Roy Brown (blues musician)
American blues singer (died 1981)
Roy James Brown (September 10, 1920 or 1925 – May 25, 1981) was an American blues singer who had a significant influence on the early development of rock and roll and the direction of R&B. His original song and hit recording "Good Rockin' Tonight" has been covered by many artists including Wynonie Harris, Elvis Presley, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Joe Ely, Ricky Nelson, Jerry Lee Lewis, Pat Boone, James Brown, the Doors, the Treniers, and the rock group Montrose. Brown was one of the first popular R&B singers to perform songs with a gospel-steeped delivery, which was then considered taboo by many churches. In addition, his melismatic, pleading vocal style influenced notable artists such as Elvis Presley, B. B. King, Bobby Bland, Jackie Wilson, James Brown and Little Richard.
Early life and education
Brown was born in Kinder, Louisiana. Some sources report his birth date as September 10, 1925, but the researchers Bob Eagle and Eric LeBlanc gave the date as September 10, 1920, on the basis of information in the 1930 census and Social Security records, and stated that 1925 is incorrect. Media reports state that he was either 55 or 56 at the time of his death.
Like many R&B singers, Brown started singing gospel music in church. His mother was an accomplished singer and church organist. He moved to Los Angeles in the 1940s and for a short time was a professional boxer in the welterweight division. In 1945 he won a singing contest at the Million Dollar Theater, covering "There's No You", originally recorded by Bing Crosby.
The public source identifies “Roy Brown (blues musician)” as american blues singer (died 1981). This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Brown, blues and musician.
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Chronology provides the most reliable spine for this subject; interpretation should follow only after identities and dates are secure. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 24, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q588392. VIAF identifies the subject as 61741629. The Library of Congress control number is n94086724. 5 of 5 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 1 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1920, 1925, 1981 and 1930.
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This entry incorporates text from “Roy Brown (blues musician)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.