Alex Brown -

Alex Brown is an American soul singer who released the 1970 album In Search of Love on Sundi Records. She sang backup for numerous acts, including Freddy Robinson, The Blackbyrds, The Brothers Johnson, Stevie Wonder, Stargard, and Debra Laws.

Background

Born Alexandra Louise Brown, Alex first sang in church choirs. In October 1966, she joined the Raelettes, the vocal backing group of Ray Charles with Merry Clayton, Clydie King, and Gwen Berry. The lineup embarked on 1967 tours of Europe and Australia and played American dates through the July 1968 Newport Jazz Festival. The quartet released the July 1967 single “Into Something Fine” (b/w “Lover’s Blues”), followed in 1968 with “All I Need Is His Love” (b/w “I’m Gettin’ ’Long All Right”), both on Tangerine Records.

Charles manager Joe Adams gave Brown the stage name Brandi Alexander. In June 1969, she appeared with Bill Medley at the Sands in Las Vegas and recorded “Do Right Man” (b/w “Life Has No Meaning”), a Tangerine single at Ray’s RPM Studios in Los Angeles. Tangerine labelmates the Turnarounds recorded the backing tracks and concurrently released “Soul Walk” (b/w “Somewhere in This World (A Telephone Is Ringing)”) on Tangerine.

Brown also joined Clydie King and Mamie Galore in Specialties Unlimited. The trio overdubbed backing vocals on Soul Symphony, the 1969 third album by the jazz group Three Sounds, arranged and conducted by Monk Higgins for Blue Note Records. Brown returned to her own name for the September 1969 Tangerine single “I’m in Love” (b/w “What Would You Do Without Someone to Love”). Brown and Higgins then formed a songwriting partnership in advance of her first album.

Discography: