One thing about Chuck Brown is so true: just about each and every person in this culture has their own stories of up close and personal moments that they have shared with him in some form or fashion because that’s exactly the kind of man that he was— up close and personal. And why wouldn’t he be? After all, being up close and personal is the main ingredient in Go-Go music (a musical style founded by him).
That’s why when the news hit that Chuck Brown had passed away, a few people asked me if I was going to make statements or anything like that about it. At first, my answer was, “No.” Why? Well, mainly it was because I did not want to be one trying to stand out speaking for him. After all, I’m not an immediate family member. Nor am I a current or past member of his band. I was comfortable with just quietly mourning the loss of him in my own way, by just sharing anything that I may have of him through TMOTTGoGo, i.e., music, interviews, etc.
But sitting back, it occurred to me that I should at least write something about the man. After all, just like Little Benny, Chuck did play large roles over the years with TMOTTGoGo. It would only be right for me to at least write about it, because I am very appreciative to him for that. So, here goes:
The Chuck Brown I Got To Know
My first time ever knowing anything about Chuck Brown was at the age of 13. The year was 1978, and my hearing of him was through his song “Bustin Loose”. I remember there being two hot songs in the area, Parliament’s “Aqua Boogie” and Chuck’s “Bustin Loose.” These two songs were getting major play at the skating rink where we hung out. I remember liking the song but not even having a clue at the time that Chuck was from here because, of course, I was too young have partied in the clubs with him back then.
As the years passed, with the exception of seeing him perform in different spots such as Kilimanjaro, Chapter II, Celebrity Hall and Masonic Temple, it wasn’t until I started playing with Little Benny and the Masters that I really got to get to know him. When we used to practice over Benny’s cousin Keith Holmes’ basement (a spot we all fondly referred to as “The Woodshed”), Chuck would come through sometimes just to say “Hey” or sit down and shoot the breeze with us for a little while during our breaks. He would usually have his two youngest sons with him, who were very young at the time, and we all would just sit around in that basement asking him questions and listening to the many different stories of DC music history he would share with us.
One thing I would notice is that folks such as drummer Ju-Ju House and other members of his band would always refer to him as “Pops”. I personally would not refer to him by that title, mainly because I had always felt it was a term of endearment that only members of his band had the right to use. Later, of course, I realized that it indeed was okay for me to refer to him as that as well.
In 1996, I created this website and magazine called TMOTTGoGo. Again, with the exception of Little Benny, one of the first Go-Go artists to really support it and make use of it was Chuck Brown. I truly believe this was because Chuck always supported and encouraged any of us that he felt had true devotion to whatever positive we were trying to achieve. He was always encouraging in that way.
In 2002, when they were having a special ceremony for Chuck at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, TMOTTGoGo was invited to come and share in the celebration. And together we went to Cleveland.
When Chuck’s birthday was celebrated at the 9:30 Club, bands such as Experience Unlimited, Backyard Band and 911 performed along with Chuck’s own band, and he allowed TMOTTGoGo to take part in the production process of the concert DVD. What he and manager Tom Goldfogle did was contact me with the idea of running a contest on TMOTTGoGo, allowing people to come up with a title for the DVD. Through TMOTTGoGo we ran that contest, a winner was chosen, and the DVD got its title: “Put Your Hands Up — The Tribute Concert to Chuck Brown.”
Out of all the many things that I personally remember about Chuck, there are two special moments that I hold the closest to my heart. The first thing would be in regards to a television program. Radio personality Michelle Wright had a television program called “MHz Urban” where she spotlighted different Go-Go bands in the area. The scenario of one particular program was a special for Chuck Brown, where different people would hide behind the curtain and tell a quick story of a moment they share with Chuck, and he would then try and guess who it was. There were folks such as Sugar Bear, Ju-Ju, and others to tell their stories. For some reason, Little Benny was not able to make the taping of the show, and I was called and asked to come and sit in to represent him. That was such a super big deal to me because not only was I just a regular cat, but I’m not sure that any one of us was as close to Chuck as Little Benny. So to be asked to come and sit in for him meant the world to me.
The second most memorable moment would be the time that Chuck came to my house. The cast of the Kato and the TMOTT Morning Crew show— Preston, Mark, Tyra, Nena, Maiah, Terrance and I — were running a segment of a special interview session with Chuck. And we held it at my house. Believe me when I say, having a conversation with Chuck Brown in my living room, where even my little kids were able to meet and know him… nothing in the world beats that. Nothing!
On the day that Chuck passed away, I received a message from my 12 year-old daughter asking me did he pass away. She was only about 7 years old at the time when she met him at our house. Later that evening, I noticed a message on both my daughters’ statuses that read: “Rest In Peace, Chuck Brown. I’m glad I got the chance to meet you.” And it touched me. Why? Because it reminded me of just how many generations Chuck has touched. And that’s a big deal.
Photographer Thomas Sayers Ellis just recently posted a picture on Facebook. In this picture, there are two young boys climbing on the chest and arms of Chuck Brown. The caption of this picture reads: “We all climbed him like a tree.” That picture could not be more true of an image of just what Chuck Brown was to us. In his 1978 song “Bustin Loose”, Chuck repeats over and over “Give Me The Bridge.” Well, I’m here to tell you Chuck Brown WAS that bridge for many of us here in this Go-Go Culture. And I will always be thankful for that for the rest of my life, and I will truly miss him.
And that’s the Chuck Brown that I got to know.
-Kato