“There’s something about the way Jann Browne sings that is so pure and honest, and her writing is wonderful.” -Emmylou Harris
By Lisa Morgan
There are few voices more perfectly paired with the lilt, originality and heart wrenching sweetness of country icon, Emmylou Harris. Harris’s voice can often be a distraction when she sings “background” on someone’s record, as it tends to haunt the song, and can even take over it’s essence (never a bad thing in my book). But something magic happens in her vocal pairing with singer/songwriter, Jann Browne. The hit song, “Mexican Wind”, displays Browne and Harris’ voices dancing together like sisters, each with their own enchanting, soul gripping strength. Perhaps, the only difference between the two artists was one’s ability over the other to tolerate the politics of the music business, a business that to this day, could stand to make improvements for its talented women.
Jann Browne is “a singer/songwriter whose eclectic body of work has embraced both retro-styled honky tonk and tough, bluesy lyrical introspections. She is an artist with the talent to craft a mainstream success, and the guts and integrity to walk away from Nashville when she grew uncomfortable with the music industry,” says Mark Demming, for CMT.com. Raised in Indiana and on her grandparents’ brand of country music, her first musical endeavors leaned a little more mainstream with Stevie Nicks and Linda Ronstadt as influences. But from the minute a friend of hers introduced her to Emmylou Harris, she knew that this was the kind of music she wanted to do. Tapping back into her roots, Browne performed briefly with the Grammy Award winning group, Asleep at the Wheel, before moving to Nashville, and caught the ear of Curb Records.
Browne was signed to the label in 1990, and she released her debut album, Tell Me Why, that same year. Tell Me Why was received well, with two hit singles, “Tell Me Why” and “You Ain’t Down Home.” The album earned her a nomination as Female Vocalist of the Year by the Academy of Country Music. The California Country Music Association named her “Entertainer of the Year” two years in a row. But according to CMT.com, “Browne, a maverick, who felt at home with such off-mainstream country and western artists as Emmylou Harris and Iris DeMent, both of whom have recorded with her, very soon discovered she had little taste for the politics of the major-label music industry. After her second album, 1991’s Only When I Laugh, failed to sell as well as her debut, she opted out of her contract with Curb and moved back to California.”
Jann’s song “Trouble’s Here” was recorded by country singer Lee Ann Womack, and gave Browne and her co-writer/guitarist (husband) Matthew Barnes, their first gold record. Other artists including Joy Lynn White, Dwight Yoakam and Texas singer Danni Leigh have also recorded music penned by Jann.
Her album “Buckin’ Around” (Jann’s tribute to her friend Buck Owens), was chosen as one of the TOP 30 Albums of Decade by Paul W. Dennis, a “The 9513” contributing writer. Jann has performed on the Grand Ol Opry, CMT, and many other TV and radio shows. She has been featured in “People” magazine and “USA Today”. The artists that Jann has toured and performed with is a virtual Who’s Who of country music history – names such as George Jones, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Vince Gill, The Judds, Trisha Yearwood and many more. Browne still has a substantial audience in Australia and Europe, and in 1995, she recorded her third album, Count Me In, for Red Moon Records, an independent label in Europe (it later received an American release from the independent Cross Three label). The album won a number of enthusiastic reviews and re-established Browne as a singer/songwriter with a sharp and distinctive vision. For her fourth album, 2001’s Missed Me by a Mile, Browne co-produced the album herself, and released it in America on her own label, Plan B Records.
I had the pleasure of getting to know Jann Browne, now a resident of Desert Hot Springs. The artist is deep into writing again, preparing for a new album after a long hiatus of caring for a close, aging family friend as well as for her mother, who bid her final leave just this past August.
CVW: What advice would you give younger artists pursuing music as a career today?
Browne: I’m not a real good one to give advice. Everything has changed so much since I was in the business. I would just say, ‘Go out and get yourself a pole and become a stripper (she laughs). You’ll make more money.’
CVW: Of all the amazing people you’ve worked with during your career, including George Jones, who was your favorite.
Browne: I’m still so in awe, and there’s so many. But I’ve always said that Waylon Jennings was my favorite. He was always such a gentleman and so very thoughtful. He’d always wait for me when it was time to do meet and greets or the press. He didn’t treat me like I was an opening act. He treated me like an equal.
CVW: Was it different for women than men in that industry?
Browne: There were definitely times I felt an unfairness. I remember touring with this one guy. I had more hits, more songs on the radio, more fans, but I found out he got paid more than me. It definitely had its moments.
CVW: What was it like to work and sing with Emmylou?
Browne: First of all, let me just say, she’s the whole reason I chose to sing what I do. The day she was coming in to the studio, I had just come off of singing 31 days straight. I was singing some vocals there in the studio with Rosie Flores, and I wasn’t quite hitting those high notes. But as soon as I saw Emmylou walk in, I started hitting them. My producer even made a comment, ‘So NOW you found it.’ I was just so afraid that she wouldn’t want to sing with me if I sounded like a screaming cat.
CVW: Do you have favorite albums or songs of yours?
Browne: (Laughs) I hate everything I hear of mine. Actually, I loved the whole process of making my first record. It was such an adventure that first time, trying to do something of significance. And then I felt myself experiencing that again, after I broke away from Nashville and found myself as a VERY independent artist. I was wondering what was going to happen next, and I started writing the Count Me In album. I think really that was a great strength for me, as far as really finding myself as a songwriter. I didn’t have anyone standing over me, telling me what to write or if it was good enough. It allowed me to be truly independent and creative.
CVW: I was told to ask you why people call you “James”.
Browne: Who told you to ask that? Good old Russell Finch. Well, yeah. We were playing in Europe, and over there, they pronounce my name with a long “a” sometimes. So the radio said that “Janne Browne” would be playing. So this one gentleman took the train all day to see the show, and when I came out, he had a strange look on his face. He kind of scared me a little. After the show, he came back to the green room. I had all my friends, family and people around me, and he said, “Well, you’re no James Brown, but you’re good.” That name followed me over the pond. Family and even my husband call me James to this day. I know I’m in trouble when Matty (husband) calls me Jann!”
CVW: How long have you and your husband been together?
Browne: We’ve been together about 20 plus years. Matt used to play guitar with Billy Davis before Davis went on to play for Foghat and Bad Finger. We have a lot of fun because we share such a strong connection with music.
CVW: You both will be participating in the “Nashville, LA and SoCal Songwriters Night” benefiting Street Life Project, February 27. Can you share why you’re excited about being part of the benefit show?
Browne: I met a homeless person a while back, walking into the grocery store. He asked me for some baloney. Someone had given him some bread, and he wanted something to put on it. I got the baloney and all the things that go with it: chips, fruit…something to drink. I handed him the sack, and he started rifling through it, looking for the baloney. I told him, ‘No, it’s ALL for you.’ He looked flabbergasted. I told Matt about him. He ended up hiring him. Some friends of ours helped us find him a place and set him up with everything he could need. He lasted about 6 months then went back to the streets. Turns out, “Homeless John” was bipolar, and not medicated. We stayed friends. His dad died recently, and left him and his sister an inheritance. Now he runs two big hotels in Los Angeles!
CVW: So, aside from becoming a stripper, do you have any other advice for musicians? Any words of wisdom about what helped you find your place in the music business?
The key to getting where you want to go, when you have a hunger and a passion, is the people around you who believe in you even when you don’t. It’s those people that help you get to the next step. There’s three things I think I needed to do what I’ve been able to do: A higher source than just myself, a sense of humor and the people who have believed in me.
Upcoming shows:
Friday, February 27, 7pm to Close at Schmidy’s Tavern in Palm Desert
Hear her beautiful songs and voice as she shares the stage with Nashville songwriters, Travis Meadows (Jake Owen, Eric Church, Lynyrd Skynyrd) and Granville Automatic, LA song writers Cisco & Dewey (Gerry Goffin, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, and more), and many of our best local songwriters. All musicians are donating their music to support Street Life Project, a local outreach that helps transition our local homeless back into civilian life.
Friday, March 20, Swallows Inn, San Juan Capistrano. Jann Browne has played for the return of the swallows for the past 36 years.
