Charity Brown

Charity Brown grew up in Kitchener, Ontario, as Phyllis Boltz. She graduated from Eastwood Collegiate and began singing in Landslide Mushroom, and other sixties bands, while still a teenager. Under the name Phyllis Brown, she finally broke through with Kitchener group, Rain, and stayed with them into the early seventies. They released one album and several singles, including the Canadian hit, “Out Of My Mind,” for Greg Hambleton’s Axe Records.

After leaving Rain in 1973, and with the help of producer Harry Hinde, Brown secured a recording contract with A&M Records as a Motown-flavoured solo artist. Her first releases were credited to Phyllis Brown but she soon changed her name to “Charity Brown.” In 1974, Brown charted with remakes of “Jimmy Mack” and the top 10 hit, “You Beat Me To The Punch.” Upon hearing her sing, Dionne Warwick commented, “That lady has a big voice!”

Brown’s first album, 1975’s Rock Me, contained the earlier hits, as well as the number 5 single, “Take Me In Your Arms (Rock Me A Little While),” and excellent cover versions of “Dancing In The Street,” “Playboy” and “Our Day Will Come,” earning Brown a Juno nomination for Most Promising Female Vocalist of the Year. “Any Way You Want,” written by Chicago’s Peter Cetera and included on Brown’s 1976 Stay With Me LP, struck gold, reached number 6 on the singles chart and lead to three consecutive Juno nominations for Female Vocalist of the Year. The Best Of Charity Brown album followed in 1977, and featured several new songs which were all minor hits.

Brown continued touring the night club circuit, and made several television appearances, including guest spots on Anne Murray’s Ladies Night Show in 1978 and on the Gerry and Ziz CBC variety show out of Winnipeg in 1979. A new album’s worth of material was recorded but remained in the vaults (until 2007). She finally retired in 1980, restored her surname to Boltz, and set up a recording studio with ex-husband Ted Purdy (of Canadian rock group Mainline). Her voice was heard again on several animated features, including Rumpelstiltskin and The Velveteen Rabbit, both in 1985.

After a twenty year hiatus, Charity Brown returned with a number of live appearances in Southern Ontario, just as her son, Mike Boltz, entered the music business as drummer with Kitchener’s, Alex Tintinalli Band. She also issued the 2-track Wings of Time album sampler in early 2007, and plans on releasing the full album later in 2008. These days you can find Charity at local jams or rock'n a stage in southern Ontario.