarums & Excursions, 1963
Industrial Musical LP Recordings
- Fall Fashion Forecast, 1957, for E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company
- It’s Holiday Time!, for Holiday Magazine
- Lead the Carefree Life... In the Holiday Mood, 1957, for E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, and Holiday Magazine
- Paris Affair, 1958, for Andrew Arkin Fashions
- Sing A Song of Sewing, 1960, for Donahue Sales Corporation
- Just Wear a Smile – and a Jantzen, 1960, for Jantzen, Inc
- A Birthday Garland, 1960, for J.C. Penney Company
- Penney Proud, 1962, for J.C. Penney Company
- The Wonderful World of Chemistry, 1964, for E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company
- Mr. Woolworth had a Notion, 1965, for F.W. Woolworth Corporation
- Spirit of 66; An Evening with Michael Brown and his Friends, 1966, for J.C. Penney Company
- Big Belk Country, 1967, for Donahue Sales Corporation
- Big D Country, 1967, for Donahue Sales Corporation
- Seven Sons on a Seesaw, Brown’s ninth show for E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company
- Music to Sell Dodges Buy, 1964, for Dodge Motor Company
