J. T. Brown (April 2, 1918 – November 24, 1969) was an American tenor saxophonist of the Chicago blues era. He was variously billed as Saxman Brown, J.T. (Big Boy) Brown and Bep Brown
Born John Thomas Brown, in Mississippi, United States, he was a member of the Rabbit Foot Minstrels in the Deep South before heading to Chicago. By 1945, Brown was recording behind Roosevelt Sykes and St. Louis Jimmy Oden, later backing Eddie Boyd and Washboard Sam for RCA Victor. He debuted on record as a bandleader in 1950 on the Harlem record label. Brown, along with Gene Ammons also mentored the, then young, A.C. Reed.
Meteor Records issued a couple of singles under Brown's name during the same timeframe. "Round House Boogie" / "Kickin' the Blues Around" was credited to the Bep Brown Orchestra; whilst "Sax-ony Boogie" was listed as by Saxman Brown and its b-side, the vocal "Dumb Woman Blues," as by J.T. (Big Boy) Brown.
Brown later played and recorded with Elmore James. He also recorded as a leader for several independent record labels, including United and JOB. In January 1969, he was part of Fleetwood Mac's Fleetwood Mac in Chicago/Blues Jam in Chicago, Vols. 1–2 album, singing on one track.
He died in Chicago, Illinois, in November 1969, at the age of 51. He was interred at the Burr Oak Cemetery in Worth, Illinois.
On May 14, 2011 the fourth annual White Lake Blues Festival took place at the Howmet Playhouse Theater in Whitehall, Michigan. The concert was organized by executive producer, Steve Salter, of the nonprofit organization Killer Blues in order to raise monies to honor Brown's unmarked grave with a headstone. The event was a success, and a headstone was placed in June, 2011.
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