APRIL 18, 1924: CLARENCE "GATEMOUTH" BROWN HITS THE PLANET: Although primarily known as a rhythm &blues artist, Brown's music truly defied any simple description...

Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown

 (April 18, 1924 — September 10, 2005)

Blues guitarist and fiddler Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown was born in Vinton, Louisiana, but raised in Orange, Texas. His professional musical career began in 1945, playing drums in San Antonio, Texas…

He was tagged with the moniker "Gatemouth"  by a high school instructor who claimed young  Brown had a "voice like a gate". Brown used it to his advantage throughout his career...

A true musician's musician, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown mastered the guitar, fiddle, drums, viola, harmonica, piano, mandolin and bass. Gatemouth's smooth blend of Texas style swing with Jazz, Country and Cajun music has altered the definition of the Blues. His versatility singles him out as an architect of modern Blues sounds.

"Gatemouth" on Piano

Although primarily known as a rhythm & blues artist, Brown's music truly defied any simple description. Influenced by big bands and horn players, Louis Jordan and others, his work on the guitar and fiddle exhibited the music he grew up hearing along the Gulf Coast…

One evening in 1947, when Gatemouth was in attendance at a T-Bone Walker concert in Don Robey's Bronze Peacock Houston nightclub,

Walker became ill,  and Brown took up his guitar and quickly wrote and played "Gatemouth Boogie," right on the spot! This was the beginning of a long association between Gatemouth and Robey…

In 1949 Robey founded Peacock Records in order to showcase Brown's virtuoso guitar work.

Johnny Ace on Duke

 Brown's "Mary Is Fine"/"My Time Is Expensive" was a hit for Peacock in 1949. A string of Peacock releases in the 1950s were less successful commercially, but were nonetheless pioneering musically. (Peacock combined with Duke in 1952).

Particularly notable of Gatemouth’s Peacock releases was the  instrumental "Okie Dokie Stomp", in which Brown solos continuously over a punchy horn section…

Other instrumentals from this period include "Boogie Uproar" and "Gate Walks to Board”

His final Peacock release (1959) showcases his gutsy violin playing:  "Just Before Dawn"

In the 1960s Gatemouth made several appearances on the television show Hee Haw and, in 1966, Brown was the musical director for the house band on the short-lived television program, The !!!! Beat…

 

AND ALL OF THE ABOVE WAS JUST THE BEGINNING OF THIS INCREDIBLE ARTIST’S CAREER…

Check out Gatemouth’s Bio on
“All About Jazz”

And his Obituary
 as reported on CBS: 

And his New York Times Obituary:

R.I.P. Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown...

 You Earned The Rest!

THANKS FOR EVERYTHING, MAN…