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Charles Louis Brown (August 22, 1936 – May 16, 2012) was an American guitarist, bandleader, and singer known as "The Godfather of Go-Go". Go-go is a subgenre of funk music developed around the Washington, D.C., area in the mid-1970s. While its musical classification, influences, and origins are debated, Brown is regarded as the fundamental force behind the creation of go-go music.
At the time of his death, he was still performing music and was well known in the Washington, D.C., area. The song "Ashley's Roachclip" from the 1974 album Salt of the Earth by Brown's band The Soul Searchers contains a drum break, sampled countless times in various other tracks. Brown's R&B hits include "Bustin' Loose"(1979) Chuck Brown Bio Windmeupchuck.com/bio. Retrieved 16 March 2023 and "We Need Some Money"(1984). Chuck Brown We Need Some Money All music. Retrieved 22 March 2023
In the 1950s, Brown was convicted of murder and served eight years in Lorton Correctional Complex. At first, the case was tried as aggravated assault; however, it was moved up to murder once the victim died. Brown stated that his actions were in self-defense. In prison, he traded cigarettes for a guitar, which was how his love for the instrument began. When Brown completed his sentence, he moved back to Washington, D.C., and worked as a truck driver, a bricklayer, and a sparring partner at multiple boxing gyms. He also started to perform at parties throughout the area; however, he could not play at venues that served liquor because his probation officer would not allow it.
Brown also recorded go-go covers of early jazz and blues songs, such as "Go-Go Swing", "Harlem Nocturne", Duke Ellington's "It Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing", "Moody's Mood For Love", Johnny Mercer's "Midnight Sun", Louis Jordan's "Run Joe", and T-Bone Walker's "Stormy Monday".
In the mid-1990s, he performed the theme music of Fox's sitcom The Sinbad Show which later aired on The Family Channel and Disney Channel. "Bustin' Loose" has been adopted by the Washington Nationals baseball team as its home run celebration song and was interpolated by Nelly for his 2002 number one hit "Hot in Herre."
He received his first Grammy Award nomination in 2011 for Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals for "Love" (with Jill Scott and Marcus Miller), from the album We Got This.
The Soul Rebels Brass Band, Rare Essence and Slick Rick performed a tribute concert and collaborated on June 21, 2012, in Washington, D.C., at the historic Howard Theatre which re-opened in April 2012.
Brown is called the "Godfather of Go-Go" and was considered a local legend in Washington, D.C. Darryl Brooks, a local promoter who worked with Chuck Brown during his career, stated, "He was a symbol of D.C. manhood, back in the day, because of the authority that he spoke with. He just spoke from a perspective that black men could understand." Andre Johnson, the leader of the go-go band Rare Essence, said that Chuck Brown "influenced generations of people—not just one—a few generations of musicians around here." Vincent C. Gray, the mayor of Washington, D.C., said Brown was "go-go's creator and, arguably, its most legendary artist".
He influenced other go-go bands such as Trouble Funk, Experience Unlimited(EU), Rare Essence, Rare Essence Retrieved 23 March 2023 Hot Cold Sweat, Junk Yard Band, AM/FM, Slug-Go, Redds & the Boys, Redds & the Boys Retrieved 23 March 2023 Anwan Glover, the Backyard Band, and Little Benny and the Masters.
In 2009, the 1900 block of 7th Street NW, in Northwest Washington, D.C., between Florida Avenue and T Street, was renamed Chuck Brown Way in his honor.
On September 4, 2011, Brown was honored by the National Symphony Orchestra, as the NSO paid tribute to Legends of Washington Music Labor Day concert - honoring Brown's music, as well as Duke Ellington and John Philip Sousa - with a free concert on the West Lawn of the Capitol. Brown and his band capped off the evening with a performance.
In 2014, the Chuck Brown Memorial Park in Langdon neighborhood, Washington, D.C., was built to honor Brown. It features a memorial wall honoring his life and achievements, as well as a sculpture called "Wind Me Up, Chuck", signifying the "call and response" associated with go-go music.
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