Brown was born in
Shreveport, Louisiana in 1962 and grew up in Kansas City, Kansas. When he was eight years old, he was attracted to his brother's acoustic guitar. He was inspired by
Jimi Hendrix and
the Isley Brothers. When he heard
Wes Montgomery, he began to play jazz. He attended the
Musicians Institute in Hollywood. In 1992 he released his debut album,
Just Between Us. Collaborators included
Boyz II Men,
Stevie Wonder, and Kenneth H. Williams. The album was produced by
Norman Connors, a jazz drummer and producer who discovered Brown. In 1994 Brown released the album
After the Storm, which gained critical success and was awarded jazz album of the year by Soul Train Music Awards. It also won a Gavin Radio Award by remaining on the charts for over two years. He followed this album with the 1996 release
Better Days Ahead, which earned him a broader audience and the American Jazz Award. In 1999, he returned from a three year hiatus and signed with
Warner Bros., releasing
Celebration, which was produced by Norman Brown, Paul Brown, and Herman Jackson. In 2002, he formed
BWB with saxophonist
Kirk Whalum and trumpeter
Rick Braun, and they released the album ''Groovin' ''. During the summer of 2007, Brown had a No. 1 smooth jazz radio hit, "Let's Take a Ride", from the album
Stay with Me, according to
Radio and Records magazine. In 2008, the
Verve Music Group re-released
Just Between Us as part of its "Verve Originals" series. Brown's music can be heard during
The Weather Channel's
Local on the 8s segments. His song "Lydian" is included in their 2008 compilation album,
The Weather Channel Presents: Smooth Jazz II. In 2011, Brown collaborated with Gerald Albright to record
24/7 which had a number one single, "In the Moment", and earned him a Grammy Award nomination. ==Accolades==