Willie Brown (musician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Willie Brown
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Brown's grave at Shepard Church, Prichard, Mississippi
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Willie Lee Brown |
| Born | 1899 or August 6, 1900 Shelby, Mississippi or, Clarksdale, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Died | December 30, 1952 (aged 52/53) Tunica, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Instruments | Guitar |
Willie Lee Brown (born around 1899 or 1900, died 1952) was an American blues guitar player and singer. He played with other famous blues musicians like Son House and Charley Patton. He also influenced important artists such as Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters. Many people see Brown as one of the first and most important musicians in the Delta blues style.
He usually played as a supporting musician, often with Son House, Charley Patton, and Robert Johnson. In 1930, he recorded six songs for Paramount Records. Later, in 1941, he made three recordings for the Library of Congress with Son House. Willie Brown briefly joined Son House in New York in 1952, but he soon returned to Tunica, Mississippi, where he passed away that same year.
Even though he mostly played with others, Brown recorded three popular solo songs. These were "M & O Blues", "Make Me a Pallet on the Floor", and "Future Blues". He stopped performing much in the 1940s. He died before the blues revival of the 1960s, which brought blues music back into popularity.
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Willie Brown's Early Life and Music
Willie Brown learned to play the guitar when he was a teenager. He played with many well-known blues artists. These included Charley Patton, Son House, and Robert Johnson. He was not someone who liked to be the main performer. Instead, he preferred to play alongside other musicians.
Robert Johnson even called him "my friend Willie Brown" in his song "Cross Road Blues". Johnson once said that if anything happened to him, Willie Brown should be told.
Recording His First Songs
Brown played with Charley Patton on the songs "M & O Blues" and "Future Blues". They recorded these for Paramount Records in 1930. Both of these songs can be found on the album Son House & the Great Delta Blues Singers 1928–1930. They are also part of a collection of Patton's recordings. At least four other songs Brown recorded for Paramount have never been found.
Later Life and Recordings
Willie Brown lived in Robinsonville, Mississippi starting in 1929. By 1935, he had moved to Lake Cormorant, Mississippi. He played music with Charley Patton sometimes. He also played regularly with Son House until he died.
In 1941, Alan Lomax recorded Willie Brown for a project. This project was between Fisk University and the Library of Congress. It aimed to record music from Coahoma County, Mississippi. Brown played guitar on three songs with Son House and other musicians. He also recorded one solo song called "Make Me a Pallet on the Floor". Willie Brown also played "Ragged & Dirty". After playing it, Brown said, "That's the blues, that's the Delta blues."
Willie Brown died in Tunica, Mississippi, in 1952. He passed away from heart disease.
Willie Brown's Recorded Music
Willie Brown recorded six songs in 1930 in Grafton, Wisconsin. These songs were released on three special records called 78-rpm shellac discs. Only one of these records has been found today.
- Paramount 13001: "Grandma Blues" / "Sorry Blues"
- Paramount 13090: "M & O Blues" / "Future Blues"
- Paramount 13099: "Window Blues" / "Kicking in My Sleep Blues"
- Library of Congress recording by Lomax: "Make Me a Pallet on the Floor"
See also
- Crossroads (1986 film)
- List of Delta blues musicians
