DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker says about Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown — and friend, this one deserves to be told right. Born in Vinton, Louisiana, he came to Orange as an infant when his family made the move, and it was right here in this corner of Texas that something started takin' shape. Two cultures — Texan and Cajun — were pouring themselves into that boy at the same time, and his own father, a musician, was handing him the tools to do something with it.
He learned guitar. He learned fiddle. He developed a deep singing voice that could stop a room.
And if that weren't enough, the man also played drums, violin, mandolin, and harmonica. That's not a musician. That's a one-man census of sound.
Brown's music grew out of African-American folk traditions of the southwest, and it showed — it breathed. After World War II, he came back and settled in Houston as a professional musician. He recorded with Peacock Records, and his first hit came out swinging: 'Mary is fine.' Things were going well.
Then the 1960s arrived, and careers being what they are, Brown's slumped. He didn't fold, though — he changed. He turned toward country music and kept recording.
That stubbornness paid off. By the 1970s, he had built a fanbase large enough to carry him to Europe, Africa, and the U.S.S.R., and he was turning up on television programs that mattered — Hee Haw and Austin City Limits. He also began a series of recordings down in Bogalusa, Louisiana, and those sessions became something of a showcase for everything the man could do: blues, western swing, rhythm and blues, country, Cajun — genres that other musicians kept in separate boxes, Brown just played them all in the same room.
In 1982, one of those Bogalusa recordings, 'Alright again,' won him the Grammy Award for best traditional blues recording. He collected eight W.C. Handy awards along the way, and was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame.
Then, in 2005, Hurricane Katrina came through. Brown evacuated from Slidell, Louisiana, and he came back to Orange — the town that had shaped him. Two weeks later, he died here.
He was interred in Hollywood Cemetery. More than fifty years of recording. Guitar, fiddle, harmonica, voice.
Generations of musicians carrying something of his forward. Gatemouth Brown came home at the end, and Orange holds him still.
What the marker says
Well-known for his expertise on the guitar and his multi-genre music, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown had a recording career that spanned more than 50 years. Born in Vinton, Louisiana, he and his family moved to Orange when he was an infant. Here, Brown was shaped by a mix of Texan and Cajun cultures. He learned from his musician father and became known for his guitar and fiddle playing, as well as his deep singing voice; he also played the drums, violin, mandolin and harmonica. Brown’s music reflected African-American folk traditions of the southwest. After returning from World War II, Brown settled in Houston as a professional musician. He recorded with Peacock Records, where he had his first hit, “Mary is fine.” In the 1960s, Brown’s career slumped and he changed genres, recording country music. By the 1970s, Brown gained a larger fanbase, touring in Europe, Africa and the U.S.S.R., and appearing on the popular programs, Hee Haw and Austin City Limits. He also began a series of recordings in Bogalusa, Louisiana that displayed his ability to play music in a variety of genres, including blues, western swing, rhythm and blues, country and cajun. In 1982, he won the Grammy Award for best traditional blues recording with a Bogalusa recording, “Alright again.” He received other honors for his work, including eight W.C. Handy awards and induction into the Blues Hall of Fame. In 2005, Brown evacuated to Orange from Slidell, Louisiana due to Hurricane Katrina. He died here two weeks later and was interred in Hollywood Cemetery. Today, Gatemouth Brown’s work endures through his recordings and significant influence on generations of guitarists and other musicians.