Jump to content

The Browns

From Alfawiki
The Browns
Company typeVocal group
IndustryMusic
Founded1954 in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, United States
FounderJim Ed Brown, Maxine Brown, Bonnie Brown
Defunct1968
Headquarters
Pine Bluff
,
United States
ProductsMusic albums, singles

The Browns were a renowned American country and folk vocal trio, primarily recognized for their 1959 Grammy-nominated single, "The Three Bells". The ensemble was made up of Jim Ed Brown and his sisters Maxine and Bonnie. Their signature sound featured polished harmonies emblematic of the Nashville sound, skillfully merging folk and pop influences. The group ceased performing together in 1967 and was honored with induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2015.

History

James Edward Brown, along with his elder sister Maxine and younger sister Bonnie, initially pursued solo singing careers in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. In 1954, Maxine and Jim Ed secured a recording contract as a duo. That same year, their self-composed track "Looking Back to See" climbed into the top 10 charts, gaining nationwide attention and leading to an invitation to perform on Ernest Tubb's radio program. Bonnie joined her siblings in 1955, creating the trio that soon appeared on Louisiana Hayride in Shreveport, Louisiana. By late 1955, they were featured on KWTO in Springfield, Missouri, achieving another top-10 success with "Here Today and Gone Tomorrow", further propelled by their appearances on ABC-TV's Ozark Jubilee.

Under the guidance of producer Si Siman, they signed with RCA Victor in 1956, producing hits such as "I Take the Chance" and "I Heard the Bluebirds Sing". During Jim Ed’s military service in 1957, recording sessions continued with sister Norma and Billy Walker substituting for live performances.

The Browns reached their peak commercial acclaim in 1959 with "The Three Bells", which dominated both the Billboard Hot 100 pop and country charts and also attained number 10 on the Rhythm and Blues chart. Adapted from a French composition, their rendition sold over one million copies and received Grammy nominations for Record of the Year and Best Group or Vocal Performance. Their version of "Blue Christmas" also charted on the Hot 100 in 1960.

They made appearances on major television shows including The Ed Sullivan Show and American Bandstand, followed by successful releases like "Scarlet Ribbons (For Her Hair)" and "The Old Lamplighter". With a dedicated international fan base, The Browns toured extensively across Europe and were inducted into the prestigious Grand Ole Opry in 1963.

Jim Ed embarked on a solo path with RCA Victor in 1965, which soon overshadowed the trio’s activities. The Browns issued their last singles in 1968 before disbanding; subsequently, Maxine signed with Chart Records, achieving modest success with "Sugar Cane County".

Throughout the 1980s, the trio reunited occasionally and appeared together for the PBS special Country Pop Legends in 2006.

Jim Ed Brown passed away from lung cancer on June 11, 2015, at age 81. Bonnie Brown died of lung cancer on July 16, 2016, aged 77. Maxine Brown succumbed to heart and kidney complications on January 21, 2019, at age 87.

In June 2018, The Browns were honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the inaugural Arkansas Country Music Awards alongside other notable Arkansas musicians such as Johnny Cash and Glen Campbell.

Albums

Year Album US Country Label
1957 Jim Edward, Maxine, and Bonnie Brown RCA Victor
1959 Sweet Sounds by the Browns
1960 Town & Country
The Browns Sing Their Hits
1961 Our Favorite Folk Songs
The Little Brown Church Hymnal
1963 Grand Ole Opry Favorites
1964 This Young Land
Three Shades of Brown
1965 I Heard the Bluebirds Sing
When Love Is Gone 18
1966 Alone with You
Our Kind of Country 25
The Best of The Browns
1967 The Old Country Church
Browns Sing the Big Ones from Country
1968 A Harvest of Country Songs RCA Camden

Singles

Year Single (A-side, B-side)
Both sides from same album except where noted 		Chart Positions Album
US Country US CB Country CB Pop
1954 "Looking Back To See"
b/w "Rio De Janeiro" (Non-album track) 		8 Jim Edward, Maxine, and Bonnie Brown

-

"Why Am I Falling"
b/w "Itsy Witsy Bitsy Me" 
Non-album tracks

-

"Draggin' Main Street"
b/w "Your Love Is Wild As The West Wind" (Non-album track)

Jim Edward, Maxine, and Bonnie Brown

-

"Do Memories Haunt You"
b/w "Jungle Magic" 
Non-album tracks

-

"Here Today and Gone Tomorrow"
b/w "You Thought I Thought" 		7 
Non-album tracks

-

"I Take The Chance"
b/w "Goo Goo Dada" (Non-album track) 		2

Three Shades Of Brown

-

"Just As Long As You Love Me"
b/w "Don't Tell Me Your Troubles" 		11 
Non-album tracks

-

"Money"
b/w "It Takes A Long Long Train With A Red Caboose" 		15 
Non-album tracks

-

"I Heard The Bluebirds Sing"
b/w "The Last Thing I Want" (Non-album track) 		4 
align="center" | 20
Jim Edward, Maxine, and Bonnie Brown

-

"Would You Care"
b/w "The Trot" 		13 
align="center" | 14

Non-album tracks

-

"Beyond The Shadow"
b/w "This Time I Would Know" (from I Heard The Bluebirds Sing) 		11 
align="center" | 14

-

"The Three Bells"
b/w "Heaven Fell Last Night" (Non-album track) 		1 1 1 1 Sweet Sounds By The Browns

-

"Scarlet Ribbons (For Her Hair)"
b/w "Blue Bells Ring" (Non-album track) 		7 13 5 17 Town & Country

-

"The Old Lamp-Lighter"/ 20 5 12 8

-

"Teen-Ex"

align="center"|47

Non-album track

-

"Lonely Little Robin"/

align="center"|105

align="center"|39

align="center"|78

rowspan=4| The Browns Sing Their Hits

-

"Margo (The Ninth of May)"

align="center"|35

align="center"|89

-

"Whiffenpoof Song"/

align="center"|112

tag

-

"Brighten the Corner Where You Are"

align="center"|114

-

"[Send Me the Pillow You Dream On]"
b/w "You're So Much A Part Of Me" (Non-album track) 		align=center=23 align=center=56 align=center=21 align=center=50

I Heard The Bluebirds Sing

-

"Ground Hog"/

align=center=97

Our Favorite Folk Songs

-

"My Baby's Gone"
b/w "Whispering Wine" (Non-album track)

I Heard The Bluebirds Sing

-

"Buttons And Bows"
b/w "Remember Me"

align=center=104

Non-album tracks

-

"Oh No!"
b/w "Dear Teresa"

align=center=42

I Heard The Bluebirds Sing

-

"Then I'll Stop Loving You"
b/w "I Know My Place" (Non-album track)

align=center=12

The Best Of The Browns

-

"Everybody's Darlin', Plus Mine"
b/w "The Outskirts Of Town"

align=center=40

align=center=135

Non-album tracks

-

"You Can't Grow Peaches From A Cherry Tree"A
b/w "A Little Too Much To Dream" (Non-album track)

align=center=120

align=center=21

The Best Of The Browns

-

"I'd Just Be Fool Enough"
b/w "Springtime"

align=center=16

Our Kind Of Country

  • AAlso reached number 35 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

References

External links

Retrieved from "https://www.alfawiki.org/index.php?title=The_Browns&oldid=78850"