Sam Brown
b. Samantha Brown, 7 October 1964, Stratford, London, England. The daughter of Joe Brown, Sam made her recording debut aged 12, on the Small Faces' IN THE SHADE. Three years later she toured singing with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, and that year started writing songs. She continued to gain experience providing backing vocals on records for Adam And The Ants and Dexy's Midnight Runners, and toured with Spandau Ballet when she was 19. After demo-ing her songs with some help from her brother, Sam signed to A&M Records in 1986. The debut single and album had a distinctive white soul sound, and both went into the UK Top 5 in 1988. Her powerful version of Can I Get A Witness charted the following year. The band she formed to promote the first album also recorded the second. In August 1990 she produced an album for her mother Vikki Brown, shortly before the latter's death. In 1991 she released a single with Jools Holland Together Again, the proceeds of which went to AIDS research.