Arelean Brown born 10 June 1924

Arelean Brown (10 June 1924 – 27 April 1981) was a blues singer and songwriter who who started her career in Detroit in the late 1940s. She enjoyed local hit with her witty I'm a streaker in 1974. 

I came cross Arelean when I found her only compilation album, but when I tried to do some research about her, I came up with next to nothing. Hopefully with the very scarce information I could find, at least she has a mention. What made things more difficult was that she was known under two other differently spelt names which were Arlean and Arlene. 

Born in Tchula, Mississippi to the Rev. John Brown and Maggie Brown, she was nicknamed “piggy” as a child.  She came from a big family with six sisters and seven brothers with a fistful of talented musicians- particularly her half-brother Lee Shot Williams-Brown who suffered career falters in Detroit before she arrived in Chicago in 1953 with her ten-year-old son. Her other brothers Tommie J. Brown played drums in St. Louis while George Brown played lead with Howlin’ Wolf for 8 years. 

For nearly two decades, she drove a cab and ran a corner grocery store on the west side, appearing infrequently on stage before being asked to join Simmons' Revue as a featured vocalist in the early 1970's. She became friends with Little Mack Simmons for whom she recorded a handful of 45s backed by first rate Chicago musicians like Lonnie Brooks, L.V. Johnson and Scotty & The Rib Tips. Arelean Brown was already 46 years old by the time she issued her first single, and it blew the doors off nearly any release by anyone in her tier of south side club denizens. 

                                    

Although she had to make a living outside music Arelean managed to play regularly in Chicago clubs and even tour the Southern States. Here’s a positive review from Darkside Records and by this time she was in her early 50’s...“A commanding vocalist, Arelean had the power to sound both tough and tender, often within a single line. She wasn't singing about the blues - she was living them, twisting everyday heartaches and hard-won wisdom into songs that shimmered with personality and pain. 

Her delivery was theatrical yet sincere, humorous yet harrowing. And like all great blueswomen before her - think Big Mama Thornton, Koko Taylor, and Bessie Smith - she didn't just perform, she testified. Fierce, funky, and full of fire, her only album, a 1977 compilation of her earlier hits captures a powerhouse Chicago blueswoman at her raw, unfiltered best.” 

Her untimely death from cancer in Chicago 27 April 1981 prevented her to make more records and tour Europe where her singles were high praised with blues audiences. She was 57 years old. 

(Edited from Darkside Records, Sleve notes, Steve Hoffman Music Forums also Gérard Herzhaft @ Blue Eye for filling in the gaps)