Miss Minnie Brown

Minnie Brown was a stage actress, singer and vaudevillian.
Also, in 1920 she served as vice president for the National Association of Negro Musicians.

The Broad Ax Newspaper (Salt Lake City Utah), June 22, 1912
Young Woman of Rare Talent, Concert and Stage Work of Miss Minnie Brown, Brief account of the notable career of a western girl who has won a national reputation as a vocal instructor in the Musical Settlement School.

New York, one of the most accomplished and highly gifted singers of the race, who has made a national reputation in the art, is Miss Minnie Brown, the leading soprano soloist at St Mark's M. E. church, in this city. Miss Brown has a remarkably clear and sweet voice of wonderful range and under perfect control. So wonderful is the sweetness and control of her voice that she has earned the sobriquet of the human mocking bird.

Miss Brown has had a notable musical career. She has toured the country in concert work. For six years she was a member of the Williams & Walker company and for one year was a member of the "Load of Koal" company, put on the road by Bert Williams.

During her long career in concert work and on the stage she made a national reputation as one of the most thoroughly accomplished singers of the race. Miss Brown hails from the west and was born In Spokane, Washington. Her parents were pioneers of the west and represented the sturdy type of western settlers of years ago.

At an early age she showed a leaning toward a musical career, and her parents encouraged every effort in that direction. She graduated from the Spokane high school. After graduation she took up the study of voice culture under Mrs. Ethel Child Waltron.

Miss Brown attributes a great deal of her success in her musical career to the interest of her teacher. She began her career as a concert singer in her native home. Her tour through British Columbia and adjoining cities was very successful and opened up the way for the larger possibilities which awaited her. On coming east she joined the Williams & Walker company.

For six years she remained with the company and won a place among the foremost of the talented aggregation. It was while with Williams & Walker that Miss Brown won her national reputation in featuring the song the "Red Rose," then the most popular ballad of the day, which she sang with decided success.

Miss Brown will be remembered all over the country by the large number of patrons of this famous company. Her tour with "Load of Koal" ended her stage career. Since taking up her residence In New York, Miss Brown has been a force in the musical life of the city.

She is one of the teachers in the Musical School Settlement for colored children in New York. She stands high in the musical circles of the country and in New York is constantly in demand as a singer. Miss Brown is a young woman of remarkable strength of character and is a splendid example to the young women of the race.

With all of her culture and charm of personality Miss Brown remains the same modest and unassuming young woman which she was before winning her laurels in the musical world. She is ever ready to assist in any good movement for the advancement of the race. She has a large circle of friends in the religious, social and educational life of the city.

Sources: Luther S White, Photographer; African American Vernacular Photography; Selections from the Daniel Cowin Collection