Brown was born on August 22, 1936, in
Gaston, North Carolina. Brown's mother, Lyla Brown, was a housekeeper. His father, Albert Louis Moody, was a
United States Marine. Brown's father, however, was not present in his life, and Brown lived in poverty. When Brown was six years old, he moved to Washington, D.C., and at 15 he started living on the streets. He did not graduate high school; after quitting school he decided to perform odd jobs to make money, including shining shoes. In the 1950s, Brown was convicted of murder and served eight years in
Lorton Correctional Complex. At first, the case was tried as
aggravated assault; however, it was moved up to murder once the victim died. Brown stated that his actions were in self-defense. In prison, he traded cigarettes for a guitar, which was how his love for the instrument began. When Brown completed his sentence, he moved back to Washington, D.C., and worked as a truck driver, a
bricklayer, and a
sparring partner at multiple
boxing gyms. He also started to perform at parties throughout the area; however, he could not play at venues that served liquor because his
probation officer would not allow it. ==Music career==