Tally Brown

Tally Brown
Brown,c.1950s
Born	August 1, 1924 New York City, United States
Died	May 6, 1989 (aged 64) New York City, United States
Occupation(s)	Singer, actress

Tally Brown(August 1, 1924 – May 6, 1989)was an Americansingerandactresswho was part of the New York underground performance scene, particularlyAndy Warhol's"Factory"and who appeared in or was the subject of films byAndy WarholandRosa von Praunheim.She was born and died inNew York City.

Musical and singing career

Brown began her classical musical training atJuilliardat the age of sixteen; however, she later took up the genres of jazz and the blues after having metLeonard BernsteinatTanglewoodin 1947.

Brown was an early and active supporter ofRuth W. Greenfield,the founder in 1951 of the Fine Arts Conservatory, in Miami, whichThe New York Timesdescribed as, "one of the first racially integrated theaters and art schools in the South."

By the 1950s, Brown had developed a rhythm-and-blues style akin to such performers asMa RaineyandBessie Smith,and during this time, she released an album entitled,A Torch for Tally,with theJimmy Diamond Quartet.The album featured the songsLimehouse Blues,Honeysuckle Rose,andMy Man.

Brown appeared on Broadway and in the California tour ofMame,as well as on Broadway in a production ofMedea(starringIrene Papas), as well as off- Broadway.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Brown sang in notable New York City nightclubs such as Reno Sweeney's and S.N.A.F.U. She also provided entertainment at theContinental Baths,agay bathhousein New York City. Following her death,The New York Timespublished an obituary stating that Ms. Brown was known for her intense, dramatic renditions of songs byKurt Weill,theRolling StonesandDavid Bowie."

Acting career

Brown began her film acting career by appearing in the filmBatman Dracula(1964) and the filmCamp(1965), both directed by Warhol.In one scene fromCamp,Brown mimickedYma Sumac.

Brown appeared in such experimental low-budget films asBrand X(1970) andThe Illiac Passion(1964-67).She was also featured in the horror filmSilent Night, Bloody Night(1972).

The New York underground performance scene

Brown was "prominent in the underground performance world of the 1960s and 70s."In the summer of 1964, Brown first met Warhol at a benefit for the Living Theatre, the alternative theatre in New York City.Brown would later be featured in at least two of Warhol's films.

In 1970, she was among a panel of guests who participated in a discussion on theDavid Susskind Showabout Warhol's underground filmTrash(1970). Also interviewed were other members of Warhol's "Factory".

Tally Brown, New York

German filmmakerRosa von Praunheimdirected a documentary based on the life of Brown entitledTally Brown, New Yorkin which he relied on "extensive interviews with Brown, as she recounts her collaboration with Warhol,Taylor Mead,and others.... "Released in 1979 in the former West Germany,Tally Brown, New Yorkwas a portrait of Brown's singing and acting career. Distinguished cameo appearances in the film included that of actorsDivine,Holly Woodlawnand artistChing Ho Cheng.At the time, Brown was a resident ofWashington Heights, Manhattan.

In the same year of its release, the documentary won theFilm Award in Silverat the German Film Awards for "Outstanding Non-Feature Film'.The documentary was also noteworthy for its use ofcinéma véritéin its opening shot by depicting New York's gritty street life in and aroundTimes Squarein the 1970s, before it was later cleaned up.

Tally Brown's biographical papers and artifacts are archived at the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, Pa. Tally Brown has been featured in her own exhibition atThe Andy Warhol Museum.

Filmography

• Batman Dracula(1964) directed byAndy Warhol
• Camp(1965) directed by Warhol
• Four Stars****(1967) directed by Warhol
• The Illiac Passion(1967) as Venus; directed byGregory Markopoulos
• Brand X(1970) as Talk Show Hostess
• The Owl and the Pussycat(1970) directed byHerbert Ross
• Scarecrow in a Garden of Cucumbers(1972) as Mary Poppins
• Leidenschaften(1972) as Herself
• 1 Berlin-Harlem(1974)
• Silent Night, Bloody Night(1972) as Inmate
• The Art of Crime(1975) (TV) as Cedie
• Now or Never(1979) as Herself
• Night of the Juggler(1980) as Peep Show Owner
• Tally Brown, New York(1979) as Herself
• Mein New York(1982) (TV) as Herself

Trivia

• Brown shared billing on "Silent Night, Bloody Night"with many actors from Warhol's" Factory "years:Mary Woronov,Ondine,Candy Darling,directorJack Smith,and artistSusan Rothenberg.

External links

• http://movies.amctv /person/198851/Tally-Brown/synopsis
• Tally BrownatIMDb
• Tally Brown singing "Heroes"onYouTube
• "Lady grinning soul", vocal by Tally BrownonYouTube

• Tally Brown mixes singing with acting,nytimes. Accessed August 5, 2022.
• Profile,warhol.org