Interview with Oscar Brown Jr. documentarian

[ghost of miles]

This past week African-American filmmaker donnie l. betts was in town to screen the two-hour version of his documentary Music Is My Life, Politics My Mistress. I talked with Mr. betts about Brown’s early Chicago days, how Brown got into both activism and songwriting (and ended up combining the two), Brown’s relationship with young African-Americans in the Black Power movement of the 1960s, why Brown did not record for 20 years, and much more. betts also offered some interesting background to some of the scenes in the movie, such as Brown’s encounter with two former Chicago gang members who participated in a musical that he wrote. That interview is now

posted on the Night Lights website.

A previous Night Lights program about Brown.

Edited November 9, 2007 by ghost of miles

[Lazaro Vega]

Double http:// in first link, so it isn't linking.

[ghost of miles]

Thanks for the heads-up, LV--fixed.

[Lazaro Vega]

Heard Oscar Brown Jr. live in Chicago once. I think he was well known around the city for what he did.

[ghost of miles]

betts' film includes a clip of the Blackstone Rangers (Chicago gang for those unacquainted with Chi-town history) performing on the Smothers Brothers TV show... OB Jr. the organizing/creative force behind that event.