Chelsea Brown
Chelsea Brown | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Lois Brown December 6, 1942 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | March 27, 2017 (aged 74) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1968–2003 |
| Known for | Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, Number 96 and E Street |
| Spouses | Vic Rooney
(m. 1994; died 2002)Kel Hirst (m. 1977–1983) |
Chelsea Brown (born Lois Brown, December 6, 1942 – March 27, 2017) was an American-born actress of television and film, comedian and dancer, who appeared as a regular performer in comedy series Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In. She had a successful career in her native land before emigrating to Australia, where she became well-known mostly for her roles in soap opera/serials including top-rating Number 96 and as Abby Rossiter Patchett on E Street.
Early career in the United States[edit]
Brown was born as Lois Brown in Chicago, Illinois to Mildred and Edward Brown.[1] She appeared in a segment of a first-season episode of Love, American Style titled "Love and the Militant", with fellow Laugh-In alumnus Stu Gilliam. Other guest roles included appearances in Marcus Welby, M.D., Ironside, Matt Lincoln, The Flying Nun, Match Game (in 1974) and, in the UK, The Two Ronnies, singing The Carpenters song "Let Me Be the One".[2] She also appeared in the films Sweet Charity (1969), Dial Hot Line (1970) and The Thing with Two Heads (1972).
Emigration and career in Australia[edit]
Brown met and became engaged to Australian property developer Kelvin Barry Hirst whilst holidaying in Acapulco, Mexico in 1973. Brown emigrated to Australia shortly after that, Hirst became her manager and they were married in 1977. They divorced in the early 1980s.[citation needed] Hirst features as the male vocal on Brown's record Day Dreaming (October 1975). In 1982 Brown released a second album self-titled Chelsea.
Brown became a familiar figure on Australian television, with appearances on Graham Kennedy's Blankety Blanks, Jimmy Hannan's Celebrity Squares plus ongoing roles in soap operas Number 96 (in 1977), The Power, The Passion (1989), in a regular role as the resident restaurant singer and Network Ten's E Street (in 1990–1991) as a nightclub singer who falls for the charms of local publican Ernie Patchett and various advertisements. She had a guest role in the Australian-filmed TV series revival of Mission: Impossible (1988). Film roles in Australia included The Return of Captain Invincible (1982) and Welcome to Woop Woop (1997).
In the mid-1990s, she was married to fellow E Street actor Vic Rooney, who died in 2002, after which she returned to the United States.[3]
Death[edit]
Brown died in her hometown of Chicago, Illinois, March 27, 2017, at the age of 74, from pneumonia.[1]
Filmography[edit]
FILM
| Year | Title | Role | Type |
| 1968 | Head | Belly Dancer (uncredited) | Feature film, US |
| 1969 | Sweet Charity | Dancer (uncredited) | Feature film, US |
| 1972 | The Thing with Two Heads | Lila | Feature film, US |
| 1982 | The Return of Captain Invincible | Tour Guide | Feature film, AUSTRALIA |
| 1997 | Welcome to Woop Woop | Maude | Feature film, AUSTRALIA |
TELEVISION
| Year | Title | Role | Type |
| 1968 | Soul! | Herself | TV special, US |
| 1968–1969 | Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In | Herself – Regular performer | TV series US, 23 episodes |
| 1969 | Liar's Club | Herself | TV series US, 1 episode |
| 1969 | The David Frost Show | Herself – Guest | TV series US, 1 episode |
| 1969 | Della | Herself | TV series US, 1 episode |
| 1969 | The Flying Nun | Paola Guzman | TV series US, 1 episode |
| 1969 | You're Putting Me On | Herself | TV series US, 1 episode |
| 1969 | Love, American Style | Miss Smith (segment "Love and the Militant") | TV series US, 1 episode |
| 1969 | The Match Game | Herself – Team Captain | TV series US, 5 episodes |
| 1969 | Personality | Herself | TV series US, 1 episode |
| 1969–1970 | The Game Game | Herself | TV series US, 2 episodes |
| 1970 | The Real Tom Kennedy Show | Herself – Guest | TV series US, 1 episode |
| 1970 | Dial Hot Line | Gibson | TV movie, US |
| 1970 | Matt Lincoln | Tag | TV series US, 3 episodes |
| 1970 | The Name of the Game | Darlene | TV series US, 1 episode |
| 1970 | The Cliff | Tag | TV movie, US |
| 1971 | Ironside | Nancy Babcock | TV series US, 1 episode |
| 1971 | And They Forgot God | Miss Wallach | TV short, US |
| 1971–1974 | The Mike Douglas Show | Herself – Vocalist / Actress | TV series US, 3 episodes |
| 1971 | Mantrap | Herself | TV series US, 1 episode |
| 1972 | The Two Ronnies | Herself – Guest | TV series UK, 1 episode |
| 1972 | The Rolf Harris Show | Herself – Guest | TV series UK/Germany, 1 episode |
| 1972 | Half the George Kirby Comedy Hour | Herself | TV series US, 1 episode |
| 1972 | Marcus Welby, M.D. | Tallie Hughes | TV series US, 1 episode |
| 1973 | Police Story | Mrs. Mckay | TV series US, 1 episode |
| 1974 | Match Game 73 | Herself – Panelist | TV series US, 5 episodes |
| 1975 | That's My Mama | Joanne Roberts | TV series US, 1 episode |
| 1975 | Bronk | Celeste | TV series US, 1 episode |
| 1975 | The Norman Gunston Show | Herself sings "Make Your Own Kind Of Music" | ABC TV series, 1 episode, AUSTRALIA |
| 1975–1976 | Celebrity Squares | Herself | TV series AUSTRALIA, 29 episodes |
| 1976 | Arena | Barby | TV movie / TV pilot, AUSTRALIA |
| 1976 | Barry Crocker - With A Song In My Heart | Guest - Herself | TV special |
| 1976 | King's Men | Morna | TV series AUSTRALIA, 1 episode |
| 1976 | Ernie | Herself – Guest Singer | TV series AUSTRALIA, 1 episode |
| 1976–1977 | Number 96 | Hope Jackson | TV series AUSTRALIA, 27 episodes |
| 1977 | The Celebrity Game | Herself – Panelist | TV series AUSTRALIA, 2 episodes |
| 1977 | Maggie Eckhardt Hour | Herself – Guest | TV series AUSTRALIA, 1 episode |
| 1977–1978 | Graham Kennedy's Blankety Blanks | Herself – Panelist | TV series AUSTRALIA, 8 episodes |
| 1977 | Number 96: The Final Night | Herself | TV special, AUSTRALIA |
| 1977 | Top of the World | Herself – Guest | TV series NZ, 1 episode |
| 1978; 1980 | The Mike Walsh Show | Guest - Herself | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1978 | Micro Macro | Herself | ABC TV series AUSTRALIA |
| 1980, 1982 | The Mike Walsh Show | Herself - Guest | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1981 | Instant TV | Various Characters | TV pilot |
| 1981 | Channel Nine Celebrates: 25 Years Of Television | Herself in audience | TV special |
| 1982; 1983 | The Mike Walsh Show | Guest - Herself | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1982 | Telethon 1982 | Guest - Herself | TV special |
| 1982 | Hey Hey It's Saturday | Herself sings "Alexander's Ragtime Band" | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1982 | Parkinson In Australia | Herself – Performer | TV series AUSTRALIA, 1 episode |
| 1983; 1984 | The Mike Walsh Show | Guest - Herself | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1984 | The Mike Walsh Show | Guest - Herself | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1987 | Have A Go | Herself – Guest Judge | TV series, 6 episodes |
| 1988,1989 | Mission: Impossible | Ballet teacher / Laura Ann Wilson | TV series US/AUSTRALIA, 2 episodes, Season 1, episode 17: "Reprisal" |
| 1989 | The Power, The Passion | Recurring role: Chanteuse | TV series AUSTRALIA, |
| 1989; 1989 | The Bert Newton Show | Guest - Herself sings "Dancing in the Street" | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1989 | The Bert Newton Show | Guest - Herself with Bruce Ruxton & Delilah | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1989 | In Melbourne Today | Guest - Herself | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1989–1990 | E Street | Abby Rossiter | TV series, AUSTRALIA, 89 episodes |
| 1990 | New Faces | Herself – Guest Judge | TV series AUSTRALIA, 1 episode |
| 1991 | In Sydney Today | Herself – Guest | TV series AUSTRALIA, 1 episode |
| 1991 | Celebrity Wheel Of Fortune | Herself - Contestant with Debbie Byrne & Guy Leech | TV series AUSTRALIA, 1 episode |
| 1991 | Tonight Live with Steve Vizard | Herself – Singer | TV series AUSTRALIA, 1 episode |
| 1992 | The Main Event | Herself | TV series AUSTRALIA, 1 episode |
| 1993–2002 | Good Morning Australia | Herself – Guest / Singer | TV series AUSTRALIA |
| 1994; 1995 | At Home | Guest - Herself | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1995 | At Home | Guest Performer | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1995 | Celebrity Family Feud | Herself - Contestant with Colleen Hewett, Jackie Love, & Jane Scali | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1996 | Midday with Kerri-Anne | Herself – Guest | TV series AUSTRALIA, 1 episode |
| 1997 | Monday to Friday | Herself & Vic Rooney | TV series AUSTRALIA, 1 episode |
| 1997 | Where Are They Now? | Herself – Guest & Johnny Lockwood | TV series AUSTRALIA, 1 episode |
| 2000 | The Morning Shift | Guest - Herself | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2003 | Grass Roots | Stephanie Gruen | ABC TV series AUSTRALIA, 1 episode |
References[edit]
- ^ a b Slotnik, Daniel E. (April 7, 2017). "Chelsea Brown, of 'Laugh-In,' Dies at 74". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 8, 2017.
- ^ "Chelsea Brown". Retrieved 7 April 2017.
- ^ Cashmere, Paul (April 6, 2017). "R.I.P. Laugh-In Star Chelsea Brown 1947–2017". noise11.com. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
External links[edit]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
- 1942 births
- 2017 deaths
- American television personalities
- American women television personalities
- Actresses from Chicago
- 20th-century African-American actresses
- 20th-century American actresses
- American television actresses
- American film actresses
- American women comedians
- Comedians from Chicago
- Deaths from dementia in Illinois
- American emigrants to Australia
- 21st-century African-American people
- 21st-century African-American women
- African-American female comedians