Eddie Brown (musician) explained

Background:person
Eddie Brown
Birth Name:Edward James Brown
Birth Date:13 September 1932
Birth Place:Clarksdale, Mississippi, U.S.
Death Place:Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genre:Rhythm and blues
Occupation:Session musician
Instrument:Bongos, congas, claves
Years Active:1962–1984
Label:Motown
Past Member Of:The Funk Brothers

Edward James "Bongo" Brown (September 13, 1932 – December 28, 1984)[1] was an American percussionist known for his work with The Funk Brothers, Detroit-based session musicians who performed the backing to most Motown recordings from 1959 to 1972.

Biography

Brown was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi on September 13, 1932.[1] He was raised in Memphis, Tennessee.[2] He later moved to Detroit and in 1962 he joined The Funk Brothers, Motown Records' in-house session musicians. According to Jack Ashford, Brown started out as a valet for Marvin Gaye and played bongos once Gaye began performing on-stage.[2] Brown played congas, bongos, the gourd and claves. Brown became Motown's leading percussionist and for a decade was on almost every key release from the label. He was known for his sense of humor and for being the "studio clown".[3] Despite being an excellent musician, he could not read music and when handed sheet music by the producers, he would replace it with an adult magazine. When Motown moved to Los Angeles in 1972, Brown came along. His credits there included Gaye's 1973 album Let's Get It On and Stevie Wonder's 1976 album Songs in the Key of Life.[4] He later toured with both Gaye and Liza Minnelli.[5] One of his musical influences was Chano Pozo.

Motown recordings on which Brown played include "(I Know) I'm Losing You" by The Temptations, "I Second That Emotion" by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, "What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye, and "If I Were Your Woman" by Gladys Knight & the Pips.

Brown died from heart disease in Los Angeles, California, on December 28, 1984. He was 52.[4]

Discography

As sideman

With The Brothers Johnson

With Peabo Bryson and Natalie Cole

With G. C. Cameron

With Clarence Carter

With Randy Crawford

With Commodores

With Priscilla Coolidge

With The 5th Dimension

With Yvonne Fair

With Brass Fever

With Marvin Gaye

With Gloria Gaynor

With Lesley Gore

With Kathe Green

With John Handy

With High Inergy

With Thelma Houston

With Thelma Houston and Jerry Butler

With Chuck Jackson

With La Toya Jackson

With Al Johnson

With Gloria Jones

With Margie Joseph

With Eddie Kendricks

With B.B. King

With Ben E. King

With The Miracles

With Barbara Morrison

With The Originals

With Ray Parker Jr.

With Peaches & Herb

With Wilson Pickett

With Billy Preston and Syreeta Wright

With Helen Reddy

With Martha Reeves

With Rockie Robbins

With Smokey Robinson

With Kenny Rogers

With David Ruffin

With Jimmy Ruffin

With Patrice Rushen

With Lara Saint Paul

With Bob Seger

With Marlena Shaw

With Carly Simon

With Candi Staton

With The Supremes

With Tavares

With The Temptations

With Leon Ware

With Deniece Williams

With Lenny Williams

With Stevie Wonder

With Syreeta Wright

With Michael Wycoff

With Richard "Popcorn" Wylie

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The Funk Brothers Page. Soulwalking.co.uk. January 7, 2024.
  2. Book: Dahl . Bill . Motown: The Golden Years: More than 100 rare photographs . 2011 . Penguin . 978-1-4402-2557-4 . en.
  3. Book: Coffey . Dennis . Guitars, Bars, and Motown Superstars . 2004 . University of Michigan Press . 978-0-472-11399-6 . 76 . en.
  4. Book: Betts . Graham . Motown Encyclopedia . 2014 . AC Publishing . 978-1-311-44154-6 . en.
  5. Web site: Eddie "Bongo" Brown biography. AllMusic. January 7, 2024.