Drew Bundini Brown
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Drew Bundini Brown (March 21, 1928 - September 24, 1987) was an assistant trainer and cornerman of Muhammad Ali throughout the former heavyweight champion's career,[1] as well as occasional film actor.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Personal life
Brown was born in Florida and joined the Navy as a messboy at age 13. Discharged two years later, he returned to the United States Merchant Marine, and spent 12 years traveling the world. He later became part of Sugar Ray Robinson's entourage.[2]
Brown was married to Rhoda Palestine Brown. They had one son, Drew Brown III who joined the United states Navy, became a fighter pilot and won numerous awards for his service [3] An African American, he was a convert to Judaism. According to the autobiography of singer Ruth Brown (no relation) [4], he was also the true father of her son Ronald David Jackson ("Ronnie"), though he was unaware of this during the boy's childhood.
[edit] Career with Ali
Brown joined Ali's entourage in 1963,[5] when the boxer was known as Cassius Clay, and remained with him until his final fight in 1981.[6]
Brown was also one of Ali's speech writers. He wrote certain poems, such as coining Ali's famous and oft quoted :
"Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.
Your hands can't hit what your eyes can't see."
that he used to taunt Sonny Liston at the press conference prior to his February 25, 1964 victory over the WBA and WBC champion to claim both titles.[7]
In the 2001 Michael Mann directed movie Ali starring Will Smith and Jamie Foxx playing Ali and Brown a scene has Ali kicking Brown out of his entourage for a time after Brown admits selling one of Ali's championship belts on the street for $500 to support his drinking habit. Brown later shows up at a gym where Ali is training and begs forgiveness and Ali to take him back after getting clean. Ali relents and starts Brown's poem "Float like a butterfly", Brown joins in and the two finish in unison.
[edit] Filmography
[edit] Actor
- Penitentiary III (1987) .... Sugg/Inmate #2
- The Color Purple (1985) .... Jook Joint Patron
- Aaron Loves Angela (1975) .... Referee
- Shaft's Big Score! (1972) .... Willy
- Shaft (1971) .... Willy
[edit] Self
- When We Were Kings (1996) (uncredited) .... Himself
- Doin' Time (1985) .... Himself (special appearance)
- Muhammad and Larry (1980) .... Himself
- The Greatest (1977) .... Himself
- "Am laufenden Band" (1976) .... Himself (1 TV episode, dated 22 May 1976 .... Himself
[edit] Archive footage
- Beat This!: A Hip Hop History (1984) (TV) .... Himself
- A.k.a. Cassius Clay (1970) .... Himself
[edit] References
- ^ DREW (BUNDINI) BROWN - New York Times
- ^ Drew Bundini Brown. A Collction of un-published original manuscrpts written by Drew Bundini Brown
- ^ http:www.drewbrown.net/bio.html .<ref>[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DEFD91530F935A1575AC0A961948260 DREW (BUNDINI) BROWN - New York Times<!-- Bot generated title -->]</li> <li id="cite_note-3">'''[[#cite_ref-3|^]]''' "Miss Rhythm" by Ruth Brown and Andrew Yule, 1996</li> <li id="cite_note-4">'''[[#cite_ref-4|^]]''' http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:Er34rNXW1hEJ:everything2.com/index.pl%3Fnode%3DMuhammad%2520Ali+Drew+Bundini+Brown+%22cassius+clay%22&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=18</li> <li id="cite_note-5">'''[[#cite_ref-5|^]]''' [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DEFD91530F935A1575AC0A961948260 DREW (BUNDINI) BROWN - New York Times<!-- Bot generated title -->]</li> <li id="cite_note-6">'''[[#cite_ref-6|^]]''' [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DEFD91530F935A1575AC0A961948260 DREW (BUNDINI) BROWN - New York Times<!-- Bot generated title -->]</li></ol></ref>
