Henry Brown - Biography
Henry Brown was a St. Louis-based boogie woogie and barrelhouse piano player. He was born in Tennessee in 1906 and left home to go north when he was only 12. In the 30s he played with trombonist Ike Rogers and his Biddle Street Band and backed up blues singer Edith Johnson. He recorded for Columbia and Paramount Records and was an active musician until the late 70s. He died in 1981. Nobody knows how many records Brown made in his heyday, but one of them, the eponymous “Henry Brown Blues,” was a sizeable hit. Brown is featured on Twenty First Street Stomp (2000 Yazoo), which includes two tunes including the title track, Piano Blues All Stars (2008 Acrobat) and St. Louis Barrelhouse Piano 1929 — 1934 (2002 Document) with13 tracks by Brown including “Malt Can Blues” with Ike Rodgers and his Biddle Street Band, his best known hit “Henry Brown Blues,” “All Men Blues” with Dolly Martin singing, Beef Man Blues with Tee McDonald, and “Throw Me in the Alley” with vocals by Peetie Wheatstraw.
