View source for Joe Brown (musician)

{{Short description|English rock musician (born 1941)}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Joe Brown
| honorific_suffix   = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|MBE}}
| image              = Joe Brown 2010-04-24.jpg
| caption            = Brown in 2010
| birth_name         = Joseph Roger Brown
| birth_date         = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1941|05|13}}
| birth_place        = [[Swarby]], Lincolnshire, England
| years_active       = 1959–present
| module             = {{Infobox musical artist
| embed           = yes
| genre             = {{hlist|[[Rock and roll]]|[[skiffle]]|[[Beat music|beat]]|[[rhythm and blues]]|[[blues]]|[[pop rock]]}}
| instrument        = {{hlist|Vocals|guitar|[[ukulele]]|[[banjo]]|[[mandolin]]|[[fiddle]]}}
| label             = 
}}
| spouse             = {{unbulleted list
| [[Vicki Brown]] (died 1991)
| {{marriage|Manon Pearcey|2000}}
}}
| children           = 2, including [[Sam Brown (singer)|Sam]]
| website            = {{url|joebrown.co.uk}}
}}

'''Joseph Roger Brown''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|MBE}} (born 13 May 1941)<ref name="British Hit Singles"/> is an English musician. As a [[rock and roll]] singer and guitarist, he has performed for more than six decades. He was a stage and television performer in the late 1950s and has primarily been a recording star since the early 1960s.<ref name="Larkin">Larkin C 'Virgin Encyclopedia of Sixties Music' (Muze UK Ltd, 1997) {{ISBN|0-7535-0149-X}} p79</ref> He has made six films, presented specialist [[radio station|radio]] series for [[BBC Radio 2]], appeared on the West End stage alongside Dame [[Anna Neagle]] and has written an autobiography. He has again concentrated on recording and performing music, playing two tours of around 100 shows every year and releasing an album almost every year.

Described by the ''[[Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums]]'' as a "chirpy Cockney" (although he was born in [[Lincolnshire]]), Brown was one of the original artists managed by the early rock impresario and manager [[Larry Parnes]].<ref name="British Hit Singles">{{cite book
| first= David
| last= Roberts
| year= 2001
| title= British Hit Singles
| edition= 14th
| publisher= Guinness World Records Limited 
| location= London
| page= 129
| isbn= 0-85156-156-X}}</ref> He is highly regarded in the music business as a "musician's musician" who "commands respect and admiration from a wide spectrum of artists".<ref name="Larkin" />

== Early life ==
Brown was born in [[Swarby]], [[Lincolnshire]]. His family moved to London when he was two and ran the Sultan [[public house]] in Grange Road, [[Plaistow, Newham|Plaistow]], then in [[Essex]], now part of the [[London Borough of Newham]].<ref>{{cite book | first= Joe | last= Brown | first2 = Graeme |last2= Wright | year= 1986 | title= Brown Sauce – The Life and Times of Joe Brown | edition= 1st | publisher= Joe Brown Productions Ltd | page= 16 | isbn= 0002181606}}</ref> In 1956, Brown formed a [[skiffle]] group, The Spacemen,<ref name="Larkin" /> which lasted until the skiffle movement faded towards the end of the 1950s. He worked for [[British Rail]]ways at their Plaistow Locomotive works for two years in the late 1950s, becoming a [[steam locomotive]] [[Fireman (steam engine)|fireman]]. He left the job because "the smell of the [[diesel locomotive|diesels]] drove me out when they took over from steam".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2002/nov/22/transport.world|first=Martin|last=Wainwright|title=History of British Rail, from steam to sandwiches|newspaper=The Guardian|date=22 November 2002}}</ref>

== Career ==
In 1958, Brown was spotted by television producer [[Jack Good (producer)|Jack Good]] who hired him as lead guitarist in the orchestra of his new TV series, ''[[Boy Meets Girls]]''.<ref name="NME Rock 'N' Roll Years 1">{{cite book | first= John | last= Tobler | year= 1992 | title= NME Rock 'N' Roll Years | edition= 1st | publisher= Reed International Books Ltd | location= London | page= 71 | id= CN 5585}}</ref> During this period, he backed a number of US musicians such as [[Gene Vincent]] and [[Eddie Cochran]] on their UK tours.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.joebrown.co.uk/ |title=The official Joe Brown website |publisher=Joe Brown |access-date=1 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130723095855/http://www.joebrown.co.uk/ |archive-date=23 July 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== 1960s ===
Brown signed a management agreement with [[Larry Parnes]]. Parnes attempted to change Brown's stage name to 'Elmer Twitch', a story which Brown still refers to on occasion during his live sets. Brown signed to [[Decca Records]]. He charted with "[[The Darktown Strutters' Ball]]" in 1960, and had UK [[Top 40|Top 10]] hits on the [[Piccadilly Records|Piccadilly]] [[record label|label]] in 1962–63 with "[[A Picture of You (Joe Brown song)|A Picture of You]]", which reached number one on the NME charts<ref>{{cite book|last=Osborne|first=Roger|title=40 Years of NME Charts|isbn=1852837462|publisher=Boxtree Ltd|year=1992|page=115}}</ref> (the main chart of the day); "It Only Took A Minute", and "That's What Love Will Do" (written by [[Trevor Peacock]]).<ref name="Larkin" /> Piccadilly's release of Brown's "Crazy Mixed Up Kid" in April 1961 was the label's first single.<ref name="NME Rock 'N' Roll Years 2">{{cite book | first= John | last= Tobler | year= 1992 | title= NME Rock 'N' Roll Years | edition= 1st | publisher= Reed International Books Ltd | location= London | page= 93 | id= CN 5585}}</ref> Brown's recording band was a collection of [[session musician]]s, and was named the Bruvvers by Jack Good, to give Brown the identity of having his own backing band for [[gramophone record|record]] releases. It was in 1962, when he needed a band to [[concert tour|tour]] with him, that 'Joe Brown and the Bruvvers' was cemented, containing two members of the Spacemen, brothers Tony and Pete Oakman, who had also remained with him in the "Boy Meets Girls" band.<ref name="Larkin" />

Brown was voted 'Top UK Vocal Personality' in the 1962 ''[[NME]]'' magazine poll.<ref name="British Hit Singles"/> During the 1960s he appeared in a number of [[motion picture|films]], [[pantomime]] and stage musicals. In December 1963, the film ''[[What a Crazy World]]'', based on a stage play, starring Brown and [[Marty Wilde]] among others, had its world premiere in London.<ref name="NME Rock 'N' Roll Years 4">{{cite book | first= John | last= Tobler | year= 1992 | title= NME Rock 'N' Roll Years | edition= 1st | publisher= Reed International Books Ltd | location= London | page= 127 | id= CN 5585}}</ref> Brown also starred in the hit musical ''[[Charlie Girl]]'' in the West End between 1965 and 1968; and in the musical comedy film ''[[Three Hats for Lisa]]'' in 1965 with [[Una Stubbs]], [[Sophie Hardy]] and [[Sid James]].<ref name="three">{{cite magazine|first=Stephen|last=Vagg|magazine=Filmink|url=https://www.filmink.com.au/forgotten-british-moguls-nat-cohen-part-three-1962-68/|date=21 January 2025|access-date=21 January 2025|title=Forgotten British Moguls: Nat Cohen – Part Three (1962-68)}}</ref> He also made a cameo appearance as himself in the 1964 film ''[[The Beauty Jungle]]'', and presented the children's television series ''Joe & Co'' on [[BBC Television]].

=== 1970s and after ===
In 1972, he formed another band, ''Brown's Home Brew'', which played rock and roll, [[country music|country]] and [[gospel music]] and featured his wife, [[Vicki Brown (singer)|Vicki Brown]], and Pete Oakman from the Bruvvers. This eclectic collection of musical styles, together with his hits, became the basis of his live sets ever since.

Brown was a regular guest on the revived [[Oh Boy! (TV series)|''Oh Boy!'']] show in 1979 alongside [[Shakin' Stevens]], [[Alvin Stardust]], [[Lulu (singer)|Lulu]], [[Mr. Lee Grant]], [[Freddie 'Fingers' Lee]], [[Les Gray]], [[Tim Whitnall]], Johnny Storm, the Shades and [[Fumble (band)|Fumble]].

In the 1980s, Brown presented a daytime quiz show on [[Granada TV]] called ''[[Square One (game show)|Square One]]''; its success led him to recording a pilot for the prime time game show ''[[The Price Is Right (UK game show)|The Price Is Right]]'' but ATV selected [[Leslie Crowther]] for the full-time presenting role when the series launched.

He also hosted ''Show Me'', an early evening game show produced by [[Anglia Television]] and aired on [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] for one series in 1987,<ref>{{UKGameshow|Show_Me|Show Me}}</ref> and made a brief appearance as Dudley, a crooked club owner, in the 1986 film ''[[Mona Lisa (film)|Mona Lisa]]'', opposite [[Bob Hoskins]].

[[George Harrison]] was best man at Brown's second wedding in 2000; Brown had appeared on two songs on Harrison's album ''[[Gone Troppo]]'', and also was featured on a track on Harrison's last album, ''[[Brainwashed (George Harrison album)|Brainwashed]]''. Following Harrison's death from lung cancer on 29 November 2001, Brown appeared with his group at the tribute concert [[Concert for George]], held on the first anniversary of his death. Brown played guitar whilst singing "[[Here Comes the Sun]]", [[mandolin]] on "[[That's the Way It Goes (George Harrison song)|That's The Way It Goes]]," and [[ukulele]] on the closing number, "[[I'll See You in My Dreams (1924 song)|I'll See You in My Dreams]]".

Brown still performs and makes occasional television appearances. In 2005, he co-wrote a musical, ''Don't You Rock Me Daddio'', with songwriter [[Roger Cook (songwriter)|Roger Cook]],<ref>{{cite web|first=John |last=Thaxter |url=http://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/review.php/6557/dont-you-rock-me-daddio |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012170859/http://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/review.php/6557/dont-you-rock-me-daddio |url-status=dead |archive-date=12 October 2012 |title=The Stage / Reviews / Don't You Rock Me Daddio |publisher=Thestage.co.uk |date=17 February 2005 |access-date=13 January 2012}}</ref> while in December 2006, he was one of three guest hosts of ''[[Sounds of the '60s]]'' on [[BBC Radio 2]] during the absence of host [[Brian Matthew]], having already presented two series on rock and roll for the same station.

In 2008, Brown's 50th anniversary celebrations included a UK [[music recording sales certification|gold]] album for sales over 100,000 copies of ''Joe Brown – The Very Best Of'', a 37-date spring tour, an all-star concert at the [[Royal Albert Hall]] with [[Mark Knopfler]], [[Jools Holland]], [[Dennis Locorriere]], [[Dave Edmunds]], [[Sam Brown (singer)|Sam Brown]], [[Chas & Dave]] and others, and a 36-date autumn-winter tour.

His album ''More of the Truth'' was released in the UK on 13 October 2008 and, in 2009, the US musical instrument manufacturer Kala launched a series of 'Joe Brown' ukuleles. At the ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]'' magazine's awards in London on 11 June 2009, Brown was presented with the lifetime award for outstanding contribution to music after 51 years' recording.

In late 2010, Brown was asked by [[Rick Parfitt]] of [[Status Quo (band)|Status Quo]] to support them for the arena section (nine shows) of their UK tour in late 2010,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.joebrown.co.uk/about-joe/ |title=About Joe |publisher=Joe Brown |access-date=1 June 2013}}</ref> and he continued to tour throughout 2011. A triple DVD and CD set of the latter tour was released of his show at the [[Liverpool Philharmonic]].<ref>''Joe Brown Live in Liverpool'' (limited edition, Joe Brown Productions 2011)</ref>

In November 2011 ''Mojo''{{'}}s album ''Harrison Covered'', released to mark the tenth anniversary of George Harrison's death, included Brown's recording of Harrison's "That's the Way It Goes".

in 2014 Brown pulled out of the [[Village Pump Folk Festival]] for medical reasons. Due to headline the Friday night of the event taking place from 25 July, he was replaced by [[Peatbog Faeries]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wiltshiretimes.co.uk/news/inyourtown/westburynews/11187069.Star_is_forced_to_pull_out_of_Westbury_pump_festival/ |title=Star is forced to pull out of Westbury pump festival|publisher=Wiltshiretimes.co.uk |date=1 May 2014 |access-date=22 May 2014}}</ref>

== Honours ==
Brown was appointed [[Order of the British Empire|Member of the Order of the British Empire]] (MBE)  for services to music in the [[2009 Birthday Honours]].<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=59090 |date=13 June 2009 |page=14 |supp=y}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
Brown married Victoria Mary Haseman, a singer with both [[the Vernons Girls]] and [[the Breakaways]], who then became known as [[Vicki Brown]].  Latterly a session singer, she died of cancer in 1991. Their daughter, [[Sam Brown (singer)|Sam Brown]], is also a singer. Their son, Pete Brown,<ref>{{discogs artist|Pete Brown (3)|Pete Brown}}</ref> is a record producer, who produced all but one of Brown's nine most recent albums;{{cn|date=September 2023}} Pete tours with his father. In 2000, Joe Brown married Manon Pearcey, former partner of the former [[Small Faces]] singer [[Steve Marriott]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dalton |first=Nick |date=2013-09-04 |title=Music is a family affair for Joe Brown |url=https://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/music/426818/Music-is-a-family-affair-for-Joe-Brown |access-date=2023-09-24 |website=Express.co.uk |language=en}}</ref>

==Discography==
{{Main|Joe Brown discography}}
'''Studio albums'''
{{div col}}
* ''A Picture of You'' (1962)
* ''Joe Brown / Mark Wynter'' (1963)
* ''Here Comes Joe!'' (1964)
* ''Joe Brown'' (1968)
* ''Brown's Home Brew'' (1972) <small>(As Brown’s Home Brew)</small>
* ''Together'' (1974) <small>(As Brown’s Home Brew)</small>	
* ''Come On Joe'' (1992)
* ''Fifty Six and Taller Than You Think'' (1997)	
* ''On a Day Like This'' (1999)
* ''Jiggery Pokery'' (2004)
* ''Hittin the High Spots'' (2004)	
* ''Down to Earth'' (2006)
* ''More of the Truth'' (2008)
* ''The Ukulele Album'' (2012)
{{col div end}}

== Filmography ==

=== Film ===
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Title
!Role
!Notes
|-
|1963
|[[What a Crazy World|''What a Crazy World'']]
|Alf Hitchens<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Joe Brown {{!}} Music Department, Actor, Additional Crew |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0113865/ |access-date=2025-10-08 |website=IMDb |language=en-US}}</ref>
|
|-
|1964
|[[The Beauty Jungle|''The Beauty Jungle'']]
|Himself as a Rose of England Judge<ref name=":0" />
|Uncredited
|-
|1965
|[[Three Hats for Lisa|''Three Hats for Lisa'']]
|Johnny Howjego<ref name=":0" />
|
|-
|1968
|[[Lionheart (1968 film)|''Lionheart'']]
|Private Worms<ref name=":0" />
|
|-
|1986
|[[Mona Lisa (film)|''Mona Lisa'']]
|Dudley<ref name=":0" />
|
|}

=== Television ===
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Title
!Role
!Notes
|-
| rowspan="2" |1969
|[[Armchair Theatre|''Armchair Theatre'']]
|Pete
| rowspan="3" |One episode<ref name=":0" />
|-
|''W. Somerset Maugham''
|Fred Manson
|-
|1977
|[[The Sooty Show]]
|Himself
|}

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Joe Brown}}
*{{official website|http://www.joebrown.co.uk/}}
*{{discogs artist|artist=Joe Brown|name=Joe Brown}}
*[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0113865/?ref_=nv_sr_2?ref_=nv_sr_2 IMDB Profile]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20061118064134/http://www.joebrown.co.uk/discography/albums.asp Album discography]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, Joe}}
[[Category:1941 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:English male singers]]
[[Category:English rock guitarists]]
[[Category:English male guitarists]]
[[Category:English radio presenters]]
[[Category:English television presenters]]
[[Category:English male film actors]]
[[Category:English male stage actors]]
[[Category:Members of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:People from North Kesteven District]]
[[Category:People from Plaistow, Newham]]
[[Category:British mandolinists]]
[[Category:British rock and roll musicians]]
[[Category:Piccadilly Records artists]]