A Tribute to Chuck Brown

Chuck Brown, photographed at The Space, Washington, DC, August 24, 2008 by Shannon Finney 

On Wednesday, May 16, 2012, legendary musician Chuck Brown died at age 75. Aside from being an extraordinary musician, Chuck Brown was known as the

founder of Go-Go, a form of music he developed in the early 1970s in Washington,

DC.  Whatsgogo.com describes Go-Go music as, "continuous, complex heavy

rhythm arrangements focused through two thematic patterns performed on multiple

congas, timbale and roto-toms, interspersed with tambourine and cowbell parts, driven

by heavy-footed drumming and punctuated by crowd 'call and response' as in many

African-American church sermons." While these words accurately describe Go-Go,

the music is defined by the people who play it and the feelings of those

of us in the crowd, moving and grooving to the Go-Go beat. Thank you, Mr. Brown,
for the gift you gave to us, and for the gift you were to us.