Harold Ray Brown

Last updated
Harold Ray Brown
Harold R Brown on Stage.jpg
Brown in 2009
Background information
Born (1946-03-17) 17 March 1946 (age 78)
Origin Long Beach, California, United States
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Musician
  • Songwriter
Instrument(s) Drums
Years active1966–present

Harold Ray Brown (born March 17, 1946) is a founding member of War, an American funk band in the 1970s to 2000s. [1] Harold had a number of roles over the years, acting as drummer, percussionist, vocalist, and bandleader.

Brown is the oldest of six children, and the only one in his family to pursue music. He was introduced to music at the First Lutheran Church in Downtown Long Beach. [2] Beginning with the congas, Brown progressed to violin while in elementary school, and took up drums in junior high. He turned down a full scholarship to Valparaiso University in 1964 in order to pursue music.

Brown was rooted in the very beginnings of War. In 1962, he met Howard E. Scott at the Cozy Lounge in Long Beach, California. They were fifteen years old at the time and were hired to play in a band for a casual gig.

Brown started a band called the Creators in 1963 in Long Beach while going to Long Beach Polytechnic High School, to play for high school sock hops and car shows. Then in 1967, toward the end of the Vietnam War, he and Howard Scott restarted the band with a new name, Night Shift. Brown had been working as a machinist on the Night Shift. In February 1969 while playing a show at the Rag Doll Night Club in North Hollywood, California Eric Burdon and Lee Oskar jammed with the Night Shift. The band changed its name to War.

Brown left the band to attend college in 1983, majoring in computer science, with a minor in music. He then moved to New Orleans in 1986. [3] In 2001, Brown went back to school to pursue his lifelong hobby; he is now a historian and professional tour guide in New Orleans, and has recently formed a new band called the Lowrider Band with three of the other original members of War: Howard E. Scott, Morris “BB” Dickerson, and Lee Oskar. [4] Brown also works with inner-city youth during the summer, to promote good citizenship through the art of fine drumming.

Harold Ray Brown is a founding member of The Music for Every School Foundation

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">War (band)</span> American funk band

War is an American funk/rock/soul/Latin band from Long Beach, California, known for several hit songs . Formed in 1969, War is a musical crossover band that fuses elements of rock, funk, jazz, Latin, rhythm and blues, psychedelia, and reggae. According to music writer Colin Larkin, their "potent fusion of funk, R&B, rock and Latin styles produced a progressive soul sound", while Martin C. Strong calls them "one of the fiercest progressive soul combos of the '70s". Their album The World Is a Ghetto was Billboard's best-selling album of 1973. The band transcended racial and cultural barriers with a multi-ethnic line-up. War was subject to many line-up changes over the course of its existence, leaving member Leroy "Lonnie" Jordan as the only original member in the current line-up; four other members created a new group called the Lowrider Band.

<i>Why Cant We Be Friends?</i> 1975 album by War

Why Can't We Be Friends? is the seventh studio album by American band War, released on June 16, 1975 by United Artists Records. Two singles from the album were released: the title track backed with "In Mazatlan", and "Low Rider" backed with "So". Both A-sides were nominated for the Grammy Awards of 1976.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lee Oskar</span> Danish harmonica player

Lee Oskar is a Danish harmonica player, notable for his contributions to the sound of the rock-funk fusion group War, which was formed by Howard E. Scott and Harold Brown, his solo work, and as a harmonica manufacturer. He continues to play with 3 other original War band members, Harold Brown, Howard Scott and B.B. Dickerson, under the name LowRider Band.

<i>The World Is a Ghetto</i> 1972 studio album by War

The World Is a Ghetto is the fifth album by American band War, released in late 1972 on United Artists Records. The album attained the number one spot on Billboard, and was Billboard magazine's Album of the Year as the best-selling album of 1973. In addition to being Billboard's #1 album of 1973, the album was ranked number 444 on Rolling Stone magazine's original list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. The title track became a gold record.

<i>All Day Music</i> 1971 studio album by War

All Day Music is the fourth album by American band War, released November 1971 on United Artists Records.

<i>The Black-Mans Burdon</i> 1970 studio album by Eric Burdon and War

The Black-Man's Burdon is a double album by American band Eric Burdon and War, released in December 1970 on MGM Records. It was the last album by the group before Burdon left and the remaining band continued as War.

Howard E. Scott is an American funk/rock guitarist and founding member of the successful 1970s funk band War.

The Lowrider Band consists of three of the four surviving original core group members of the multi-platinum selling band War: Howard E. Scott, Lee Oskar, and Harold Brown. These members lost the right in federal court to use and tour under the name "War" in the mid-1990s to Far Out Productions. The band's original keyboardist Lonnie Jordan now tours using the name "War" under Goldstein's guidance.

Charles William Miller was an American musician best known as the saxophonist and flutist for the multicultural California funk band War. Notably, Miller provided lead vocals as well as sax on the band's Billboard R&B #1 hit "Low Rider" (1975).

<i>Eric Burdon Declares "War"</i> 1970 studio album by Eric Burdon and War

Eric Burdon Declares "War" is the first of two original albums by American band Eric Burdon and War, released on MGM Records in April 1970. It peaked at number 18 on record charts in the USA, number 50 in the UK, and number 7 in Australia. The back cover includes this declaration: "We the People, have declared War against the People, for the right to love each other". The album received a gold record award.

<i>Deliver the Word</i> 1973 studio album by War

Deliver the Word is the sixth album by War, released in 1973 on United Artists Records.

<i>Love Is All Around</i> (album) 1976 studio album by War featuring Eric Burdon

Love Is All Around is a studio album by Eric Burdon and War. Released in 1976 on ABC Records, it contains tracks recorded during the band's brief existence from 1969 to 1971, but not found on their two albums from 1970. Many years later it was reissued on CD by Avenue Records; this edition restores the original group name, Eric Burdon and War.

<i>War</i> (War album) 1971 studio album by War

War is the third album by American band War, and their first following the departure of singer Eric Burdon and the group's name change from the original Eric Burdon and War. It was released in March 1971 on United Artists Records, their first for the label.

<i>The Music Band</i> 1979 studio album by War

The Music Band is an album by the American band War, released on MCA Records in 1979. It peaked at No. 41 on the Billboard 200.

<i>The Music Band 2</i> 1979 studio album by War

The Music Band 2 is an album by the American band War, released on MCA Records in 1979. It peaked at No. 111 on the Billboard 200.

<i>Outlaw</i> (War album) 1982 studio album by War

Outlaw is an album by the American band War, released in 1982. The band supported the album with a North American tour. "Cinco de Mayo" became a popular seasonal standard.

<i>The Music Band – Jazz</i> 1983 studio album by War

The Music Band – Jazz is an album by War, the fifth and final entry in their "Music Band" series, released on MCA Records in 1983. It consists of outtakes from sessions for their 1979 albums The Music Band and The Music Band 2, and features several lineups of the band which existed that year. War were no longer recording for MCA when this album was released, and no singles from the album were issued. Track one was probably recorded/written in 1979 when B. B. Dickerson was still in band and before Charles Miller was murdered. Track two could have been recorded/written anytime up to 1979.

<i>Life (Is So Strange)</i> 1983 studio album by War

Life (Is So Strange) is an album by War, was released on RCA Victor Records in 1983. The band's lineup is not stated on the cover, but composer credits suggest they had been reduced from eight members (on the previous album) to five.

<i>Ramsey Lewis Newly Recorded All-Time Non-Stop Golden Hits</i> 1973 studio album by Ramsey Lewis

Ramsey Lewis' Newly Recorded All-Time Non-Stop Golden Hits is an album by pianist Ramsey Lewis, recorded in 1973 and released on the Columbia label. The album contains remakes of Lewis' more successful Argo and Cadet recordings.

<i>The Cisco Kid</i> (album) 1973 studio album by Reuben Wilson

The Cisco Kid is an album by American jazz organist Reuben Wilson recorded in 1973 and released on the Groove Merchant label.

References

  1. ↑ Carl, Wiser. "Harold Brown of War". Song Facts. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  2. ↑ Grobaty, Tim (31 August 2018). "War and Low Rider Band's Harold Brown's life comes full circle". the Hi-lo.
  3. ↑ Geraldine, Wyckoff (May 3, 2016). "Harold Brown". Off Beat Magazine. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  4. ↑ Bob, Ruggiero (October 11, 2017). Slippin' Out of Darkness: The Story of WAR (First Edition V.2 ed.). Amazon: Classic Rock Bob. ISBN   197416652X . Retrieved 3 August 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.