Shirley Brown

Born January 6, 1947, she earned a reputation in gospel circles throughout the city for delivering powerful solos. In her late teens, she concentrated on secular music and sung with many of the city's soul singers. Her first recordings, produced by Oliver Sain, did nothing nationally but made some noise locally. "I Ain't Gonna Tell" and "Love Is Built On a Strong Foundation" found their way to Memphis R&B stations, giving Brown the impetus, with the help of manager Albert King, to tryout and secured a deal with Stax Records. Brown had the last hit for Stax before the label folded. On November 14, 1974, "Woman to Woman" topped the R&B chart for two weeks.After "Woman," she released two more singles on Stax's Truth label: "It Ain't No Fun" and "It's Worth a Whippin'," but Stax was on its last leg, and the doors closed in 1975. She signed with Arista Records in 1977, her first single "Blessed Is the Woman (With a Man Like Mine)" didn't light up the charts. Neither did two other Arista singles: "Givin' Up" and "I Can't Move No Mountains." A self titled Arista album suffered the same fate as the singles. Brown's next label, 20th Century, released "You Got to Like What I Do" in 1980 but it didn't sell and the label lost interest. A deal with Sound Town resulted in the LP "Intimate Storm", and one single, "Leave the Bridges Standing," in 1984. Two years later, "Shootin' a Blank" on Chelsea Avenue bombed, as did a single on Black Diamond Records, "If This Is Goodbye." Things inproved when she signed with Malaco in 1989.

Album Discography

"Woman To Woman" (Stax 1974)

"Shirley Brown" (Arista 1977)

"For The Real Feeling" (Stax 1979)

"You Got To Like What I Do" (20th Century 1980)

"Intimate Storm" (4th & Broadway 1985)

"Fire & Ice" (Malaco 1989)

"Timeless" (Malaco 1990)

"Joy & Pain" (Malaco 1993)

"Diva Of Soul" (Malaco 1995)

"The Soul Of A Woman" (Malaco 1997)

"Three-Way Love Affair" (601 Music 1998)

"Holding My Own" (Malaco 2000)

"Woman Enough!" (Malaco 2004)