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James Edward Brown was born on April 1, 1934, in Sparkman, Arkansas. He began singing at a young age alongside his sisters Maxine and Bonnie. In 1954, Jim Ed and Maxine signed their first recording contract as a duo, achieving national recognition with "Looking Back To See" on Ernest Tubb's radio show. The following year, they were joined by Bonnie to form the trio The Browns, who performed on Louisiana Hayride and KWTO-AM in Springfield, Missouri. Their hits included "Here Today and Gone Tomorrow", "I Take the Chance", and "I Heard the Bluebirds Sing". In 1957, Jim Ed was drafted into the army, but the group continued recording with sister Norma filling in during tours. The Browns' biggest hit, "The Three Bells", reached Number 1 on both Billboard Hot 100 pop and country charts in 1959. They joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1963 and disbanded in 1967. Brown's solo career began in 1965 with RCA Victor, releasing hits like "Pop a Top" (1967) and "Morning" (1970). From 1976 to 1981, Brown collaborated with Helen Cornelius on several major duet hits including "I Don't Want to Have to Marry You". He hosted the syndicated radio show Country Music Greats Radio Show and was a spokesperson for Dollar General Stores. In March 2015, The Browns were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Brown passed away on June 11, 2015, at the age of 81 after battling lung cancer.
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