Raymond Kay Brown

1938 - 2020

Raymond Kay Brown
Longtime local entertainer Raymond Kay Brown passed from COVID complications on 11 Nov 2020. Ray was born 26 Nov 1938 in Paintsville, Kentucky to Jay Frew Brown, a Spanish American War veteran and vaudevillian performer, and Rouie Salyer Brown. Ray was the 10th of 11 children.
Ray joined the US Army in 1955, then later transitioned over to the US Air Force where he became a Combat Controller and served in SE Asia during the early days of the Vietnam War. During his time in the USAF, Ray proudly marched in support of the growing Civil Rights movement to end Segregation.
After separating from the USAF, Ray stayed in the Fort Walton area and became an entertainer. He had honed his piano skills in the Air Force after teaching himself to play piano as a young child. Ray developed a loyal following while playing at local hotspots: Bacon's By The Sea and Carmichael's Surf Side Seven among others. Over the years, Ray's show band built a reputation for their intricate modern harmonies. During a stay in New Orleans, Ray's band was heard by the world renowned innovators of modern jazz vocal styling, the Four Freshmen, coincidentally, one of Ray's favorite groups. When one of their members subsequently retired, Ray was a shoe-in to take his spot. Ray toured the world for several years with The Four Freshmen, a time during which he met and played with many legends such as Bob Hope, Joe Williams, Stan Kenton, Anita O'Day, Max Roach, Buddy Rich, Roger Miller, and Jaco Pastorius.
When he retired from the Freshmen, Ray and his family lived for a few years in Colorado performing at rodeos, Lake Tahoe showrooms and Las Vegas casinos as part of The Lawmen, popular in its day for their western stylings, before moving back to Fort Walton Beach in 1986 where he remained for the rest of his life.
Ray continued to entertain and host numerous radio talk shows over his long career, but also volunteered for local charities and, along with his dear friend and beloved local newspaper columnist Bill Campbell, Ray was the overnight host for the Warner Cable Cancer Cablethon for many years in the 1980s and 90s.
Ray was a cancer survivor from throat cancer in 2006. Although weakened from his health issues, his spirits were never dampened, and enjoyed his retirement drinking beer and playing Buzztime trivia every day with his friends.
Ray is survived by his devoted sisters Loretta and Marty, children Raymond Jr. (Trudi), Travis (Jennifer), and Summer Ray (Clark) and his wonderful grandchildren, Kaitie, Michael, Miranda, Daniel, John, and James.
Thank you to his dear friend, Nancy Garrett Brown and her brothers Bill and Jim Garrett, all of whom Ray remained very close to and who cared for him in the final years of his life.
Bill Garrett remembered Ray's advice, "Don't try to educate your audience. They want to have fun." He was all about pleasing the crowd, which he did till he left us. His nurses and caregivers said how he was always so funny and kind. He pleased his audience till the end. Thank you Emerald Coast Rehab for all your kindness and help.
Due to COVID, there will be no memorial ceremony.