catray57

About TJ Brown
Self-taught, T.J. has never had a vocal or guitar lesson. He doesn’t know how to read music, and he has never done anything the “easy way".
Thomas Junior Brown, A/K/A “T.J.", was born in the hills of Kentucky and moved to rural Florida at the tender age of 9. He grew up in a small town and played sports throughout most of his school years.
"As far back as I can remember, I was singing karaoke at family reunions. I was big into country music back then".
Tim McGraw and John Michael Montgomery headed the top of his list of favorite entertainers back in the early 90’s. T.J began writing poetry in 6th grade and got his first guitar in 10th grade which was a gift from his Uncle George. It was a "Samick" acoustic. At that time, T.J. grew more interested in Top 40 music listening to the likes of Sugar Ray and Matchbox 20. By his senior year, T.J.’s focus on sports was replaced by a love and passion of music, partially brought about after his best friend, Richard Carl Wright, took his own life during the end of their junior year.
Working construction by day, writing songs by night and perfecting his craft, T.J. landed his first show at The Big Deck Raw Bar in Cedar Key, Florida at the age of 19. By 20 years of age, he was selling his first studio CD containing his original music and self-promoting it. This project was heavily influenced by John Mayer and the Goo Goo Dolls. That was just the beginning, that booking spawned off a new beginning where T.J. landed shows in Daytona, St. Augustine, Destin, Key West and later, outside Florida and all over the U.S.
In 2008, Brown grew restless, was feeling stagnant and felt a change of scenery might be in order to help grow, regain his focus and reignite his passion and creativity so he decided to move. He didn’t know where to go but decided on Southern California. After one year, and a tremendous amount of soul-searching, T.J. realized that the fast-pace of California was not for him so he returned back to his roots in Chiefland, Florida to focus on his song-writing.
T.J. released his first album on iTunes in 2010. His music reflects all of his experiences and personal growth covering a wide variety of genres. This project showcases how T.J.’s talent, drive and perseverance has lead him to become such an accomplished writer, vocalist and guitarist. These days, T.J. credits artists such as Corey Smith, Jason Mraz, Ryan Adams, James Morrison, old school R&B, Tim McGraw, and Kenny Chesney for inspiration. Although you can pick out a hint of these artists in T.J.s music, T.J. has his own "brand" and is extremely unique.