# Harold Ray Brown > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Harold_Ray_Brown > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Harold_Ray_Brown.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Ray_Brown > Source revision: 1311096305 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) American drummer This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentially libelous. Find sources: "Harold Ray Brown" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (July 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this message) Harold Ray Brown Brown in 2009 Background information Born (1946-03-17) 17 March 1946 (age 80) Origin Long Beach, California, United States Genres Rock funk blues jazz Occupations Musician songwriter Instrument Drums Years active 1966–present Musical artist **Harold Ray Brown** (born March 17, 1946) is a founding member of [War](/source/War_(American_band)), an American funk band in the 1970s to 2000s.[1] Harold had a number of roles over the years, acting as drummer, percussionist, vocalist, and bandleader. Brown is the oldest of six children, and the only one in his family to pursue music. He was introduced to music at the First Lutheran Church in [Downtown Long Beach](/source/Downtown_Long_Beach).[2] Beginning with the congas, Brown progressed to violin while in elementary school, and took up drums in junior high. He turned down a full scholarship to [Valparaiso University](/source/Valparaiso_University) in 1964 in order to pursue music. Brown was rooted in the very beginnings of War. In 1962, he met [Howard E. Scott](/source/Howard_E._Scott) at the Cozy Lounge in [Long Beach, California](/source/Long_Beach%2C_California). They were fifteen years old at the time and were hired to play in a band for a casual gig. Brown started a band called the Creators in 1963 in Long Beach while going to [Long Beach Polytechnic High School](/source/Long_Beach_Polytechnic_High_School), to play for high school [sock hops](/source/Sock_hops) and car shows. Then in 1967, toward the end of the [Vietnam War](/source/Vietnam_War), he and Howard Scott restarted the band with a new name, Night Shift. Brown had been working as a machinist on the Night Shift. In February 1969, while playing a show at the Rag Doll Night Club in North Hollywood, California, Eric Burdon and Lee Oskar jammed with the Night Shift. The band changed its name to [War](/source/War_(American_band)). Brown left the band to attend college in 1983, majoring in computer science, with a minor in music. He then moved to [New Orleans](/source/New_Orleans) in 1986.[3] In 2001, Brown went back to school to pursue his lifelong hobby; he is now a historian and professional tour guide in New Orleans, and has recently formed a new band called the [Lowrider Band](/source/Lowrider_Band) with three of the other original members of War: [Howard E. Scott](/source/Howard_E._Scott), [Morris "BB" Dickerson](/source/B.B._Dickerson), and [Lee Oskar](/source/Lee_Oskar).[4] Brown also works with inner-city youth during the summer, to promote good citizenship through the art of fine drumming. Harold Ray Brown is a founding member of The Music for Every School Foundation [\[1\]](https://www.musicforeveryschool.com). ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-unclehb_1-0)** Carl, Wiser. ["Harold Brown of War"](http://www.songfacts.com/blog/interviews/harold_brown_of_war/). *Song Facts*. Retrieved 3 August 2018. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Grobaty, Tim (31 August 2018). ["War and Low Rider Band's Harold Brown's life comes full circle"](https://lbpost.com/hi-lo/music/war-and-low-rider-bands-harold-browns-life-comes-full-circle/). *the Hi-lo*. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Geraldine, Wyckoff (May 3, 2016). ["Harold Brown"](http://www.offbeat.com/articles/harold-brown/). Off Beat Magazine. Retrieved 3 August 2018. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Bob, Ruggiero (October 11, 2017). [*Slippin' Out of Darkness: The Story of WAR*](https://www.amazon.com/Slippin-Out-Darkness-Story-WAR/dp/197416652X) (First Edition V.2 ed.). Amazon: Classic Rock Bob. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [197416652X](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/197416652X). Retrieved 3 August 2018. ## External links - [Harold Ray Brown](https://www.facebook.com/OGWARDRUMS) on [Facebook](/source/Facebook_(identifier)) - [Brown Legacy](https://raybrown.me/legacy/) information on Harold Brown - [Lowrider Band website](https://www.lowriderband.com) v t e War Lonnie Jordan Marcos Reyes Howard E. Scott Harold Ray Brown Lee Oskar Morris "B.B." Dickerson Charles Miller Eric Burdon Pat Rizzo J. B. Eckl Studio albums Eric Burdon Declares "War" (1970) The Black-Man's Burdon (1970) War (1971) All Day Music (1971) The World Is a Ghetto (1972) Deliver the Word (1973) Why Can't We Be Friends? (1975) Love Is All Around (1976) Platinum Jazz (1976) Galaxy (1977) Youngblood (1978) The Music Band (1979) The Music Band 2 (1979) Outlaw (1982) The Music Band – Jazz (1983) Life (Is So Strange) (1983) ☮ (Peace Sign) (1994) Live albums War Live (1973) Greatest Hits Live (2008) Compilation albums Greatest Hits (1976) The Very Best of War (2003) Songs "Spill the Wine" "They Can't Take Away Our Music" "Slippin' into Darkness" "The World Is a Ghetto" "The Cisco Kid" "Gypsy Man" "Me and Baby Brother" "Why Can't We Be Friends?" "Low Rider" "Summer" Related artists Discography Lowrider Band Authority control databases International VIAF National Czech Republic Artists MusicBrainz --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Harold Ray Brown](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Ray_Brown) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Ray_Brown?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.