Jim Ed Brown
b. Jim Edward Brown, 1 April 1934, Sparkman, Arkansas, USA. From the early '50s to 1967, Brown sang with sisters Maxine and Bonnie as the Browns but had solo successes in 1965 with I Heard From A Memory Last Night and I'm Just A Country Boy, after his sisters had persuaded Chet Atkins to record him solo. When the trio disbanded in 1967, he pursued a solo career. He appeared on the Grand Ole Opry and other top radio and television shows, actually hosting the Nashville Network You Can Be A Star Show and toured extensively. Between 1967 and 1981, recording for RCA, he registered a total of 46 US country chart entries. These included Top 10 hits with Pop A Top (1967), Morning (1970), Southern Loving (1973) and It's That Time Of Night (1974). In 1976, he began a successful association with Helen Cornelius. I Don't Want To Have To Marry You was a country number 1 and the follow up Saying Hello, Saying I Love You, Saying Goodbye a number 2. In 1977, they were voted Vocal Duo Of The Year by the Country Music Association. Further duet successes followed including, If The World Ran Out Of Love Tonight (1978), Lying In Love With You (1979) and Morning Comes Too Early (1980). Some of his recordings were probably too pop-country for the traditionalists but, in 1979, they had a Top 10 country hit with their version of the Barbra Streisand/ Neil Diamond number 1 pop hit You Don't Bring Me Flowers. Their partnership ended in the early '80s, their last chart entry being Don't Bother To Knock. Brown is still active in the music business but no longer a recording star.