Mel Brown

Mel Brown (October 7, 1939 – March 20, 2009) was an American-born blues guitarist and singer. He is best remembered for his decade-long backing of Bobby Bland,

One of Brown's most celebrated tracks is the 11+ minute guitar solo, "Eighteen Pounds of Unclean Chitlings", which features on I'd Rather Suck My Thumb (1970), and was reissued as the lead track (and title) on a BluesWay Records collection released in 1973. For many years in the 1980s and 1990s, Brown was a prominent member of the house band at Antone's Night Club in Austin, Texas.

A documentary film, Love Lost & Found: The Story of Mel Brown directed by Sean Jasmins for Blue Fusion Productions was granted a theatrical release in 2014.

Visit Mississippi unveiled a Mississippi Blues Trail Marker in Kitchner. The ceremony happening on August 9, 2025 and coincided with the Kitchner Blues Festival.

Discography As leader 1967: Chicken Fat (ABC Impulse!) 1968: The Wizard (ABC Impulse!) 1969: Blues for We (ABC Impulse!) 1970: I'd Rather Suck My Thumb (ABC Impulse!) includes Brown's signature tune, "Eighteen Pounds of Unclean Chitlings" 1971: Mel Brown's Fifth (ABC Impulse!) 1973: Big Foot Country Girl (ABC Impulse!) 1973: Eighteen Pounds of Unclean Chitlins and Other Greasy Blues Specialties (BluesWay) compilation 1998: Can't Stop Blowin' (Electro-Fi) Snooky Pryor with special guest Mel Brown 1999: Neck Bones & Caviar (Electro-Fi) Mel Brown 2000: Double Shot! (Electro-Fi) Snooky Pryor and Mel Brown 2001: Homewreckin’ Done Live (Electro-Fi) Mel Brown and the Homewreckers 2004: Coming From the Old School (Electro-Fi) Sam Myers with special guest Mel Brown 2006: Blues – A Beautiful Thing (Electro-Fi) Mel Brown and the Homewreckers 2006: Mel Brown – The DVD (Electro-Fi) 2010: Love, Lost and Found (Electro-Fi) compilation

As sideman Clifford Coulter – East Side San Jose (Impulse!, 1970) Clifford Coulter – Do It Now! (Impulse!, 1971) B.B. King – L.A. Midnight – Guitar B.B. King and Bobby Blue Bland – Together for the First Time... Live – Guitar Albert Collins – Cold Snap – Guitar James Cotton – Mighty Long Time – Piano Lightnin' Hopkins – It’s a Sin To Be Rich – Guitar, Organ, Electric Piano John Lee Hooker – Endless Boogie – Acoustic Guitar John Lee Hooker – Never Get Out of These Blues Alive – Guitar and Bass Jimmy McGriff – The Starting Five (Milestone, 1987) - Guitar Jimmy McGriff – The Dream Team (Milestone, 1997) – Guitar Doug Sahm – Juke Box Music – Keyboards Earl Hooker – Simply The Best – Guitar Charles Brown – Legend – Guitar T-Bone Walker – Stormy Monday Blues (BluesWay, 1968) T-Bone Walker – Funky Town (BluesWay, 1969) Monica Dupont – Vintage (1980) – Guitar Little Bobby and the Jumpstarts – Tickets in the Glovebox – Piano, Guitar Harmonica Shah – Listen At Me Good – Guitar