Randy Brown (musician) facts for kids

Randy Brown (born in 1952, died March 5, 2025) was an American R&B singer. R&B stands for Rhythm and Blues, a popular style of music.

Early Life and Music Career

Randy Brown was born in Memphis, Tennessee. He started singing in a style called doo-wop and also in his local church.

He became a solo singer after recording with a Memphis group called The Newcomers. This group had a popular R&B song called "Pin The Tail On The Donkey" in 1971. They recorded it with Stax Records.

In 1973, Randy Brown left The Newcomers. He recorded his first solo song, "Did You Hear Yourself," also with Stax Records. After a few more songs that weren't big hits, he recorded "You Can Be Cured" and "Take a Few More Steps" in 1975.

A writer and producer named Carl Hampton convinced Randy to return to music in 1978. Randy had gone to school with Carl.

After Carl called him, Randy recorded four songs. These songs were given to Russ Regan at Parachute Records. One song, "I'd Rather Hurt Myself," really impressed Russ. So, the song was officially recorded.

People liked "I'd Rather Hurt Myself" a lot. Randy then recorded more songs to complete his album, Welcome To My Room. This album came out in 1978.

"I'd Rather Hurt Myself" became very famous in Brazil. People called it "The Hang glider song." This was because it was played in the background of a popular TV show called Pai Herói in 1979.

Randy Brown had another big hit in 1980 called "We Ought To Be Doin 'It." This song reached number 16 on the R&B music chart in the United States.

Carl Hampton produced and wrote all the songs on Randy's first album. He worked with Homer Banks, another producer from Memphis. Randy recorded four albums for record labels connected to Casablanca Records. These were Parachute and Chocolate City. He made these albums in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He often sang songs written and produced by Homer Banks, who was working with Chuck Brooks.

For a short time, Randy Brown was also a member of the group The Temprees.

Randy's brother was William Brown. William was a member of a group called The Mad Lads. He was also a studio recording engineer, especially at Stax Records. William produced several songs for Randy. These songs were later released in 1981 on an album by Stax Records.

Later Life and Passing

Randy Brown lived in his hometown of Memphis. He had retired from music, but he came back to perform. He sang at London’s Jazz Cafe in December 2019. On March 5, 2025, it was announced that Randy Brown had passed away. He was 72 years old.

Music Albums

• Welcome to My Room (1978) - This album reached number 48 on the U.S. R&B chart.
• Intimately (1979) - This album reached number 46 on the U.S. R&B chart.
• Midnight Desire (1980) - This album reached number 50 on the U.S. R&B chart.
• Check It Out (1981)
• Randy (1981)