OFTEN OVERSHADOWED BY THE UNDERGROUND, MAVERICK DANCE NAMES SHE WORKED WITH—LIKE INNER LIFE, MUSIQUE, AND LUTHER VANDROSS’S CHANGE—JOCELYN BROWN IS NOW KNOWN AS THE POWERFUL VOICE BEHIND COUNTLESS DISCO CLASSICS. DIVA UNVEILED
by Matt Bauer
Jocelyn Brown’s voice is a timeless and unique force of nature that still commands generations of devotees to fill the dance floor. In the late 1970s, she teamed up with some of dance music’s biggest writer/producers, like Van McCoy, Patrick Adams, Greg Carmichael, and Leroy Burgess. Subsequently, Brown’s authoritative and transcendent vocals have powered numerous landmark jams, like Musique’s “Keep On Jumpin’ ” (1978, Prelude Records); Inner Life’s “I’m Caught Up (In a One Night Love Affair)” (1979, Prelude) and “Moment of My Life” (1982, Salsoul); and Change’s “Angel in My Pocket” (1980), among others. In 1984, she released her solo classic “Somebody Else’s Guy,” which hit number two on the R&B chart. Her 1987 Warner Brothers album, One From the Heart , included “Love’s Gonna Get You,” which would go on to be sampled by Snap on their 1990 worldwide smash “The Power.” During the 1990s, Brown continued to do solid work, contributing to recordings for Incognito, Masters at Work, and Todd Terry. The North Carolina–born and London-based singer is a true legend of dance music. Jocelyn Brown graciously took the time to speak about her influences, career, and why we’re still bumping to the classic sounds of late-1970s and early 1980s club jams.
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( opposite ) Jocelyn Brown poses at Holborn Studios on February 5, 1992, in London, England. Photo by David Corrio/Redferns/Getty Images.
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