Dear Patrick,
My name is Tim Brown and I have wanted to contact you for a number of years to tell you my story about how you influenced a significant decision in 1982 that would change the lives of now four generations of my family in wondrous ways. I found myself with two twin boys and one of the most critical decisions in my life I needed to make.
My father was a steelworker in Southern, Ohio and did everything posible as I was growing up to see me be the first in our family to attend college. I really had nowhere to go at this juncture in my life but to return to following in my Father’s footsteps as a steelworker. No job on the horizon, and elderly parents, (as I was adopted by my grandparents) weighed heavily on me at the age of 22, yet the circumstances would eventually allow me the blessing of taking care of them until their final days. My wife, Mi Won had just gone through a very tricky pregnancy successfully giving birth to my twin sons with a combined weight of 16 pounds by c-section. She weighed 98 pounds at the time.
I had just been fired from my summer job working in construction work on extremely high buildings the day I had become a father, now I realize it was a blessing as I was pretty clumsy and would of soon either been killed or injured as my mind was already forming as a composer with little more room for thinking of anything else. With no prospects for any financial aid besides the $1000 student loan. I made the decision to leave in our only possession, a Ford Pinto with our 3-week-old twins to Texas. Your acting influenced me greatly, as a composer I knew we were kindred spirits on many levels and I know the importance of the “first moment” of any work of art, and the opening scene of both of you in the red roadster finalized my decision with no turning back, we were to be Texans.
At 12 years old after performing "Rhapsody in Blue" with my thrift store tuxedo and pictured with my Mother, Lucile Brown. A very special moment in our lives.
We were off on our journey, having no real expectations other than a new slate to begin our lives. Our muffler fell off in Nashville, luckily we arrived in one piece in the dust bowl of Denton, Tx. to begin our studies at The University of North Texas, School of Music. Your influence has always been very important to me, as an actor you have the natural ability to become one with the character you portray, I have also strived to write music that is a reflection of my past and unique in a very individual way. The recent passing of Ennio Morricone has allowed for a break in my writing as he was such an influence on my art and I am just now coming to terms with his worldly existence passing to another level.
Our current family as four generations gather for the Holidays at our home. All eventually left New York to become Texans as well. You have changed the world in wonderful ways Patrick with your talents. I am personally grateful that you have such a growing legacy of your work.
And yes, I do have my roadster (Italian, of course) just a little later in life than you and your Mercedes, yet all in God's time.
My Father on the far right, Robert Llewellyn Brown, and me holding a coke bottle in Celina, Ohio in 1963.
With my Warmest Wishes.
Timothy Patrick Brown
timothybrownmusic.com