 "This picture was taken at the beginning of my career." It was on the Valley Jammer Magazine that originated in Bakersfield, California, and was advertised across the United States and twenty seven foreign countries. "Heaven" and "Beer Joint Girl" were hits in seven states, and "Beer Joint Girl" was #1 in Liverpool, England in 1977. Also, "Heaven" was the favorite in Czechoslovakia where his grandfather came from. |
"I have nothing but words to set my soul free." Music has always played a big part in the life of Joe Brown, who was born in Crockett, Texas. He got his first guitar at the age of ten, his mother taught him his first three chords and then he took it from there. By the age of twelve, he was playing with a small country group from the Conroe area known as The Electras. Once he hit the age of fourteen, some changes took place in Joe's life. He and his siblings were sent to A children's home in San Benito, Texas. "It took a lot of getting used to," says Joe, "But after several months I adapted to the situation." While he was in the children's home, he would play guitar and sing for any special events they had. He also had the oppurtunity to play lead guitar on one of Freddy Fender's first country music albums in 1963. At the age of twenty, he was removed from the children's home and sent to Vietnam as a radio operator. Two years later he came back to Houston and began performing regularly with many different groups such as Ray Price's old "Cherokee Cowboys" and "Young Country". Joe currently plays throughout and surrounding areas. Besides playing rhythm, lead guitar, and singing, he also began songwriting in 1972. "Songwriting is a good way for me to express the feelings that I wouldn't ordinarily say in conversation. When I wrote Heaven, I know that I could feel that song better than anyone else, so I decided to record it myself, I believe in writing simple songs for everyone to understand." He has continued to write songs through the years, and has compiled them on his most recent CD, Seasons of Love. |
