Chelsea Brown
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.
Chelsea Brown | |
---|---|
Born | Lois Brown December 6, 1942 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
Died | March 27, 2017 74) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | (aged
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) |
Early career in the United States
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
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. 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
Brown died in her hometown of Chicago, Illinois, March 27, 2017, at the age of 74, from pneumonia.[1]
Filmography
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 Millitant") | 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 | 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 | Micro Macro | Herself | ABC TV series AUSTRALIA |
1981 | Instant TV | Various Characters | TV pilot |
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 |
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 | Restaurant Singer | TV series AUSTRALIA, |
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 | 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 |
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 | TV series AUSTRALIA, 1 episode |
2003 | Grass Roots | Stephanie Gruen | ABC TV series AUSTRALIA, 1 episode |
References
- 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.