Recently, the music world has been plagued with a string of untimely deaths. Legends such as Whitney Houston and disco queen Donna Summer have passed before their time. However, if you have been in the DC area recently, you could not help but hear about the passing of musical icon Chuck Brown, known in the nation's capital as the "Godfather of Go-go".
...What is go-go music? Well, it is a major musical movement stemming mainly from the DMV area during the 1960s and 1970s. It is a combination of funk, r&b, the beginnings of hip-hop, gospel, and dance tracks with a heavy drum back beat and live audience call and response. Basically, when the many bands associated with the go-go era played a show, it was a big interactive party!
Chuck Brown
The late Chuck Brown is noted as being one of the major creators of the sound with his band, Chuck Brown and the Soul Searchers playing their unique style of funk all throughout the club circuit. Brown, born in August 1936 in North Carolina, had built himself up from humble roots. He tried to join the military at 13 to escape the drudging farm work, but being too young at the time, he ended up digging trenches for a living. He ended up in Lorton Prison being charged with aggravated assault not too long after, but instead of giving up on life, he decided to do something special with it. He learned to play guitar and subsequently became the token entertainer in the prison. When he was released, he joined a band called Jerry Butler and the Earls of Rhythm and in 1965, he joined Los Lotinos...his legacy began thereafter. He grew to be an indisputable icon in the DC area and also became a hit nationwide. Have you ever heard Nelly's hit song "Hot in Herre"? The hook of that song was derived from Chuck Brown and The Soulsearchers' 1978 hit "Bustin' Loose". He also recorded go-go interpreted covers of jazz and blues songs, such as "Go-Go Swing", a cover of Duke Ellington's famous "It Don't Mean a Thing if it Ain't Got that Swing". He continued performing until his death on May 16. Throughout the years he has received a Grammy Award Nomination had a DC street named after him, and has been honored by the National Symphony Orchestra. His memorial service at the Washington Convention Center this past Thursday turned into an electric, "homegoing" party, with his music and legacy being honored in full.
The Mixed Breed...and my Daddy!
I actually have a one degree of separation connection with the late Mr. Brown. My dad was a member of a pretty well-known and reputable funk/soul/go-go band in the 1970s called The Mixed Breed. They played throughout many states such as Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New York, as well as DC and Canada during the decade. They also played at one of President Jimmy Carter's 1977 Inaugural "Parties" (as they were referred to that year) at DC's Sheraton Park Hotel (now the Marriott-Wardman Park Hotel). The Mixed Breed also managed to snag a contract with the super-famous RCA record label that unfortunately, ended up falling through. Their main stage during the early and mid-1970s was The Soul Palace in Alexandria, Virginia; when they would play out of town shows, who would step in and play for them but the Chuck Brown and the Soul Searchers! My dad said that he was a really nice man and was sad at the passing of such a legend. Brown's go-go definitely inspired my dad's band as they continued to help shape the go-go era of music history. One of The Mixed Breed's biggest hits, "Gotta Get Home", can be listened to here:
Mr. Chuck Brown definitely is a music legend and most definitely will not be forgotten. Don't forget to check out his music! It's tons of fun and definitely will get you pumped up and excited for any occasion :)
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