Jim Copp and Ed Brown
| Jim Copp | |
|---|---|
Jim Copp (right) in his home recording studio
with Ed Brown, holding a copy of Jim Copp Tales |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Andrew James Copp III |
| Also known as | James Copp III |
| Born | 1913 Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Died | April 7, 1999 |
| Genres |
Children's music Electronic music Comedy |
| Occupation(s) | musician, producer |
| Instruments |
celeste pump organ piano |
| Years active | 1958 to 1971 |
| Labels | Playhouse Records |
| Associated acts | Jerry Lewis |
| Website | http://www.playhouserecords.com/ |
Jim Copp and Ed Brown recorded and released nine albums of stories and songs for children between 1958 and 1971.Andrew James "Jim" Copp III (December 3, 1913 – April 7, 1999) wrote all of the stories and songs, and played and recorded all of the music. Ed Brown (d. 1978) designed and illustrated all of the duo's album covers. Both men performed the various characters' voices, often with the help of tape manipulation and were among the first to devise and use multi-track recording and electronic music for children's records. Copp and Brown's work has been compared to that of Lewis Carroll, Edward Lear, Dr. Seuss, and Pee Wee Herman.
Copp was born in Los Angeles and spent time in Alabama and Washington D.C.. His father was a prominent attorney who had hoped his son would grow up to practice law. Instead the young James Copp had a penchant for the arts and grew up playing the piano and telling stories. At age 14 he invited to play a mozart concerto with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He went on to study political science at Stanford University and then creative writing as a graduate student at Harvard. After graduating, Copp entered a talent competition in Chicago and won a stint playing piano as a novelty performer for the Will Osborne Orchestra in 1939, then began a career the following year as a cabaret piano comic in New York City under the name "James Copp the III and His Things". As a solo performer, Copp caught the attention of Columbia Records talent scout John Hamond, who booked him on bills with Teddy Wilson, Lena Horne, Art Tatum, Billie Holiday and others at the Café Society.
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