Maxine Brown

Sad news from Little Rock and Nashville tonight as Maxine Brown, the last living member of The Browns, has passed away.

Maxine Brown Russell, the vivacious entertainer, mother, grandmother, aunt, sister, and friend passed today at Bowman Hospice in Little Rock, Arkansas from complications of heart and kidney disease at the age of 87. Her family was at her side.

Born April 27, 1931 in Campti, Louisiana, Russell was predeceased by her parents, Floyd and Birdie Brown, sisters Bonnie Ring and Norma Sullivan, brothers Jim Ed Brown and Raymond Brown, and her son, Tommy H. Russell, Jr. She is survived by two children,  Jimmy Russell (Mary) and Alicia Short (Curtis), six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

As one-third of the popular Country trio The Browns, Maxine enjoyed a lengthy career that spanned the 1950s and '60s. The group released multiple "million-sellers," including "The Three Bells," "The Old Lamplighter," "Scarlet Ribbons," and "Send Me The Pillow You Dream on." As a songwriter, her first taste of success came with The Browns release of "Looking Back To See."

Maxine was the "cut up" of the globally-renowned trio, and always the life of the party during the group's tours, including jaunts in the U.K. and Japan. The Browns joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1963 and appeared on hit television shows of the day, including: The Ed Sullivan Show, The Arthur Murray Show, The Perry Como Show, American Bandstand with Deck Clark, and The Jerry Lewis Show.

In 2012, she was awarded the Ella Dicky Literary Award for her 2005 autobiography, Looking Back To See. The Browns where proud members of The Arkansas Entertainers Walkway of Stars, The Missouri Walkway of Stars, and recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from The Arkansas Country  Music Hall of Fame. In 2015, The Brown were inducted into the prestigious Country Music Hall of Fame.

Funeral services are planned and will be announced soon.

On a personal note, while I can't say that Maxine and myself were friends, I did get to meet Maxine several times, including the night at the Opry when Jim Ed Brown was honored upon his 50th year as an Opry member, which was the last time I saw her. Over the years, we had traded Facebook messages and she never failed to wish me a Happy Birthday each year. She was funny, witty, and most of all, a great singer and entertainer.

Prayers and thoughts are with her family tonight.