Tommy Brown (singer)

Life and career

Tommy Brown got his start in Lumpkin, Georgia, where he put together a small band in the 1940s and played drums in Atlanta clubs. In 1949, he cut "Atlanta Boogie" for Regent, a Savoy Records subsidiary. That track dropped an early mention of rock and roll, with lyrics about the whole town rocking and a call to "rock'n'roll till the break of day." By 1951, Brown had moved to Dot Records, where he was paired with the Griffin Brothers, an R&B orchestra from Norfolk, Virginia, led by brothers Jimmy Griffin on trombone and Ernest "Buddy" Griffin on piano.

The group had toured with Amos Milburn and Paul Williams, and had backed Margie Day on two R&B Top 10 singles. In August 1951, Brown sang lead on the Griffin Brothers Orchestra's R&B Top 10 hit "Tra-La-La." Later that year, the same combo hit number one on the R&B chart with "Weepin' and Cryin'," credited to the Griffin Brothers Orchestra featuring Tommy Brown. Brown joined the Marine Corps in early 1952.

While he was away, his old label put out "No News From Home" that March, using recordings from earlier sessions. When he returned in October 1952, he moved to United Records in Chicago. He played for a spell in Bill Doggett's band and claimed a hand in writing Doggett's hit "Honky Tonk." He also recorded with Walter Horton around this time.

In 1958, Brown formed Tommy B. and his Teardrops, picking up musicians in St. Louis who had worked with Billy Gayles and Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm. Over the next ten years, he recorded R&B for several small labels, including his own T & L Productions, which he started with his wife, singer Liz Lands. Brown also worked as a comedian in the 1960s and 1970s, releasing two live comedy albums: I Ain't Lyin' in 1967 and I Ain't Lyin' Vol. 2 the following year.