Roy Lee Brown

Western swing guitar and banjo player, singer, the younger brother of [a=Milton Brown (5)] and Derwood Brown. Born February 27, 1921 in Fort Worth, Texas, died May 26, 2017.

He led his own band, The Junior Brownies, and in 1946, after naval service, he played with Derwood, both on KDNT and at clubs. When Derwood left, Roy Lee fronted the band until he returned to Fort Worth. He gained a full-time job with the Fire Department but also formed a new band that worked several local venues, had a daily show on KCNC and recorded four songs as [a=Roy Lee Brown And His Musical Brownies]. In the early 50s he gave up the band and worked for the Fire Department until he retired in 1982, and then led a new edition of the Musical Brownies, recorded for the Priority label. In 1991 he made further recordings fronting a band that included Leon Rausch, one of Bob Wills’ old Texas Playboys. He played live into the 2000s.