Charity Brown

Singer Charity Brown's real name is Phyllis Boltz. She was born and raised in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, and started performing professionally in the '60s. She was in her tender teens at the time. Her first long-running membership was with a group called Rain. Brown spent half a decade with the group, recording a number of singles and a self-titled album. Her work with Rain earned Brown her first spot on the Top Ten charts with the single "Out of My Mind." In 1973, Brown began working under the stage name Phyllis Brown. Her talent soon landed her a deal with A&M Records, where she recorded the single, "Elijah Stone. By 1974 she was using the name fans would remember her by, Charity Brown. Over the next three years, she recorded nearly a dozen singles, including "Take Me in Your Arms," "You Beat Me to the Punch," "Our Day Will Come," "Ain't No Way to Treat a Lady," and "Anyway You Want Me." Brown also finished four full-length albums, Charity Brown in 1975, Rock Me in 1976, and Stay With Me in 1977. One best-of album also appeared in 1977. Brown's music was a strong mix of both R&B and pop, what many label as Motown style. It compares to that of artists like Kim Weston, Gladys Knight, and Tammi Terrell. Brown continued to tour, singing at clubs until 1980, when she gave up performing professionally and slipped from the public eye. ~ Charlotte Dillon