Oscar Brown, Jr.
Born October 10, 1926, in Chicago, Oscar Brown, Jr. defied narrow definition. Throughout his forty-year career, he was part jazz singer, part poet, part entertainer and part songwriter. As an aspiring young playwright in 1960, Brown made an unprecedented two-hour appearance on NBC soon after writing "Kicks & Company". Though the play never made it to Broadway, Brown had arrived. He began sharing the stage with such greats as Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, John Coltrane, Nancy Wilson and Julius "Cannonball" Adderley. His London-based, two-hour, one-man show, "Oscar Brown, Jr. Entertains," led him to be hailed as a musical genius. He also made headlines with a project that worked effectively with local gang members, done in conjunction with his performance partner and wife, Jean Pace. Among their many discoveries were the Jackson Five. A composer of several hundred songs and more than a dozen full-length feature pieces, Brown lived in Chicago with his family.
He passed away on May 29, 2005 at age 78.
A2000.010
Male
9/19/2000
Brown
Married
Cicero
Frances E. Willard Elementary School
Englewood High School
Lincoln University
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Oscar
Chicago
BRO03
Fall
McCormick Tribune Foundation
Illinois
None
None
Illinois
10/10/1926
Chicago
United States
Soul Food
5/29/2005
Poet, entertainer, and music composer Oscar Brown, Jr. (1926 - 2005 ) was a black music theorist whose compositions included the song “Afro Blue” which was performed by Dianne Reeves, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Liz Wright.
Brown
Tape: 7 Story: 1 - Oscar Brown, Jr. narrates his photographs, pt. 1
Tape: 7 Story: 2 - Oscar Brown, Jr. narrates his photographs, pt. 2
Tape: 1 Story: 1 - Oscar Brown Jr.'s favorites
Tape: 1 Story: 2 - Oscar Brown Jr. describes his parents' backgrounds
Tape: 1 Story: 3 - Oscar Brown Jr. remembers his sister
Tape: 1 Story: 4 - Oscar Brown Jr. shares memories from his childhood
Tape: 1 Story: 5 - Oscar Brown Jr. describes his childhood personality
Tape: 1 Story: 6 - Oscar Brown Jr. remembers his parents
Tape: 2 Story: 1 - Oscar Brown Jr. recalls his childhood environs in Chicago, Illinois
Tape: 2 Story: 2 - Oscar Brown Jr. details his interests as a youth
Tape: 2 Story: 3 - Oscar Brown Jr. lists the schools he attended
Tape: 2 Story: 4 - Oscar Brown Jr. details his early radio career
Tape: 2 Story: 5 - Oscar Brown Jr. discusses his early activism
Tape: 3 Story: 1 - Oscar Brown Jr. recalls his early endeavors in the arts
Tape: 3 Story: 2 - Oscar Brown Jr. details his experiences during the 1950s
Tape: 3 Story: 3 - Oscar Brown Jr. recalls his dismissal from the Communist Party
Tape: 3 Story: 4 - Oscar Brown Jr. recalls writing his play 'Kicks and Company'
Tape: 3 Story: 5 - Oscar Brown Jr. recounts the production of his play 'Kicks and Company'
Tape: 4 Story: 1 - Oscar Brown Jr. discusses his career pursuits after 'Kicks and Company'
Tape: 4 Story: 2 - Oscar Brown Jr. recalls his Chicago performances
Tape: 4 Story: 3 - Oscar Brown Jr. discusses race and power in Chicago, Illinois
Tape: 4 Story: 4 - Oscar Brown Jr. describes his study of black bodies in motion
Tape: 5 Story: 1 - Oscar Brown Jr. shares his personal philosophy on modern society
Tape: 5 Story: 2 - Oscar Brown Jr. expresses his hopes for the black community
Tape: 5 Story: 3 - Oscar Brown Jr. reflects on his life's work
Tape: 5 Story: 4 - Oscar Brown Jr. recalls his time in various cities
Tape: 6 Story: 1 - Oscar Brown Jr. discusses his relationship with entertainer Jean Pace, part 1
Tape: 6 Story: 2 - Oscar Brown Jr. discusses race, citizenship and taxation in the U.S.
Tape: 6 Story: 3 - Oscar Brown Jr. discusses his relationship with entertainer Jean Pace, part 2
Tape: 6 Story: 4 - Oscar Brown Jr. discusses the role of hats in his personal style
Tape: 6 Story: 5 - Oscar Brown Jr. considers his legacy
Tape: 6 Story: 6 - Oscar Brown Jr. sings 'Brown Baby'