Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown

Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown (born 1924 in Vinton, Louisiana; died 2005 in Orange, Texas) was a fiercely independent multi-instrumentalist who refused to be confined to a single genre. Raised in Texas, Brown utilized the guitar and the fiddle as his primary instruments, weaving elements of swing, Cajun, bluegrass, and jazz into his foundation of Texas blues. Discovered by Don Robey at the Bronze Peacock club in Houston, Brown became the foundational artist for Peacock Records in the late 1940s and 1950s. Tracks like "Okie Dokie Stomp" showcased his blazing, horn-like guitar runs and distinctive fretwork, establishing him as a prominent regional rival to T-Bone Walker. Brown actively rejected the "blues musician" label, consistently resisting any single-genre label.