’60s Singer Jewel Brown Dead at 86

Jewel Brown, a talented singer who made a name for herself in the 1960s, has died, according to the Houston Chronicle and ABC13. She was 86.

“It is a special but difficult time for us,” Brown’s family told ABC 13. “We appreciate all the love, the calls, concerns and acknowledgements that all of you have expressed. We know how much Jewel was by the many across the globe, in Texas, in Houston and especially her Third Ward Community. We thank you all!”

No cause of death was listed in the local reports, though they note Brown recently underwent colon cancer treatment.

Brown was a jazz singer who will go down in music history as a collaborator of Louis Armstrong, singing with him under the billing of Louis Armstrong and His All-Star Band. Per AllMusic, Brown, who replaced Velma Middleton, is featured on numerous live recordings of Armstrong concerts recorded in the ’60s. She took a hiatus for several decades before releasing her own material, including the albums Rollercoaster Boogie, Milton Hopkins & Jewel Brown and Thanks for Good Ole’ Music and Memories.

On her official website, Brown also notes her collaborations with Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Sample and Arnett Cobb.