Uncrowned Community Builders

A native Buffalonian, Brown was the son of Elijah and Sarah Watts Brown. He began his musical career at the age of 7 at his church, St. John Baptist Church. Andrew Brown was a tenor soloist, who became the church's minister of music in 1955. He organized a hundred-voice choir and personally established concert series as well as composing popular and renowned spiritual songs such as "My Prayer to Thee," "In Jesus' Name," "Come and Go with Me to My Father's House" and "Lord, Lord."

Brown was also involved locally and elsewhere in organizing, establishing and conducting church choirs while promoting his love of gospel music. He was a musician and composer, who wrote and arranged songs for choirs across the country.

He worked as an instructor of music at Buffalo State College where he became the director of the Pilot Musical Experiment Program in Gospel Music in 1967. Due to the program's success, it was instituted into the College's curriculum the following year. He directed the annual "Gospel Festival Comes to College" and remained active in teaching and community groups until his death in 1977.

In 1978, a Memorial Scholarship Fund was established in memory of Andrew Brown, the first director of Buffalo State College All-College Choir, by Dr. Joseph Wincenc, Distinguished Teaching Professor Emeritus, of the Buffalo State College Performing Arts Department.

Brown is quoted as saying that " a man's main purpose in life should be to aid and administer to his fellow man." He also said, "If I, through singing praises to God, I can touch the soul of just one person, then my work is not in vain." He was married to Harriet Williams Brown and had three children; Darren, Diane and Paulette.
He is buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo, NY.