Willie Brown

Willie Lee Brown (1899 or August 6, 1900 – December 30, 1952) was an American blues guitar player and vocalist. He performed and recorded with other blues musicians, including Son House and Charlie Patton, and influenced Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters. Brown is considered one of the pioneering musicians of the Delta blues genre.

Brown worked as a side player, performing mostly with House, Patton, and Johnson. He recorded six sides for Paramount Records in Grafton, Wisconsin in 1930, which were subsequently released on 78-rpm discs. He made three recordings for the Library of Congress in 1941, accompanied by House. In 1952, Brown briefly joined House in Rochester, New York, but soon returned to Tunica, Mississippi, where he died the same year.

Although normally an accompanist, Brown recorded three highly rated solo performances: "M & O Blues", "Make Me a Pallet on the Floor" and "Future Blues". He disappeared from the music scene during the 1940s, together with House, and died before the blues revival of the 1960s.

In Blues & Rhythm May 2022 the respected Blues researcher Bob Eagle makes a very strong case for another Willie Brown being the "Future Blues" artist.

Birth and Death Data: Born August 6, 1900 (Clarksdale), Died December 30, 1952 (Tunica)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1930 - 1951

Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist, guitar

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Decca ATL 7012 8/30/1951 Cadillac boogie Willie Brown vocalist  
Decca ATL 7013 8/30/1951 People don't understand me Willie Brown vocalist  
Decca ATL 7014 8/30/1951 Easter Bunny boogie Willie Brown vocalist  
Decca ATL 7015 8/30/1951 Korea blues Willie Brown vocalist  
Decca L 413 10-in. 5/28/1930 M & O blues Willie Brown vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar  
Decca L 418 10-in. 5/28/1930 Future blues Willie Brown vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Brown, Willie," accessed March 28, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/201204.

Brown, Willie. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 28, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/201204.

"Brown, Willie." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 28 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/201204

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