Joe Brown

Joe Brown MBE chooses his favourite songs with Ken Bruce with music from Aretha Franklin, The Beatles, Sam Brown and Chas & Dave. He's one of our great guitar pioneers, champion of the ukulele and king the British rock ‘n’ roll scene of the sixties. With his trademark cheeky smile and spikey haircut he’s filled the Royal Albert Hall, played Glastonbury and has just celebrated an amazing sixty years in the music business with a 3 month nationwide tour. Joe was born in Lincolnshire but when he was two his parents moved to Plaistow to run an East End pub – The Sultan. Joe’s first job was with British Rail as a steam locomotive fireman in the Plaistow works in the 1950s. But music was his first love and in his spare time he formed a skiffle band called The Spacemen. Then he heard a new singer – Little Richard - and Joe’s love of rock and roll was born. As a session guitarist - his early career highlights include playing with Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran and Johnny Cash. Then Joe was signed up by the legendary impresario Larry Parnes and as "Joe Brown and the Bruvvers" he had a string of hits including “A Picture of You” , “It Only Took A Minute” and “That’s What Love Will Do”. On one of their early tours the Beatles were the support act – and George Harrison became a good friend.

Joe’s career included regular TV and radio appearances, films and he even appeared on the West End stage in the David Heneker musical “Charlie Girl”.