OK, I confess, I am not a clown, and this will probably be my one and only post. I found this site by accident, but I just thought you would be interested in this.

I am a saxophonist, and through that pursuit became a fan of the famous Six Brown Brothers (they were Canadians). These guys, led by Tom Brown, were Ringling Brothers clown back around the beginning of the 1900's. Part of their act, as well as all the clown stuff, was that they would come out at the end of the show, while people were filing out of the tent, and perform on saxophones, a relatively unknown instrument at that time. The sax was rarely seen, except, perhaps, in the Sousa band.

They would play, and were so entertaining, that people would sit back down and listen. They would encore after encore, sometimes an hour or more, until the Brown Brothers would just have to quit playing and leave so that the people would go home.

During winters, when the circus would lay up in Florida, they would go on the Vaudeville circuit, still wearing the clown costumes (with Tom wearing blackface, fuzzy wig, baggy clothes, and huge shoes given him by the giant at the circus) and perform various comedy routines and play saxophones. They were soon included in top variety shows touring the country (USA). A newspaper review of that time said, "if they played the saxophones alone, they would still be great." And they inspired copycat groups, some who even pretended to be the Six Brown Brothers.

Aside, originally they were just five, known as "The Musical Brown Brothers", and later six, becoming "The Six Brown Brothers."

They were sponsored by the Buescher Band Instrument Company (bought out by Selmer USA in 1963), featured in their catalogs and magazine ads.

And they became the earliest recording artist of the Victor Talking Machine Company, later known as Victor Records, then RCA Victor. Yes, the company with the "Victrola" crank up record player with the big horn speaker, and the dog listening ("His master's voice").

Until their recordings, beginning around 1916, few people had ever heard saxophones. The saxophone was not part of the standard "dance orchestra", which at that time included clarinet, flute, 3 violins, 2 trumpets and 1 trombone, piano, banjo, tuba or string bass, and drums. But soon, due to the popularity of the recordings of the Six Brown Brothers, band were including 2 or three saxophones.

It is said the Six Brown Brothers were the inspiration for the "Saxophone Craze of the 1920's". Later dance orchestras dropped strings, added more saxes, more brass, and became the "Big Bands" of the Swing era.

The Six Brown Brothers performed for many years at the famous Oriental Theatre in Chicago.

A new book of the history of the SBB has just been released called That Moaning Saxophone, by Dr. Bruce Vermazen, ISBN 0-19-516592-6. There is an accompanying CD of Six Brown Brothers recordings from Archeophone Records, Six Brown Brothers, Those Moaning Saxophones. ARCH 6002.

BTW, I am a featured columnist at www.saxontheweb.net.

So, when the band directors tell kids, "Hey, you clowns back there in the sax section..." I think they should take it as a compliment.

Moderator, if you think this is not appropriate for your site, please delete this thread.

Thanks Paul, As a musician. (I'm a guitarist by profession.)It's always nice to hear about other tie in between clowns and other professions.
Thanks! I learned something today.

Thank yo very much for the history leson
Sometimes we take things for granted with out knowing anything about it

I think the post is wonderful, glad you dropped in and please do so any time.

Thank you for the kind comments.

If someone wants to host some pictures, I have some photos of the Six Brown Brothers in costume.

I have a recording of one of their more famous skits.

Tom would toss on an old ragged wedding gown. He would come out and play the first few notes of "Here Comes the Bride...". The other 5 and the band would answer with another phrase...

They would play back and forth, and the phrases they would play were from popular tunes of the era... the titles of which formed a conversation. So, as you listened, and recognized the tunes, you knew what was being said, and it was quite baudy, risque, had people rolling in the aisles. But not a single word was spoken.

And Tom would do sound effects on the sax, laugh, cry, moan, and grown, and "talk". You know how on the Charlie Brown specials how a trombone player "talks" imitating an adult talking to Charlie? Like that, but on alto sax.

Anyway, that recording is on the CD mentioned in first post above.

And the Browns also played clarinets, trumpets, zylophones, and other instruments, as well as juggling, tumbling and all that. So, they were a full line comedy service center.

After retiring from the theatre, Tom and two of his brothers started the Tom Brown Music Company in Chicago. They sold instruments from the major manufacturers, and also had instruments with their own name ("Tom Brown Professional Model"), brasses and woodwinds. Tom wrote a newsletter of musical news, what pros were playing where, articles, etc.

According to a letter to me from the late Vito Pascucci, CEO of Leblanc Corporation (known for their great clarinets), the Browns were "pioneers in the rent to own musical instrument business". They were the first to do that, as is common now. This was from about 1930, peak of The Great Depression. So, you would RENT an instrument, and apply the rent to the sale if they later decided to buy, just as is done with most beginning instruments today.

Tom eventually fell on hard times, last few years spent as a night desk man at a hotel. That was a long way from being a top recording artist and Vaudeville stage headliner. Vern's grave was located a few years ago, buried as a pauper. Money was collected to move him over by his brothers and buy a proper headstone.

Excellent post Paul! We can easily lose sight of past experiences, rich with tradition and history, if others stay quiet and let memories fall into the oblivion. I was completely ignorant in this area until your enlightening post(s) taught me a lesson or two! Thanks! Red Clown Fred - www.clownconceptual.com