Maxine Brown (country singer)

Maxine Brown
Maxine Brown in 1967
Background information
Born	(1932-04-27) April 27, 1932 (age 84) Campti, Louisiana, U.S.
Origin	Pine Bluff, Arkansas, U.S.
Genres	country, folk, gospel
Years active	1955–1969
Labels	RCA Victor, Chart Records
Associated acts	Jim Ed Brown, Bonnie Brown

Maxine Brown (born April 27, 1932) is an American country music singer who was originally a member of the successful 1950s trio the Browns, before a brief solo career.

Brown was born in Campti, Louisiana to Floyd and Birdie Brown. While still a toddler, her family moved to a farm near Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Encouraged by her parents, she began singing and performing at local venues. Brown signed a recording contract in 1954 with RCA Records as half of a duo with younger brother Jim Ed Brown. They earned national recognition and a guest spot on Ernest Tubb's radio show for their humorous song "Looking Back to See," which hit the top ten and stayed on the charts through the summer of 1954.

In 1955, younger sister Bonnie Brown joined Maxine and Jim Ed to create the trio group, the Browns. They scored their biggest hit when their folk-pop single "The Three Bells" reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop and country charts in 1959. In December of that same year, "Scarlet Ribbons (For Her Hair)" proved to be a successful follow up single; just missing the top ten. "The Old Lamplighter" was next in 1960. Another highlight for the group came in 1963, when they were inducted into Nashville's Grand Ole Opry. The Browns disbanded in 1967.

Brown is now the only surviving member of the defunct trio following the deaths of brother Jim Ed in 2015 and sister Bonnie in 2016.