Launching of Tedd Browne Foundation

We are the grandchildren ( Dave, Mike, Chris, India) of the late Tedd Browne. We are attemping to raise money in the name of our grandfather.Tedd Browne was born in Estill, South Carolina on August 23, 1929. His father died when he was quite young and the family then moved to Savannah, Georgia, where Tedd’s mother, employed as a plantation worker, taught him spiritual songs as he played in the cotton fields where she worked. At the age of thirteen he bought some music books and a guitar and began to teach himself how to read music and play the guitar. He moved to New York City at the age of fourteen and graduated from high school in Brooklyn, New York. For a year he attended Hastings College in Hastings, Nebraska, where his paternal grandfather lived. He later moved to San Francisco, California and attended San Francisco State College for a year, and then served in the Navy during the Korean War. Returning to San Francisco after his discharge from the Navy he sang at “Coffee Dan’s” and later, with a partner, operated the “Purple Onion” for six months before he returned to New York. He appeared on Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts, and joined the American Theatre Wing where he studied for two years to further his career. For eight months he appeared in The Ponder Heart starring David Wayne where he sang and strummed a guitar. When the show closed he returned to Savannah, where he had his own TV show and also appeared at the DeSoto Hotel Supper Club.
Tedd made numerous appearances on The Mike Douglas Show and also appeared on Jack Paar’s The Tonight Show. He toured with Dick Gregory, and had engagements at top clubs throughout the country including The Bitter End and The Living Room in New York, and The Cloister at Sea Isle, Georgia. He gave concerts at many colleges including the University of Kentucky, University of John Carroll and the University of Georgia. In all, Tedd recorded seven albums - four of cover tunes: Tedd Browne Sings; Suave; Scarlet Ribbon and This Little Light of Mine ,and three of his own original historical material: Savannah Musical Portrait; Lake George Musical Portrait; and LBJ Musical Portrait, depicting the life of Lyndon Baines Johnson from his youth until his inauguration. Tedd prepared for the LBJ album while living in Lake George Village in upstate New York in 1964 by reading books and articles on the life of Lyndon Johnson, then wrote the lyrics and music for the album which he recorded in 1965. One of the highlights of his career occurred January 20, 1965 when he sang at President Lyndon Johnson’s Inaugural Ball. 
In 1961, Tedd came to Cleveland, Ohio, where he lived until his death with his wife, Inez, and their three children, David, Michael and Christopher. On July 27, 1968 Tedd Browne was killed by a bullet fired from the gun of racist Richard Robinson as he brought his car to a stop at a traffic light in Cleveland Heights, a suburb of Cleveland. The events and circumstances surrounding his death clearly disclose that he was the innocent victim of unprovoked violence. His tragic death brought to a close the career of a gifted artist. He was a gentle man who lived to bring joy and brotherhood to the hearts of all men. Tedd Browne was a man who cared about all people, loved God and radiated that joy and strength to all within the sound of his voice. All who knew him felt graced by his presence and will never forget him. There will never be another Tedd Browne.

Our plan with the money we raise is to start The Tedd Browne Foundation and also a movie depicting his life. With this foundation we will open a music studio in Cleveland, Ohio that will educate inner city youth to different genres of music. They will also be exposed to a vast variety of musical instruments as well as diffrent forms of dance. Our grandfather was a known member of society, in which he would hold bike and toy drives for less priviledged families in Cleveland each year. We also plan to use the money to create a film depicting his life so that the world knows who Tedd Browne was. 

We are looking to raise at least 20,000 dollars by December 31, 2016. We choose this date because christmas was his favorite holiday and with the new year we will be able to get his story out. 

This means everything to us because we never got to meet our grnadfather. After his death our grandmother Inez Browne was forced to raise 3 young boys into men by herself. It is our wish to continue the mission that our grandfather started. Unfortunately that mission was never carried forth due to his tradgic death. The blueprints of this foundation were in the works and it is our job to carry on this mission in the honor of this forgotten legend. We will be beyond thankful for any donation that you can give. Please help us get his story out and help future generations in a positive way.