Brown, Oscar Cicero, Jr.

▪ 2006

      American jazz artist, actor, and activist (b. Oct. 10, 1926, Chicago, Ill.—d. May 29, 2005, Chicago), became noted during the civil rights movement for the songs he created and sang celebrating black American life and history. “Brown Baby,” “The Snake,” and “Signifyin' Monkey” were among his best-known compositions, and the lyrics he wrote to jazz standards such as “All Blues,” “Dat Dere,” and “Work Song” were covered by many other singers. After unsuccessfully running for political office, he turned to songwriting and performing as a tool for social change, collaborating in Max Roach's We Insist! Freedom Now Suite (1960). The stage musicals he crafted were timely but had short initial runs, including Kicks & Co. (1961), Opportunity Please Knock (1967), which was performed by Chicago street gang members, and Buck White (1969), the musical version of Joseph Dolan Tuotti's Big Time Buck White; the last made it to Broadway and starred Muhammad Ali as a militant black leader. Besides hosting two television series, Jazz Scene U.S.A. (1962) and From Jumpstreet: A Story of Black Music (1980), Brown appeared in the 1990s television series Brewster Place and Roc.In later years he performed with one of his daughters, vocalist Maggie Brown.

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