Mel Brown

Born in Jackson, Mississippi, Mel Brown became one of the most sought-after session musicians on guitar and keyboards in North America.

Brown’s recording career began in the mid-1960s when he recorded several albums. He also worked in television, performing on The Steve Allen Show, The Cosby Show and the Jerry Lewis Telethon. Throughout his career he performed with countless music legends in the blues, country and pop genres.

Brown came to Kitchener in 1989 to anchor the house band at a local blues night club. His appearances built a large loyal following for the blues and live musical performance in this region and his presence forever changed the musical landscape in the community.

Brown and his Kitchener-based band The Homewreckers became the flagship act on the Canadian blues label Electro-Fi Records. In 2000, Mel Brown and The Homewreckers released the album Neck Bones & Caviar, which was awarded the W.C. Handy Award for the Best Comeback Album of the Year. The same year it also won France’s Blues Album of the Year. In 2001, Brown was nominated for a Juno award for Best Blues Album of the Year in Canada.

Brown’s presence created a vibrant local blues scene and a growing audience for this form of music. The Kitchener Blues Festival would not exist and could not have grown to its current size as an international music festival, drawing tens of thousands to the community, without the influence of Brown.