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Brownie McGhee - Walter Brown McGhee was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1915.
He came from a musical family. His father, George McGhee, a multi-instrumentalist who played
in both black and interracial string bands. His mother
played records by Bessie Smith, Lonnie Johnson,
and country star
Jimmie Rodgers. The early 60s, Brownie
McGhee and Sonny Terry were playing before predominantly
white audiences at folk festivals across America, Canada, and
Europe, including taking part in the first American Folk Blues
Festival. In addition, they appeared on television and in
documentaries. By the mid-'70s they'd more or less split up
and went their own way.
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Sonny Terry played until his death in
'86. Brownie had all but retired by then as well, but
before he passed away in 1996, he founded the Blues
Is Truth Foundation to help keep the Blues alive. Brownie McGhee was exceptional as a musician and
person.
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BROWNIE & BROOKS- "I was
living in The Talbot Inn Hotel in London Ontario, during a
dark period of my life, whereby I was trying to go straight.
Brownie McGee was performing one night and the club
owner wanted him to let me get up and sing with him. I was
sitting a little ways a way from where they were having a
discussion about it. Brownie looked at me and I could see him
shake his head no, as if to say, "he don't look right, or too
well". He was right, as I was sick and sweating. The club
owner persisted and finally won out. When I got on the stage
after Brownie introduced me, and shaking from coming down (2
days clean) I quietly went to the mic (I can still see his
face looking at me with pity and wondering what he got himself
into) and said I would like to sing a
Taj Mahal song "You're
Going To Need Somebody On Your Bond". How fitting! It was
my intention to finish and run off stage, and as I quickly
turned around to say thanks, and started to leave, he said "do
another one Danny". I ended singing 4 songs and as I was
leaving the stage, Brownie gently grabbed my arm and looked me
right in the eye, with a kind and understanding face and said
"son, fo a white boy, you sho' nuff got a suntan on the
inside". I have never forgotten that moment and was a
strengthening for me for the days to come. Gets me pretty
soulful just thinking about it. I'm sure I'll see you up in
Heaven Brownie, and we will jam again"-db
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info@dannybrooksmusic.com
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©2008 HIS House Records
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