Don Curtis Brown, Musician, Passes on February 10, 2022
Below is pictured a cover for a CD of songs Don Brown sang.
Mr. Don Curtis Brown, son of the late Mr. Clarence Brown and the late Mrs. Mellie Grubbs Brown, died on Feb. 10, 2022. He was a resident of the Greer, SC, area and a Faith Temple Church (FT) member. His death was attributed to COVID-19 virus. His body was buried in Hillcrest Memory Gardens in Greer, beside his mother’s remains; she passed on at age 95. Her funeral took place Sept. 15, 2019, at Wood Mortuary. Pastor Raymond D. Burrows of FT led her funeral, and on Sat., Feb. 12, 2022, led Don’s graveside service.
Melvin Larry Brown, Don’s brother, was unable to attend. Don’s sisters, Bertha B. Cody (husband J.C.) of Taylors and Barbara B. Cannon of Greer were present, as were Ms. Cannon’s children, Deidre Howell and Brian Cannon.
Don, blinded in an incident as a young adult, often sang and played the guitar or piano, at FT. His mother encouraged his singing and drove them to church. Mrs. Bertha Cody later drove them both to church.
“For most of us, it’s really a shock,” Pastor Burrows said. “We mourn his passing.” He read Psalm 23 and prayed. Don’s family played a recording of his singing “Help me live every day as if today were my last.”
“Excellent, as only Brother Don could do it,” Pastor said. “Our church enjoyed his singing … I’ve said, ‘Brother Don, you got the loudest applause of anybody that sings around here.’ Every time I’d see him, I’d mourn the fact that he didn’t have sight. Nevertheless, Brother Don went on and became a great Christian. When complimented, he’d say, ‘Well, thank the Lord.’”
Don listened to Scripture, Pastor said, adding that without one of the physical senses, other senses pick up. “Don remembered almost everything he heard and memorized Scripture. He’d say, ‘I want to please the Lord.’ It seemed he was sensitized in that spiritual avenue. He was attentive to his mother. Many have parents and don’t give them attention, but Don did.”
Pastor thanked Don’s sisters and others for helping Don. “Jesus said, Take up your cross.’ Luke adds ‘daily.’ The Lord said to me that when you give your life, your resources to help someone, you’re taking up the cross.”
Pastor said we enjoyed Don’s ministry. He’d told him, “Brother Don, you keep on and we’re gonna get you an invitation to Nashville.”
He said that one of his earliest memories of Don was his coming down the church aisle with his mother. “He walked the aisle and asked for prayer ‘to see,’ but over the years, it never happened. My heart would go out to him. If we can, we need to negotiate through hardships and not grow bitter, thinking life is unfair. Life is unfair, but Christ-followers are assisted by the Spirit. I never sensed an ounce of bitterness in Brother Don — that’s an outstanding Christian testimony. When we’re called upon to walk this kind of path, it requires trust.”
Pastor said that on Thursday at 12:47 p.m., “Brother Don slipped into the presence of God and had the ability to recognize people. The prayer request of Brother Don, down through the years, has been granted … God has given him the desire of his heart. Invariably, we’ll face trials in our lives. I salute him for that. If God can help him, God can help us. I think all of our lives were influenced in a positive way because we knew Brother Don. He stands with Brother Paul who said, ‘I have run a good race, fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.’ Brother Don loved the idea of the appearing of the Lord. He kept the faith in spite of life’s afflictions. Is there a greater testimonial? I think not. Today, I know that Brother Don is in the presence of the Lord. ‘Brother Don, you can now see, sir!’ My heart goes out to you, the family.”
Pastor prayed, “Father, we’re thankful we have an audience with you … You hear our pleas and cries. Thank you for the privilege of meeting Brother Don. Lord, it does console our hearts that he’s resting in your presence now. Minister to this family. Please help them. Bless your people in general, those who have come today. We commit his body to the ground … knowing, oh, Father, that everyone who dies in Christ will come forth in resurrection power. In Jesus’ name, amen.
After seeing a Facebook notice about Don Brown’s passing, C. Tim Edwards wrote, “I found out my ole’ friend passed away from covid, the one I sang and played music with …. His name was Don Brown, he was blind and could really play a guitar and sing. He played bass guitar in the band at Faith Temple for years in the early 80s. I played guitar in the band also at that time. He did solos on stage often. I remember one song he did was by Mike Atkins: “What's wrong with my children?” And he would perform it on his Takamine 12-string guitar. I remember it tore the house up … there wasn't a dry eye in the house! He had a Takamine 12-string and an Alvarez six -string acoustic guitar.
“We kept in touch over the years after the early 80s. I got together with him in around ’89-90, and we started recording music at his house, and sometimes at mine, and decided to go further, and as we progressed on, I switched to playing bass guitar while he played his acoustic array of instruments, and he sang lead and I sang backup.
We had a pretty good program going on and we decided to take it on the road. We did a few bookings here and there. It didn't last long though, but it was fun while it lasted. I ended up moving on to different things and didn’t see him for a long time. You know ... life happens. I saw him at the South House Restaurant and spoke to him a few years ago. I hate it that happened to him but he's in a better place and he can now finally see.”
Mrs. Pam Mason posted, “Don loved people and loved to sing and play! Some of our favorites were ‘Lately I’ve Got Leaving On My Mind,’ ‘Higher Than I’ve Ever Been,’ and ‘As the Eagle Flies.’ Bobby loved ‘Where The Timbers Crossed!’ I will always think of him and am thankful for God allowing us to worship together for many years! Bobby and I knew him in our younger years! Prayers for his precious family today!”
Don Brown’s mother passed in 2019. Here is an article from that time:
“Sister Mellie Grubbs Brown’s 95-year-old body was laid to rest In Hillcrest Memory Gardens on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2019. She was a member of Faith Temple Church, Taylors, SC.
“At her 3:00 p.m. service at the Wood Mortuary, Greer, SC, the Rev. Raymond D. Burrows, Faith Temple Church’s pastor, preached, reading Psalm 23. He said Sister Brown, born in 1924, lived through the Great Depression and World War II. She retired from Greer Mill (J.P. Stevens & Co.).
“A Spartanburg County native, Ms. Brown was married to the late Clarence Brown. Surviving are two sons, Melvin Larry Brown and Don Brown both of Greer; two daughters, Bertha B. Cody of Taylors and Barbara B. Cannon of Greer; five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.”
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