By: Marie Herndon
This time of the year is traditionally filled with hope for peace, love, prosperity, joy, and happiness. However, today’s reality is we are witnessing our country and some of the rest of the world spreading hatred and causing human suffering. We are witnessing mounting selfish, evil acts, by those who are continually chipping away at our freedoms and our ability to provide for ourselves and family while enjoying justice for all.
Yet, music has been a much- needed source of comfort that serves to bond us together and strengthen our hope for the future. One such music professional is a Prairie View A&M University alum who has shared, through his songs and music, world-wide comfort, joy and a source for us to cope with various circumstances and conditions as we sing and sway or simply enjoy listening to his music.
Here are some of his songs. Which is your favorite? “Merry Christmas Baby” “Please Come Home For Christmas” “Christmas With No One to Love” “Wrap Yourself In A Christmas Package” “Christmas In Heaven” ”Christmas Questions” “Cool Christmas Blues” “it’s Christmas Time” “Bring in A Brand New Year” “Christmas Comes But Once A Year” ”Let’s Make Every Day A Christmas Day” “It’s Christmas All Year Round”
This music genius whose Christmas songs became holiday favorites is Charles Brown, a blues singer and pianist. He was born Tony Russell Brown in Texas City, Texas, on September 13, 1922, and was raised by his grandparents. Charles learned to play classical music on his grandmother’s piano. He graduated from Galveston’s Central High School in 1939 and enrolled that same year at Prairie View A&M College (now University). In 1939, while a college student, he was voted the most popular student on campus.
He was graduated in 1942 with a degree in chemistry from Prairie View A&M College, a historically black land-grant university (HBCU). Charles moved to California to pursue a career in the music industry. He then adopted “Charles” as his stage/professional name After several low points in his career, he quit the music business and found employment as a window-washer and a janitor while living in a small apartment in Berkeley, California.
When his music career restarted in the 1980’s, he was able to rebuild it virtually starting where he left. In spite of his many professional “ups and downs,” he, never complained and would say he had a wonderful life. Charles Brown was
twice married, but never had children. It has been said his soft- toned, slow-paced nightclub style influenced West Coast blues in the 1940’s and 1950’s. During his music
career, he had seven “Top-Ten Hits”, with one being “Merry Christmas Baby”. Tony Russell (Charles) Brown died January 21, 1999, in Oakland, California THANK YOU, CHARLES BROWN, for your gift of memories and music. If we ever needed your gift, we need it now.
From everyone at African American News to you, “Merry Christmas Baby”, and since “Christmas Comes But Once a Year”, let’s “Bring In a Brand New Year” making every day a Christmas day.
WE HOPE YOU ENJOY A SAFE, HEALTHY, HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON!
