Subject: Obit: Oscar Brown, Jr. From: dwditty Date: 31 May 05 - 02:22 PM I know many here have never heard of Oscar Brown, Jr. (even though he wrote over 1000 songs), but I also know there and plenty who have. OBJ died on May 29th. Go here to read about him: Oscar Brown, Jr. He was one of my musical heros. dw |
Subject: RE: Obit: Oscar Brown, Jr. From: Lanfranc Date: 31 May 05 - 02:28 PM And one of mine, too. Sad he's gone, glad his work and his works will live on. Alan |
Subject: RE: Obit: Oscar Brown, Jr. From: MartinRyan Date: 31 May 05 - 03:06 PM An early hero of mine, too. Sad. Regards |
Subject: RE: Obit: Oscar Brown, Jr. From: GUEST,Joe Offer Date: 31 May 05 - 06:44 PM I learned Brother, Where Are You? in the 1960's, but I didn't find out who Oscar Brown, Jr., was until I came here to Mudcat - good song, and an interesting man. May Oscar rest in peace. -Joe Offer- |
Subject: RE: Obit: Oscar Brown, Jr. From: MartinRyan Date: 31 May 05 - 07:27 PM I still sing "Worksong" fairly regularly - especially when the need arises to disrupt a singing session that's settling into a more comfortable groove than it deserves! I was amused to find it turning up in Stan Scott/Dorothea Hast's (?) excellent book on Irish Music as an example of how audiences/singers sometimes tire of purist material! I've also long held a secret wish to sing "Bid 'em in!" but can't make it work - yet. A fine writer and singer. May he rest in peace. I suspect he was a restless man in life - and none the worse for that. Regards |
Subject: RE: Obit: Oscar Brown, Jr. From: dwditty Date: 31 May 05 - 09:23 PM I still sing s few Oscar Brown songs at gigs and even included But I Was Cool on a cd. One of my very best ebay finds was a auction for 2 OBJ songbooks. Also, it doesn't really matter how you feel about rap, but I think of Man, Earnest Boy as the first rap song...circa 1961 or 62. |
Subject: RE: Obit: Oscar Brown, Jr. From: Big Al Whittle Date: 31 May 05 - 09:28 PM Yeh he never was on tv (that I remember) over here since the 60's but he left an indelible impression on those of us who saw him. Terrific personality, and he could be hip for America - so hip was he! a sad loss! |
Subject: RE: Obit: Oscar Brown, Jr. From: fat B****rd Date: 01 Jun 05 - 03:40 AM Sad news. Work Song was (and still is) one of my all time favourite lyrics. RIP Mr. Brown. |
Subject: RE: Obit: Oscar Brown, Jr. From: Margret RoadKnight Date: 01 Jun 05 - 04:04 AM Oscar Brown Jr - one of the best who deserved much greater recognition. Of his wonderful compositions I've recorded "When Malindy Sings", "All Blues", and "Excuse Me For Living", and I still occasionally sing "Rags & Old Iron", "The Lone Ranger", "Opportunity Please Knock" & "The Work Song". |
Subject: Lyr Add: WHEN MALINDY SINGS (Oscar Brown Jr) From: Azizi Date: 01 Jun 05 - 06:55 PM I had the honor of seeing Oscar Brown Jr perform in Newark, New Jersey around 1968. I was soo impressed with his song "Brother Where Are You?" My condolences to his family. He gave beauty to the world. **** Magret, you mentioned a Oscar Brown Jr song, "When Malindy Sings". Is that song the same as [or based on]this poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar? WHEN MALINDY SINGS G'way an' quit dat noise, Miss Lucy— Put dat music book away; What's de use to keep on tryin'? Ef you practise twell you're gray... You ain't got de nachel o'gans Fu' to make de soun' come right, You ain't got de tu'ns an' twistin's Fu' to make it sweet an' light.... Easy 'nough fu' folk to hollah, Lookin' at de lines an' dots, When dey ain't no one kin sence it, An' de chune comes in, in spots. Source: http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/a_f/dunbar/malindy.htm |
Subject: RE: Obit: Oscar Brown, Jr. (29 May 2005) From: Margret RoadKnight Date: 01 Jun 05 - 10:20 PM Yes, Azizi. Oscar Brown Jr not only wrote complete songs, but added lyrics to tunes (e.g. "All Blues") and tunes to poems (e.g. "When Malindy Sings"). Btw, he selected four verses only of the latter Paul Lawrence Dunbar poem for the song, OK. Arts (Music) section of the New York Times May 31 edition has a very good article. |
Subject: RE: Obit: Oscar Brown, Jr. (29 May 2005) From: Azizi Date: 01 Jun 05 - 11:39 PM Thanks Margret. I'll check out the New York Times article. And BTW, I appreciate your correcting my spelling of Paul Lawrence Dunbar's name. What a talent Dunbar was also. I read that he really didn't like dialect poems but couldn't sell any other types. Sadly, perhaps he was born too soon. |
Subject: RE: Obit: Oscar Brown, Jr. (29 May 2005) From: Inukshuk Date: 02 Jun 05 - 05:30 AM A true genius. We will play "The Snake" at all our gigs for the rest of the year in his honor. |
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