Tina Brown (7)

TINA BROWN has been singing since the age of 3. Her parents, Arlean and Cornelius Brown, were born in the Deep South. They met in Chicago in the early Fifties. Their home was a house filled with many genres of music: Jazz, Blues and Soul but mostly Gospel music. This is how Tina developed her appreciation for music. Her father was a gospel singer and had his own gospel quartet group called "The True Believers" of Chicago, IL. He was a great influence in her life and encouraged Tina to sing her first solo at the age of 5! When Tina turned 8 years old, she joined the all adult choir of her church, the "Original Holy Ark Baptist Church", on the South Side of Chicago. Tina's voice was so advanced and so strong that she was appointed as the choir's directress and teacher at the age of 13. She started making appearances as a soloist and continued as the directress for 17 years. During her tenure she led the choir to several competitions and won awards. She started doing workshops and gave voice lessons all without having voice lessons from anyone else. She has also appeared in various Gospel TV shows as a soloist and as a member of the award winning, CHICAGO MASS CHOIR. Tina has a majestic voice, reminiscent of MAHALIA JACKSON, ARETHA FRANKLIN, and VICKIE WINAN. In 1993, she joined the CHICAGO COMMUNITY CHOIR under the direction of JESSY DIXON, a famous Chicago singer and songwriter. This marked Tina's first trip overseas. TINA BROWN formed her own group in 1999, TINA BROWN & VOICES. It is during the same year that she finally met the gospel singer that had inspired her throughout her childhood, Delois Barrett Campbell of the legendary The Barrett Sisters of Chicago. Tina and Delois immediately formed a "mother-daughter" bond and when Delois' health prevented her from performing, Tina was asked to be her stand in to sing her parts in the group. After Delois passed in 2011, Tina would still perform with the remaining Barrett Sisters on occasions. Tina developed an interest in the theater and made her acting debut in 2004 with Chicago's BLACK ENSEMBLE THEATER production "Somebody Say Amen" which gained her a nomination from the "Black Theater Alliance" for "Best Performance by an Actress in a Musical". This production allowed Tina to tour throughout the United States and Trinidad. She continued her theater journey in such productions as "The Blues Brothers" impersonating Aretha Franklin, Queen of Soul; "The Phyllis Hyman Story", "Porgy and Bess", "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" - A Tribute to Studs Turkel, and James Baldwin's classic "The Amen Corner" in the lead role as "Sister Margaret", Although TINA BROWN loves many genres of music, but no matter where this journey takes her, she continues to sing the music that guided her childhood: GOSPEL and SPIRITUALS. She feels it is the true music of the Soul. Tina Brown now has formed a new international gospel ministry and singing group known as The Gospel Messengers.