nightclub acts with his future wife, June, and with tap dancer Gregory Hines Jr. and drummer Gregory Hines Sr.; and recorded songs for Columbia and Atlantic records.
While working in the Catskills, Brown met Sammy Davis Jr., and the legendary entertainer would prove to be an inspiration.
“He did all the things I wanted to do,” Brown said in a 1996 interview. “I wanted to be a well-rounded, complete entertainer; I didn’t just want to sing or tell a joke.”
Other credits include “The Flip Wilson Show,” “The Jeffersons” and “Martin.
” He appeared on Broadway with Sammy Davis Jr. and Cicely Tyson in the 1960s.
In addition to his daughter and his wife, Brown aslo leaves behind his son, John Jr.
He will be missed.