In 1976, Brown played Sister Anna in the musical
Mardi Gras (which opened on 18 March at the
Prince of Wales Theatre, London). It was through this that she was discovered and signed for her first
record release, "First Time Around". This led her to musician
Alan Hawkshaw (of Emile Ford and the Checkmates, The Shadows and Love De-Luxe), who signed her for an album deal. The album
Symphony of Love (1978) included the title track, "Dancin' with the Lights Down Low", "This is Something New to Me", "The Day They Got Disco in Brazil", "Do It" and "Something Made of Love". Also in 1978, Brown appeared in the American film
Superman, as the non-speaking eighth reporter in a scene following the first Superman spotting. In need of a new producer in the early 1980s, Brown crossed the paths of
Ian Levine and
Fiachra Trench in 1983. Together with Record Shack Records, they created the album
Manpower, a
Hi-NRG release. The first single released from the album, "
So Many Men – So Little Time" reached No. 88 on the
UK Singles Chart on 11 June 1983. and peaked at number No. 2 on the club chart. In the two years following
Manpower, Brown appeared in stage productions of
Only in America, the Leiber and Stoller Musical;
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and ''
One Mo' Time, as well as in numerous international clubs, but did not release any more albums until 1985. Close to Perfection'' (also produced by Levine and Trench) could not compete with her first success. The album featured two US dance radio and dance chart hits, with "Black Leather" and "Close to Perfection ", the latter of which gave her her highest UK Singles Chart placing (#63) for seven weeks. Later songs include "On the Radio", "Footprints in the Sand" and "This Time It's Real", all with Nightmare Records. In 1989, Brown was seen as Jill in the second episode of the fourth series, "Accidents Happen", of the British show
Casualty. ==The 1990s==