Buster Brown (musician)

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Buster Brown

| image =

| image_size =

| landscape =

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date|1911|08|15}}

| birth_place = Newton, Georgia, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|1976|01|31|1911|08|15}}

| death_place = Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.

| genre = Blues, R&B

| occupation = Singer

| years_active = 1943–1976

| label = Fire, Checker

| website =

}}

Buster Brown (August 15, 1911 – January 31, 1976){{cite web|author=Doc Rock |url=http://thedeadrockstarsclub.com/1970.html?referer=www.clickfind.com.au |title=The 1970s |publisher=The Dead Rock Stars Club |access-date=April 28, 2017}} was an American blues and R&B singer best known for his hit, "Fannie Mae".

Biography

Brown was born in Cordele, Georgia. In the 1930s and 1940s he played harmonica at local clubs and made a few non-commercial recordings. These included "War Song" and "I'm Gonna Make You Happy" (1943), which were recorded when he played at the folk festival at Fort Valley (Georgia) State Teachers College, for the Library of Congress' Folk Music Archive.Dixon, Robert, John Godrich, and Howard Rye, comps. Blues and Gospel Records 1890–1943, 4th Ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1997, p. 107. {{ISBN|0-19-816239-1}}

Brown moved to New York in 1956, where he was discovered by Fire Records owner Bobby Robinson. In 1959, at almost 50 years of age, Brown recorded the rustic blues, "Fannie Mae", which featured Brown's harmonica playing and whoops, which went to no. 38 in the US Top 40, and to no. 1 on the R&B chart in April 1960. His remake of Louis Jordan's "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby" reached no. 81 on the pop charts later in 1960, but did not make the R&B chart.{{cite book|first=Joel|last=Whitburn|year=2003|title=Top Pop Singles 1955–2002|edition=1st|publisher=Record Research Inc.|location=Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin|isbn=0-89820-155-1|page=[https://archive.org/details/joelwhitburnstop00whitbur/page/84 84]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/joelwhitburnstop00whitbur/page/84}}{{cite book |title= Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |authorlink=Joel Whitburn |year=2004 |publisher=Record Research |page=48}} "Sugar Babe" was his only other hit, in 1962, reaching no. 19 on the R&B chart and no. 99 on the pop chart.

In later years he recorded for Checker Records and for numerous small record labels.{{cite web|url= http://www.allmusic.com/artist/buster-brown-mn0000641111|title= Buster Brown|publisher= AllMusic|access-date= September 6, 2012}} He also co-wrote the song "Doctor Brown" with J. T. Brown, which was later covered by Fleetwood Mac on their 1968 album, Mr. Wonderful.

He enjoyed further attention in 1973 when his song "Fannie Mae" was included in the film American Graffiti and its accompanying soundtrack album.

Death

Brown died in Brooklyn, New York City in 1976, at the age of 64.{{cite book|title=The Guinness Who's Who of Blues|editor=Colin Larkin|publisher=Guinness Publishing|date=1995|edition=Second|isbn=0-85112-673-1|page=55}}

It is often erroneously cited that Brown's real name was "Wayman Glasco" – however, that was Brown's manager who, after his death, bought all of Brown's publishing – thus unintentionally creating the confusion. Though likely a nickname, or alias, Buster Brown may have been his birth name.{{Citation needed|date=May 2010}}