Thomas Warren, wtop.com
WASHINGTON – From a planned memorial at Langdon Park to a mural at Ben’s Chili Bowl, legendary musician Chuck Brown’s legacy continues to thrive in D.C.
Now The Howard Theatre is joining in, with a series of shows called “Wind Me Up, Chuck! Mondays” to honor the musical contributions of the “Godfather of Go-Go.”
The series will feature collaborations between The Chuck Brown Band and other artists. Brown’s daughter KK, a vocalist in The Chuck Brown Band, says leaders of the theatre approached her band about the project.
“They just wanted to keep his music alive,” she says of the series, which debuts today with funk music innovator George Clinton.
KK Brown says the series will feature a different special guest each week.
“We got a good treat for ’em this first Monday,” she says.
Nekos Brown, one of Chuck Brown’s sons, spoke to WTOP while attending the unveiling of his father’s mural at Ben’s Chili Bowl. He says he’ll be front and center every Monday.
“It’s something that you can, you know, go out and get your week started off right and still get in the house early enough to go to work in the morning,” Nekos Brown says.
After Chuck Brown’s death in May, the theatre hosted a public viewing of Brown for fans shortly before his funeral.
“It was beautiful just to have The Howard Theatre have his viewing there and they’re continuing to show love by having this every Monday,” he says.
KK Brown says the theatre was a second home to her father.
“Before he could perform there, when he was young, he was cleaning people’s shoes, shining shoes to get inside to see the shows,” she says.
The series will run through the rest of the year.
More information is available at The Howard Theatre website.
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(Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)
