Milton Brown
Milton Brown ( born September 8, 1903 in Stephenville, Erath County, Texas, † April 13, 1936 in Fort Worth, Texas) was an American country musician. Brown applies not only to Bob Wills as the "Father of Western Swing". Due to his early death, he never achieved the popularity of Wills.
- 2.1 Singles
- 2.2 albums
Life
Childhood and youth
Milton Brown was born in 1903 in Stephenville, where he spent his childhood. 1918 Brown moved to Fort Worth, where he received his degree in 1925. He then worked as a seller of cigarettes, but lost his job the end of the 1920s due to the Great Depression.
Career
1930 Brown began his career as a musician. During an appearance the Wills Fiddle band that consisted of Bob Wills and his brothers, in a dance hall Brown was brought by chance on stage to Wills together with the St. Louis Blues to sing. Wills was impressed by Brown and asked him if he did not play along with Brown's brother Durwood, the guitar, wanted to get into the band. Brown and his brother accepted.
The group played in Texas in Medicine shows and got a small WBAP radio show, which was sponsored by the Aladdin Lamp Company. Therefore, the band at The Aladdin Laddies had to rename. Beginning of 1931 the group was committed to Wills and Brown of the Light Crust Flour Company, to perform daily at KFJZ. After another name change in Light Crust Doughboys organized company owner W. Lee O'Daniel, now manager of the group and radio presenter, a daily show at a different station program. The Light Crust Doughboys were an immediate success, as they had a wide range of musical styles such as hillbilly, jazz, blues and other popular music that appealed to almost every listener. In February 1932 a first plate under the name Fort Worth Doughboys was recorded for RCA Victor.
Brown left in 1932 after disputes with O'Daniel, the band and formed his own group, the Musical Brownies. The cast was as follows: Milton Brown ( vocals), his brother Durwood (guitar), Wanna Coffman ( bass), Ocie Stockard ( banjo) and Jessie Ashlock (fiddle ). And again it was the mixture of pop, jazz and early country music that brought the success of Brown and his band. The group has performed in the transmitter KTAT program and filled every dance hall in which they occurred. Meanwhile were Fred Calhoun as a pianist and fiddler Cecil Bower - as a substitute for Ashlock - added. 1934 Brown and his Musical Brownies played a their first songs for Bluebird Records.
The end of 1934 came another musician to the band, the steel guitarist Bob Dunn. With his blatant distorted electric sound he was influential. In January of next year, Brown received a recording contract with Decca Records and subsequently took 36 more songs on. It was mainly these singles that made Brown and his band, the most famous and sought after western swing orchestra in Texas. In another session, the group was also supported by Fiddler Cliff Bruner.
In April 1936, Milton Brown was involved in a serious car accident, the consequences of which he died five days later. After his death, his brother Durwood continued the band for two years. Although Brown never achieved the success of Bob Wills, he had great influence on the development of country music and western swing, it would have never existed without him in its present form.
Discography
Singles
- When I'm Gone, Do not You Grieve