JACKIE BROWN
NOT JUST A THEATRE ORGANIST
-oOo-
THE EARLY YEARS
William John Brown was born to parents, Elliot and Constance (Connie) Brown, on the 6th August, 1923 to his parents, Elliot and Connie, in the little village of Leven (Scottish Gaelic: Inbhir Lìobhann) in Fife in Scotland (Fife was still a County [Scottish Gaelic: Fìobha] at this time and today is still commonly known as The Kingdom of Fife). Although he was named William, he was never called this, and his parents always called him Jack. Later, when he became a professional entertainer, he chose to be known as Jackie Brown.
On the 5th September, 1926, Jackie’s sister Dorothy (Dottie) was born. When she was 6-months old, the family moved to the village of Windygates. In 2018, Dorothy passed away at the age of 92.
-oOo-
Jackie came from a very musical family. His father was an operatic tenor and had trained in Edinburgh and his mother was an operatic soprano and talented pianist who often accompanied Elliot in his performances, as well as playing for their daughter, Dorothy, who was training as a ballet dancer. Several of Jackie’s uncles were also operatic singers and the whole family had performed as a group.
Left: Elliot & (Connie) Brown; Right: A Young Jackie with his mother
Left: Jackie’s father standing with Jackie, Dorothy and friends; Right: Jackie and Dorothy
-oOo-
While Jackie was still young, the family moved to Dundee where he attended the Harris Academy High School. In the late 1970s, the School, a Senior Secondary School became a Comprehensive School (it was never known as a Grammar School).
Harris Academy Facade, which was the main entrance to the School when Jackie attended
-oOo-
Jackie Brown’s musical talents became apparent early in his life and he began studying the Straight Organ under Mr. James Hinchcliffe who was the City Organist in Dundee.
A Straight Organ is an instrument where all Stops (a Stop is a component of a Pipe Organ that admits pressurised air (Wind) to a set of organ pipes or Ranks) in each keyboard and are supplied with wind by a common mechanism to all of them. Such an organ is neither Tremulated (i.e. adding a vibrato) nor Unified, and is exemplified by Church, Town Hall or Classical Organ.
To learn more about Tremulate and Unified, please CLICK HERE.
By the age of fifteen, Jackie was the organist at a local church. He quickly gained a reputation for his abilities as a musical arranger and many of the congregants had the habit of arriving prior to the Service in order to enjoy his playing.
-oOo-
Seemingly, the first Theatre Organ that Jackie played was that installed at the King’s Theatre & Hippodrome Dundee. The Theatre was built in 1909 and granted a licence to screen films a year later. The Theatre was taken over by Provincial Cinematograph Theatres (PCT) in 1928, and at some unknown time, a Wurlitzer Theatre Organ with 2-Manuals and 6-Ranks was installed with its Console housed on a lift. In 1929, The Theatre was taken over by Gaumont British Theatres Limited.
The Erstwhile King’s Theatre became a cinema, then a Bingo Hall, and now a Nightclub named Joy
When Jackie was allowed to practice playing at the Theatre, the Resident Organist present at this time was Rowland Hill-Cutler who kindly tutored him in the finer points of playing.
-oOo-
When Jackie went to Secondary School, pupils were able to leave, as he did, at the age of 15 in 1938, and some time, soon after he moved to London.
In 1940 when he was 17 years old, Jackie auditioned to become a Theatre Organist with The Granada Theatre Circuit and his audition proved successful.
Jackie, aged 17, seated at the Console of what is believed to be
The Theatre Organ of The Granada Theatre Wandsworth
—oooOooo—
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank Mr. Michael Wooldridge, Mr. Andrew Gilbert and Mr. Keith Beckingham for their help in the writing of this page.
Oh honoured one! I’m glad that your tales of Len Rawle are to be published in the Vox magazine. Donald Binks sent me an email
confirming this a few days ago.