Born in Sparkman, Arkansas, on April 1, 1934, Jim Ed Brown got his start in the early 1950s as part of a singing trio with his sisters. He later enjoyed a successful solo career in the 1960s and 1970s, including a string of major hit duets with fellow country vocalist Helen Cornelius. Today, we’re reflecting on the life and legacy of Jim Ed Brown, who died in Franklin, Tennessee, on this day (June 11) in 2015 following a battle with lung cancer. He was 81 years old.
Three Successful Siblings
James Edward Brown grew up imitating Grand Ole Opry mainstays like Roy Acuff, Bill Monroe and Hank Snow. He began singing with his older sister Maxine, with the duo often performing on a local radio station in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.
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In 1954, the brother-sister pair signed with Abbott Records, landing a top 10 Hit with their humorous song “Looking Back To See” that summer.
Attracting national attention, Maxine and Jim Ed Brown landed guest spots on the Louisiana Hayride and Ozark Jubilee programs. They also toured with Elvis Presley for two weeks.
In 1955, the duo brought aboard their younger sister, 18-year-old Bonnie. Now performing as the Browns, the trio signed with RCA Records the following year.
Two major hits followed almost immediately, but their greatest triumph came with 1959’s “The Three Bells”, which soared to number one on both the Billboard country and pop charts.
“Jerry Lee Lewis and Fabian were strong then, and so were all the teen idols,” Jim Ed Brown said in a 1986 interview. “’The Three Bells’ was a break from that. It was the synopsis of a man’s life. People still enjoy hearing it and cry when they listen to it.”
Jim Ed Brown Goes Solo
Eventually, the demands of performing and family life became too much for Maxine and Bonnie, and the Browns disbanded in the 1960s.
In 1965, Jim Ed Brown signed a solo contract with RCA, finding success with the classics “Pop-A-Top,” “Southern Loving,” “Sometime Sunshine,” and “Morning.”
He later teamed up with Helen Cornelius, and their partnership bore the hits “Don’t Bother to Knock,” “Saying Hello, Saying I Love You, Saying Goodbye,” and “Lying in Love with You.”
Working with The Nashville Network since 1983, Jim Ed Brown also became a Grand Ole Opry mainstay, making about 30 appearances each year.
In late 2014, he put his career on hold for several months to undergo cancer treatments, but had released a new album and was touring again by early 2015.
Brown learned that he and his sisters would be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in March 2015, three months before his death.
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