E-mail a friendOscar Brown, Jr.
airdate June 3, 2005
Singer, composer, actor, playwright, director - Oscar Brown, Jr. "did his thing" in the entertainment industry for more than half a century. At age 15, the Chicago native made his debut in a national network radio series. At 21, while broadcasting news about "America's largest minority" on his Negro Newsfront radio program, Brown started composing songs as a hobby. He also began taking part in amateur theater productions as a singer, actor and director. He composed hundreds of songs and numerous full-length features.
Oscar Brown, Jr.
Tavis: Last weekend we were saddened to learn of the passing of Oscar Brown Jr. The 'New York Times' captured the essence of the legendary singer, songwriter, playwright, and actor with this line. "Oscar Brown Jr. was known for his distinctive blend of show business savvy and social consciousness." The Chicago-born entertainer burst onto the music scene back in 1961 with his acclaimed debut album 'Sin and Soul.' His song 'Brown Baby' became a proud African-American anthem. Earlier this year, Oscar Brown Jr. joined us here in the studio for what would be his last television conversation. He was in Los Angeles to receive a lifetime achievement award at the Pan African Film Festival. Oscar Brown Jr. lived a remarkable life. More significant than his obvious musical talents, he demonstrated uncommon commitment and conviction to making this a more just world, and he will be sorely missed. Here now, a look back at his life and legacy, with some scenes from a terrific documentary called 'Music Is My Life, Politics My Mistress.' After that, my conversation with Oscar Brown Jr., taped in February. We'll close the show with the classic song he performed for us on that night, 'People of Soul.' Good night from Los Angeles and keep the faith.
Oscar Brown Jr.: My name is Oscar Brown Jr. I'm to direct those to a southern cultural revolution.
Woman: Oscar was socially aware.
Brown: The first time I voted, I voted for me.
Woman: When I saw you on TV, I thought that was so, so hot.
Brown: Unh! Growin' up, it was cool. I lived in--it was called Bronzeville. Let's take music, for example, which is something I'm very much involved in.
Woman: His capability performing sold that show.
Brown, singing: Hey, what dey doin' dere? And why dey goin' dere? And daddy can I have that big elephant over dere?
Woman: You don't get famous till you die, right?
Man: And that's kind of unfortunate that it may take that sort of acclaim in order for people to know about any kind of personality that is a diversified personality, that does as many things as he does.
Second man: If he wasn't singing, he could be writing. If he wasn't writing, he could be acting. I mean, he's multi-talented.
Man: Oscar's work with black people would be as common as Neil Simon.
Brown: You need to have myths. You need to have people who don't give a...about cavin'. And that's what I wanted to be, that kind of guy. I've always wanted to be with the stand-up dudes.
Man: We idolize him because of what he did and the way he did it.
Woman: Oscar Brown Jr. is a genius.
Tavis: Nice to have you here.
Brown: A pleasure to be here.
Tavis: That's, like, the coolest name ever--Oscar Brown Jr.
Brown: Well, thank you.
Tavis: Congratulations on this lifetime achievement award.
Brown: Thank you very much.
Tavis: Yeah. Why you?
Brown: I don't know.
Tavis:
Brown: Longevity has a lot to do with it. Hangin' around.
Tavis: Yeah, yeah. Your music is powerful. I can't wait to hear this performance that you're gonna share with us here momentarily. Because lyrical content for you seems terribly important.
Brown: Mm-hmm. That's--I'm lyric driven. It started when I was a kid. I used to write heartbroken songs when a girl would break my heart.
Tavis: Yeah.
Brown: The kids would listen to me, and that's how I just got kinda started in that. By the time I got to college, I flunked everything but English composition.
Tavis: Mm.
Brown: But I could write a poem when they wanted 100-word theme. So I found I had a talent for doing that, and I pursued it.
Tavis: Yeah. Why do you think that young people today do not understand about the value, the worth of words?
Brown: Well, it's getting better, to tell you the truth, Tavis. Well, when I started, they would say, "Oscar, you know, these kids, you got nice lyrics. But these kids aren't listenin' to words. They're only listening to the beat."
Tavis: Mm-hmm.
Brown: Well, since rap came along, I haven't heard that. Because words have become important to young people, and I'm gonna be on the Def Poetry Jam for the third time, you know, next week or so. So there seems to be a renewed interest in words.
Tavis: Right.
Brown: I think it's gotta go much further, of course.
Tavis: Right. There are a lot of folk who see you as the father of rap. You were doin' this thing long before Def Poetry Jam came around.
Brown: Well, that's--I've been told that. I don't know that that's the case. I am just one in the line. I mean, they were rappin' when I got here. 'Signifying Monkey,' I was credited with having written that, but I took that from folklore that had been around a long time. So the same with a lot of the songs.
Tavis: Mm-hmm. Tell me about "hip," the human improvement potential.
Brown: Oh, well, that's just a phrase I coined. I think the problem right now seems to be that we are being led by squares...
Tavis: Mm-hmm.
Brown: And what we need is some hip people.
Tavis: Yeah.
Brown: If it doesn't, obviously, it's not.
Tavis: It's not, yeah. Ha ha ha! And how does one judge that?
Brown: Well, I think that by their results, by their fruits, by what you're doing.
Tavis: Yeah.
Brown: If you're tryin' to help people, if you're tryin' to improve the situation, then, of course, that's gonna show. That's gonna tell in your acts and what you actually accomplished.
Tavis: Your fans have to love you. You, like, not long ago, put all your stuff out on the Internet for free, basically.
Brown: Well, that's comin' up. It hasn't happened yet. My children are giving me a little resistance.
Tavis: Oh, yeah. But you were going to. Your kids slowed you down.
Brown: Well, a trifle. But no. I'm still determined to do that.
Tavis: Why do that?
Brown: Well, I'm interested in the music being heard.
Tavis: Yeah.
Brown: I'm interested in it being performed.
Tavis: Right.
Brown: The music industry didn't pay me to do this. I did this pretty much on my own, sorta in spite of them, in a way. So now I own all this stuff, and I can do with it as I please.
Brown, singing: To see clear through despair, the way we've always done, to be burdened with care and still find some fun and to make a way where there truly was none, that's been the role, that's been the role, that's been the role of the people of soul, to be troubled in mind by the trials life can bring, but to reach and to find some sweet reason to sing, and to come from behind just by doin' our thing, that's been the role, that's been the role, that's been the role of the people of soul, it's a spark of the spirit that shines like a brightened morning star, you can feel it and hear it and know it has brought us as far as we are, through the darkness to grope with deep faith in the dawn, and to manage to cope, yes, until the nighttime is gone, and to summon up hope and keep on keepin' on, that's been the role, that's been the role, that's been the role of the people of soul, that's been the role, that's been the role, been the role, been the role, that's been the role of the people of soul.
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