Chuck Brown | |
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![]() Brown performing in 2011 | |
Born | Charles Louis Brown August 22, 1936 Gaston, North Carolina, U.S. |
Died | May 16, 2012 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. | (aged 75)
Other names | The Godfather of Go-Go |
Occupations |
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Musical career | |
Origin | Washington, D.C., U.S. |
Genres | |
Instrument | Guitar |
Years active | 1960sā2012 |
Formerly of | The Soul Searchers |
Website | windmeupchuck.com |
Charles Louis Brown (August 22, 1936 ā May 16, 2012) was an American guitarist, bandleader and singer known as "The Godfather of Go-Go".[1] Go-go is a subgenre of funk music developed around the Washington, D.C., area in the mid-1970s. While its musical classification, influences, and origins are debated, Brown is regarded as the fundamental force behind the creation of go-go music.[2][3]
At the time of his death he was still performing music and was well known in the Washington, D.C., area. The song "Ashley's Roachclip" from the 1974 album Salt of the Earth by Brown's band The Soul Searchers[4] contains a drum break, sampled countless times in various other tracks.[5] Brown's R&B hits include "Bustin' Loose"(1979)[6] and "We Need Some Money"(1984).[7]