Thursday, June 11, 2015

Jim Ed Brown

It is with personal sadness that I pass the news that Grand Ole Opry member, and recently elected Country Music Hall of Famer, Jim Ed Brown has passed away at the age of 81.

James Edward Brown was born on April 1, 1934 in Sparkman, Arkansas. He grew up on a 160-acre farm on which he helped run the family's sawmill business. While in high school he was President of the student body and captain of both the basketball and football teams. He entered Arkansas A&M College as a forestry major and then switched to Arkansas State Teachers College to study music and voice.

While still in high school, he and his older sister Maxine had a radio show on KCLA in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and became regular members of the Barnyard Frolic. Starting in 1954, they released five singles on the Fabor label, as Jim Ed and Maxine Brown, including "Looking Back to See." They became members of the Louisiana Hayride and in 1955 joined Red Foley as featured regulars on the Ozark Jubilee. Later that year, sister Bonnie joined them and they became known as The Browns. Their first Top 10 hit was "Here Today and Gone Tomorrow." in 1956 they signed with RCA and followed with two #1 songs, "I Take the Chance" and "I Heard the Bluebird Sing." After a two year stint in the service, Jim Ed rejoined his sisters and in 1959 they had the biggest hit or their careers, "The Three Bells." The record sold over a million copies and was the first #1 country song to cross over and hit #1 on the pop and rhythm and blues charts. They followed with hits "The Old Lamplighter" and "Scarlet Ribbons."

On August 12, 1963, they became members of the grand Ole Opry, but in 1967 Bonnie and Maxine decided that combining busy careers and caring for growing families was too much and they retired.

Jim Ed went solo and continued his success. In 1966 he reached #3 on the charts with "Pop A Top" and that was followed by "Southern Loving" "Sometimes Sunshine" and "Morning." In 1975 he began a six-season run as co-host of the syndicated weekly television series "Nashville on the Road" and he became known as the national spokesperson for Dollar General Stores. In 1976 he teamed with Helen Cornelius, which became one of country music's most successful duos. They released hits such as "Don't Bother to Knock," "Fools," and the #1 songs "I Don't Want to Have to Marry You," "Saying Hello, Saying I Love You, Saying Goodbye," "You Don't Bring Me Flowers," and "Lying in Love with You." In 1983 Jim Ed became host of TNN's "You Can Be A Star," and in 1994 he paired with his wife Becky as co-hosts of TNN's travel show "Going Our Way."

In August 2013, Jim Ed celebrated 50 years as a member of the Grand Ole Opry and was joined on the Opry that evening by sisters Maxine and Bonnie. Although The Browns broke up in 1967, they continued to make special appearances together, several of which took place on the Opry. In January 2015, he released a new album "In Style Again," to great reviews and, to cap his career, it was recently announced that Jim Ed Brown and The Browns had been elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame.

While Jim Ed was notified of his election to the Hall of Fame in March, the actual medallion ceremony does not take place until October. It was reported in the Tennessean this evening that when it was realized that Jim Ed was not going to survive, a special medallion ceremony took place in his hospital room where Bill Anderson presented the medallion to Jim Ed, placed it around his neck, and officially welcomed Jim Ed to the Country Music Hall of Fame. It was said that there were a lot of tears and laughter as Jim Ed was surprised.

On a personal note, Jim Ed was always one of my favorites. I had met him several times and he was always a gentleman. I was lucky enough to be backstage the night of Jim Ed's 50th anniversary as an Opry member, as he shared the evening with his sisters and his very good friend Bobby Bare. I guess if I had to pick a favorite Browns song, it would be "The Old Lamplighter." I just love the story and the harmonies on that song.

The past year has been tough at the Opry. First Jimmy C Newman, followed by George Hamilton IV, Earl White and Jimmy Dickens. Each loss has been felt at the Opry as will this one. May God welcome Jim Ed Brown and bless his family during this difficult time.  


24 comments:

  1. Its been raining all day here in Chicago, and, just like the song said, "on a rainy morning dark & gray, a soul winged its way to heaven, Jimmy Brown had passed away." Im really sorry to hear about Jim Ed's passing.

    The first time I went to the Opry, Jim Ed was there and performed his new song, "In Style Again." I thought it was such a great song, and after the show, I looked up his music and found his great recordings, and quickly became a fan of his.

    Its just so sad he wont make it to see his Hall of fame plaque unveiled this fall. He will truly be missed. And, unlike his song said, he was never out of style!

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    1. I didnt read the entire post. Im glad the CMHF presented Jim Ed with the medallion before he died.

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  2. Byron, they all hurt, but some hurt a little more, especially when, as in this case, you had met him. He always struck me as being the guy you saw on TV or heard on the radio--nothing phony, just a nice guy. Amazing, indeed, to think of those we have lost in the past year, and here's something crazy to think about: Jim Ed had been performing at the Opry for the shortest time of any of those we have lost! ONLY 51+ years. I'm so glad the Browns were announced and he got his medallion while he was still among us.

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    1. That easy going voice was never going to go bad, even with his illness. But what a nice man. I met Jim Ed at a local Nashville party store between Opry shows on a Saturday night around 1983.
      He was there on the break, just talking to the clerk and having a smoke ---- those damn cigarettes killed so many of our favorites ---- but Jim welcomed me as a friend that night --- I will never forget his genuine kindness to a stranger who was always a big fan ----- The Old Lamplighter is still his classic in my opinion.

      Dashmann - Flushing, Michigan

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  3. Pete Fisher did a very nice tribute (who would have thought that Jim Ed made great cheesecake!), and it was sweet of the Gatlins to sing "The Three Bells"--and Larry was right: Jim Ed would be saying, clap your hands and sing.

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  4. Mike, you beat me to it. I know many of us have our own feelings about Pete and what has happened at the Opry, but one of the things he is very good at is doing the tributes when a member dies. I thought I detected a crack in his voice when he said thank you at the end of the moment of silence. And for those who did not listen, there was no introduction of Larry Gatlin, he just spoke up and said some heartfelt words about Jim Ed. "The Three Bells" was very nicely done by the brothers.

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  5. I also wanted to add the the funeral for Jim Ed Brown will be 10:00am Monday at the Ryman Auditorium and the public is invited. This continues what has become a recent trend for many of those who pass away to have their final services at either the Ryman or the Opry House.

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  6. Another Country Great has passed from the scene, and now Jim Ed is in a better place. This man will make a great addition to the heavenly choir. And sadly, there are those who choose to make disparaging remarks about Jim Ed at this time of loss. These insensitive comments have been posted on a website dedicated to Jim Reeves. None of us are perfect. These "fans" could have at least waited a week or so before slamming Jim Ed. Thank you for letting me post these words.

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    1. I just looked up the website that you were referring to and yes, the comments are there. And I agree that they are insensitive and the timing is in question. Several of the comments were posted by an author of a recent Jim Reeves book. It's ok if you don't like Jim Brown, or even feel he did some things that maybe he should not have, but the comments and personal opinions can be held until the right time. And to add the fact that they brought up an "unnamed Opry star."

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    2. Thank you for replying to my comments. And thank you for this wonderful blog! It is always a pleasure to read (and informative, too!)

      Anonymous in Albany

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    3. I make my living in history and dabble in journalism; I'm not here to claim to be an expert at either one. But I do know this. First, obituaries rarely go into scandals unless the scandal has defined someone or his or her career. No obituary about Richard Nixon was going to ignore his resignation, and none about Bill Clinton is likely to ignore his impeachment and what led up to it.

      A few male country stars have been noted for their womanizing, although I always think of Minnie Pearl's wonderful line that she saw male singers do a lot of things on the road, and they never had to go looking for what they did--it came to them. But it's like talking about someone like Martin Luther King--whatever bad things he did don't diminish that he was a figure of incredible historical importance.

      So, I wouldn't run Jim Ed Brown or anyone else for sainthood. But there's such a thing as class and such a thing as judgment. This is a good time to show some of both. A good way to look at it is a story a friend of mine who was active in politics told. He had backed one candidate, and a friend of his disliked that candidate and owned a newspaper. He said he was going to publish something about what that candidate was "really" like. My friend said it's your paper, and you have a right to publish what you want. But, he added, I hope you'll remember that he has a family, just like you do. The editor didn't publish anything and he said that comment got to him. I try to remember that and fail at it far too often. All of us could learn from it.

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    4. Mike, thanks for the wonderful reply.

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    5. I second that!

      Anonymous in Albany

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  7. So sad about Jim Ed. At least he got to enjoy the release of his new project and was able to know he was inducted int the hall of fame. You need to go to the Bill Anderson web site and read his journal.

    A bit off subject but it kind of ties in with this thread. My brother and I attended the ROPE lunch on Wednesday where Bill Anderson, Jeannie Seely, Tommy Cash, Leona Williams and David Church performed. Kieth Bilbrey was the MC. Others in attendance included Mac Wiseman, TG Shepard and Kelly Lang, Joe and Jan Edwards, Dickie Lee, Margie Bowes, Weldon Myrick's wife, Bobby Lewis, Bobby G. Rice, and Stan Hitchcock. I know there were other musicians and writers there that we did not recognize.

    Mac Wiseman and Keith Bilbrey presented former Tennessean music editor Peter Cooper with an award of appreciation. Mac signed autographs and posed for pictures and seemed to be in very good spirits at age 90.

    Before the peformance a prayer was said for Jim Ed and his family and I think that those in the business were very much aware that the end was near and we know now that the Hall of Fame presented him with his madallion at thehospital last week. We happen to have Dave Barton and Ray Wix at our table. They had both worked with Jim Ed and were telling road stories which was a lot of fun. Ray also worked with Billy Walker and for a long time with Dotty West.

    The ROPE event was enjoyable just to be in an informal environment with the artist and musicians and best of all we met Mac Wiseman for the first time.

    On a personal note about Jim Ed, all the times we were able to visit for a few minutes with him at a road show or the Opry, he was always a gentleman and had plenty of time for his fans. After receiving one of my Christmas cards in 2013, Jim Ed sent me a post card commenting on my thoughts about the Opry and the music and thanking me for being a fan. He is also one of the few artist my brother and chose to have our picture taken with. We will sure miss him but we have some nice memory's as I'm sure all of you do.

    Jim
    Knightsville, IN

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  8. Witnessing the passing of these legends is tough. Jim Ed was unique and was a significant part of the Opry that I loved. It's difficult to come to terms with the fact that we will no longer hear The Three Bells, Pop a Top, or many of his other signature songs coming from the Opry stage anymore. There's not much left of the core group that made up the weekly Opry lineup and supported the show throughout the years. The newer members are not there very often, or as often as these core members were, so the show has changed little by little with each passing. There's just a handful of them left and I am going to appreciate them as much as I can now and go see them as much as I can while they are still with us. Nashville just isn't as magical as it used to be, at least for me it isn't.

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    1. We all knew that at some point, the Opry would come down to this. Losing Jimmy C Newman, George Hamilton IV, Jimmy Dickens and Jim Ed Brown within a year of each other, really has blown a hole in the Opry line-ups as these were regular performers who were at the Opry more weeks than not. Looking at the cast today, and what you have are Bill Anderson, Jeannie Seely, Mike Snider, The Whites, Riders In The Sky, John Conlee, Bobby Osborne, Connie Smith, and Jesse McReynolds that you can count being there the majority of the weeks. Larry Gatlin has been doing a much better job and even Ricky Skaggs and Vince Gill have upped their appearances so far this year. That leaves a lot of holes to fill and what you end up with are the Jimmy Wayne and Chris Janson's of the world as the rest of the Opry members are basically there 10 times or less each year. In fact, most shows have more guest artists then members on them. As an example, today's "Opry matinee" had one Opry member on the show.

      At this point, I am not sure what the answer is. There seems to be no rush on naming new members and I guess you could ask the question, "Who would make a good Opry member and commit to the show?" And that would be a fair question to ask.

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  9. Part of what draws many of us to these artist beyond their music is that they are real people and most of them act like they are one of us when they meet us. Along with that everyday people attitude comes all the vises, addictions and pitfalls most humans go through or deal with at some time in their lives. So, it should not surprise anyone that many of our favorite Opry and country stars have some less than upstanding conduct in their past. I'm not condoning it and hate to read or hear about some if these issues about stars I am so fond of but in most things in life you have to take the bad with the good and hope that the good actions and deeds out number the bad.

    It has been a while since I read Maxine Brown's book but she eludes to Elvis and JE in their young days and how they drew the girls to them. So, in my mind, just her discussion in that book shed light on that item of JE's past. I know that Billy Walker admitted he conducted himself in ways he was not proud of in his earlier days and later in life he was constantly trying to help others and do good to make up for it. I heard it said the other day at the ROPE awards that there were plenty of stories that could not be told in mixed company about the old days but back then everyone wasn't carrying a camera in a cell phone.

    My two all time favorites, Roy Acuff and Hank Snow, had there wild side as well but during their lifetimes it wasn't talked about much out of respect for them. Michael, if we were going to run anyone of our favorites for sainthood, Kitty Wells MIGHT be the only possible candidate.

    I have not read the comments that have been mentioned here but I can't see the point in demeaning someone who quite possibly learned their actions from the person they prefer to uphold. Further, it is sad that they would do it at a time when family, friends and fans are mourning the loss of their that person.

    Jim
    Knightsville, IN

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    1. Here are some final thoughts regarding the tribute site for the singer who died in July 1964: I used to enjoy reading through the "Fan Forum," but lately, these "fans" are treating "JR" as if he were still alive. For the most part, they tend to treat his transgressions as "normal" behavior. Wow!
      On a more positive note, by all accounts the late George Morgan was very kindhearted and cared a lot about his fellow man. He could have been really "big," but was more into family. Mr. Morgan is a truly underrated performer!!

      -- Anonymous in Albany

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    2. Jim, she might be it! Minnie Pearl might be pretty close.

      Anon, I've read and heard that George Morgan was absolutely wonderful--sort of the big brother or uncle backstage. There are great stories about him as a practical joker and about his weekly "ugly list" of the ugliest people at the Opry. But Jimmy C. Newman said that the night he joined, he was scared to death, and George came over and put his arm around him and calmed him down (he did that to Tom T. Hall the night of his first appearance and as he did, he untuned T's guitar--he didn't do that to Newman). In turn, the night Lorrie Morgan joined, Bill Anderson introduced her and stood there crying as he did (Ol' Whisper will say that he cries at everything), and Lorrie was holding a bouquet as she sang. Ralph Emery asked her if Bill gave her those and she said, "No, Uncle Jimmy," as in Newman. Payback, or paying it forward.

      Apropos of that, I read that Lady Antebellum performed today at Jim Ed's services, and Hilary Scott couldn't come out for part of it because she was backstage crying. Her parents met, I believe, through Jim Ed when he was hosting "You Can Be a Star" on TNN. I didn't get to see or hear it, but it appears to have been a lovely service.

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  10. Fred, Bismarck:

    Re. candidates for new members:

    How about Tennessee Mafia Jug Band for an infusion of the old flavor? (Bet they'd show up, too.)

    Forget just about all of Pete Fisher's frequent guests.

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  11. What has ever been wrong with Leona Williams as an Opry star ?????
    Or doesn't she want to do it ???

    Dashmann - Flushing , Michigan

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  12. I personally don't have anything against Leona, she's definitely country to the core. But I do think from a marketing perspective, what the Opry desperately needs are some additional "core" members with enough name recognition to help fill some seats and be there on a regular basis, and unfortunately, Leona never had the hits to do that. Just like while I like Ray Pillow as an Opry star, you can't build a line-up with the Ray Pillows of the world. I would think the Opry would be wise at this point to look toward adding some folks like Crystal Gayle, Brenda Lee, Gene Watson and some of the younger hit makers like Mark Chesnutt, Neal McCoy, etc. And PLEASE get with the program and add some alt-country/americana folks & bluegrassers who are making names for themselves WITHOUT the help of country radio -- Sturgill Simpson, Elizabeth Cook, Daily & Vincent, the Grascals & Rhonda Vincent. (oldtimeopry)

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  13. Fred, Bismarck:

    Oldtime, I really question the drawing power of the folks at the top of your list. If Ray Pillow doesn't do it for us -- and he doesn't for me -- neither do the Crystal Gayles, Brenda Lees and Gene Watsons for today's younger set. (Gayle and Lee don't do it for me, either.) If all we're trying to do is fill seats.

    I think Byron has said that Fisher is filling those seats already. On that basis, the Opry is doing fine and doesn't need to change a thing. Who cares about the complaints of us oldtimers? We're on our way out.

    In my view, we oldsters did our part in compromising country music. I blush at all the dreck I added to my collection in the pivotal decade of the 1950s with my hard-earned lawnmowing money, stuff you'd have to threaten my family to get me to listen to today.

    We gotta face it: The Opry is like that old girlfriend who might have loved us once, even given us a little, but is so, so over us today.

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