Biography
Young Tiger played a pivotal role in shaping the calypso sound that flourished across London in the aftermath of World War II. Although he never fit the strict definition of a calypsonian, he belonged to the initial wave of Caribbean musicians who relocated to Great Britain, and his sessions for the pioneering Melodisc imprint left a lasting mark on the wave of performers who followed. Born Edric Browne in Port of Spain, Trinidad, on May 4, 1920, he absorbed the African spiritual practices of Shango and Shouting from an early age. Access to the personal library of family friend Richard E. Braithwaite exposed him to black history and activism, prompting him later to adopt the name George E. Browne as a tribute to his guide. At age twenty he joined the crew of a Norwegian oil tanker; after a short period in Australia he established himself in Scotland during 1941.
While attending a dancehall event in Glasgow he connected with fellow Trinidadian expatriates who urged him to head for London. After arriving he secured a role in a minstrel production at Westminster’s Central Hall, then joined the ensemble of a West End revival of Show Boat. He subsequently assembled his own vocal ensemble, deploying his resonant baritone on interpretations of American pop successes. Having departed Trinidad prior to the full emergence of the steel bands that defined calypso, he nonetheless incorporated aspects of their style into his work, most notably composing the seasonal favorite “Christmas Calypso” in 1943. He also adopted calypso’s tradition of social commentary; while performing with a rhumba ensemble at the Orchid Room he spontaneously added verses praising guest Prince Philip. Management reacted with alarm, yet additional members of the royal family attended in force the next evening; Browne ultimately discarded the number to avoid further repercussions.
He continued as a fixture of London nightlife, helping establish the vocal trio Three Just Men alongside Bermuda native Ken Gordon and crossing paths with jazz figures such as Duke Ellington and Charlie Parker. Following a solo tour of Paris he returned to London in 1951 and worked with bandleader Humphrey Lyttleton. Signing with Melodisc—the first British company devoted to Caribbean music—in 1952, he introduced himself via a version of calypso singer Tiger’s “Single Man,” after which label executives bestowed the name Young Tiger. The 1953 release “Calypso Be,” a pointed commentary on bebop aesthetics, became one of the genre’s landmark recordings, yet wider attention arrived later that year with “I Was There,” which captured his eyewitness account of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation. He soon shifted focus to jazz, reuniting with longtime associate and mentor Lauderic Caton at the Soho venue Club du Faubourg while regularly appearing at Oxford and Cambridge university balls.
In 1957 he assembled the choir the Humming Birds and took part in the rock & roll film Rock You Sinners. Throughout the 1960s he concentrated on theater, performing with the National Theatre and Stratford’s Theatre Royal. During 1966 he portrayed Jesus Christ in a passion play staged at Senegal’s First World Festival of Negro Arts. He retired from music entirely in 1970, launching a London restaurant and health club. When rising rents ended the venture he relocated to the United States, first settling in Florida and then California, where he pursued studies in computer science. Eventually he returned to London and delivered a celebrated live performance on October 26, 2006, marking the Honest Jon’s release of the calypso anthology London Is the Place for Me, Vol. 2. Browne died March 23, 2007, at the age of 82.
While attending a dancehall event in Glasgow he connected with fellow Trinidadian expatriates who urged him to head for London. After arriving he secured a role in a minstrel production at Westminster’s Central Hall, then joined the ensemble of a West End revival of Show Boat. He subsequently assembled his own vocal ensemble, deploying his resonant baritone on interpretations of American pop successes. Having departed Trinidad prior to the full emergence of the steel bands that defined calypso, he nonetheless incorporated aspects of their style into his work, most notably composing the seasonal favorite “Christmas Calypso” in 1943. He also adopted calypso’s tradition of social commentary; while performing with a rhumba ensemble at the Orchid Room he spontaneously added verses praising guest Prince Philip. Management reacted with alarm, yet additional members of the royal family attended in force the next evening; Browne ultimately discarded the number to avoid further repercussions.
He continued as a fixture of London nightlife, helping establish the vocal trio Three Just Men alongside Bermuda native Ken Gordon and crossing paths with jazz figures such as Duke Ellington and Charlie Parker. Following a solo tour of Paris he returned to London in 1951 and worked with bandleader Humphrey Lyttleton. Signing with Melodisc—the first British company devoted to Caribbean music—in 1952, he introduced himself via a version of calypso singer Tiger’s “Single Man,” after which label executives bestowed the name Young Tiger. The 1953 release “Calypso Be,” a pointed commentary on bebop aesthetics, became one of the genre’s landmark recordings, yet wider attention arrived later that year with “I Was There,” which captured his eyewitness account of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation. He soon shifted focus to jazz, reuniting with longtime associate and mentor Lauderic Caton at the Soho venue Club du Faubourg while regularly appearing at Oxford and Cambridge university balls.
In 1957 he assembled the choir the Humming Birds and took part in the rock & roll film Rock You Sinners. Throughout the 1960s he concentrated on theater, performing with the National Theatre and Stratford’s Theatre Royal. During 1966 he portrayed Jesus Christ in a passion play staged at Senegal’s First World Festival of Negro Arts. He retired from music entirely in 1970, launching a London restaurant and health club. When rising rents ended the venture he relocated to the United States, first settling in Florida and then California, where he pursued studies in computer science. Eventually he returned to London and delivered a celebrated live performance on October 26, 2006, marking the Honest Jon’s release of the calypso anthology London Is the Place for Me, Vol. 2. Browne died March 23, 2007, at the age of 82.
Albums
Singles
