Odell Elliott Brown

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Brown, Odell Elliott, Jr. A Grammy Award-winning musician, died peacefully but unexpectedly in his sleep on May 3, 2011 in Richfield, MN. He was born on February 2, 1940, in Louisville, KY, and married Barbara Whiteman, his lifelong soulmate, in 1999. In 1964, after serving as an arranger and performer in the 179th Army Post Band, Brown moved to Chicago, where his jazz group "Odell Brown & The Organ-izers" received Billboard Magazine's "Best New Group" award in 1966. Brown continued to work throughout the 1970s and 1980s in Chicago, Hollywood, and Europe, serving as Music Director/Performer for Marvin Gaye, Minnie Ripperton, Curtis Mayfield, and Johnny Nash. His compositions included the classic song "Sexual Healing," co-written and performed by Marvin Gaye. Brown received an award from the Congressional Black Caucus, the NAACP's Image Award, and created an annual Veterans Day Celebration honoring the hospitalized veterans in Minneapolis. Odell Brown was a wise and gentle person with a brilliant musical gift. He will be greatly missed by his beloved wife Barbara, his mischievous bird, Pookie, and his large extended family around the world. He is predeceased by his parents, Odell and Harriet Brown, and his two brothers, Verlin Brown and Tony Brown. A reception will be held at 2:00 p.m. on May 21, 2011, at the Portland Avenue United Methodist Church, 8000 Portland Avenue South, Bloomington, followed by a memorial service at 3:00 p.m. A memorial fund is being established. Morris Nilsen Chapel 612-869-3226 morrisnilsen.com

Published on May 8, 2011