There was plenty of time to dream in the sleepy little town of Tappahannock, Virginia where Christopher Maurice Brown grew up. Michael Jackson and Sam Cooke, some of Brown's earliest influences, seemed miles away when they performed through the speakers of his parents' stereo. Practicing moves and singing along, Chris Brown danced in his living room and the corners of his father's gas station hoping one day he would get a shot at joining the ranks of the rappers and pop artists that entertained him during his early years. At the early age of eleven, Brown's vocal talents became apparent as his ability to rap and dance.

Chris Brown

Follow your dreams. Just make sure you have some fun too.

Small Town Gold

There was plenty of time to dream in the sleepy little town of Tappahannock, Virginia where Christopher Maurice Brown grew up. Michael Jackson and Sam Cooke, some of Brown's earliest influences, seemed miles away when they performed through the speakers of his parents' stereo. Practicing moves and singing along, Chris Brown danced in his living room and the corners of his father's gas station hoping one day he would get a shot at joining the ranks of the rappers and pop artists that entertained him during his early years. At the early age of eleven, Brown's vocal talents became apparent as his ability to rap and dance.

Early Auditions

Chris Brown first got the notice of talent agents at the age of thirteen when he gave his first audition at his father's gas station. From then on, his life and career began to take shape and he moved to New York in an attempt to make dreams become reality. After moving to New York, Brown began auditioning and practicing with a local company and got his first big break in front of the vice president of Def Jam, Tina Davis, who still to this day manages his performing affairs. At the young age of fifteen his potential was instantly recognized by Davis who then sent him to perform for the Grammy Award winning record executive L.A. Reid. After this performance, his ability was undeniable and he was signed by Jive Records and began work on his first album in early of 2005.

Gaining Ground

In late fall of 2004, Chris Brown made the decision to leave school to further his career in the music industry, focusing on his debut album that was to be released later on November 29, 2005. Upon its release, Brown's success was inevitable when his album opened at number two on the Billboard 200 charts, selling over 150,000 copies within the first week of release. In only five weeks, the album Chris Brown, gained the ever so sought out listing of platinum and one year later held the mighty title of double platinum.

Brown's first single titled Run It gained notoriety in the U.S., New Zealand, and Australia where it sat atop the charts listed at number one. Following the smash hit Run it, the release of his second single became a top twenty hit as well but not quite as fast as his first. Yo (Excuse Me Miss) made its way up the charts topping out at number seven in the U.S., reaching number thirteen in the U.K., and eventually attaining platinum status as documented by the RIAA. As Brown's album and singles gained momentum, other artists in the industry began to take notice and his third released single, Gimme That, features the creative remix by Lil Wayne. Some of Brown's music may be available as free music downloads or at minimum internet screening.

Temper Tantrum Turned Violent

The attention surrounding Chris Brown and his sky rocketing career caught the eyes of many, but his own eyes were filled with stars until caught a glimpse of Robin Fenty a.k.a Rihanna. Brown and Rihanna fused with one another just as their music did with their many fans and were touted by many as pop music's hottest couple who were scheduled to set the 2009 Grammies on fire. That was the idea, but as life has its strange ways, history had its own plans. On Sunday February 8, 2009, the LAPD responded to a 911 call and found Rihanna the victim of a domestic dispute that got physical.

Later that day Chris Brown turned himself in to the Los Angeles Police Department and was arrested on charges of felonious communication of threats and could possibly be prosecuted on many other charges pending the discretion of Los Angeles' office of the district attorney. Eventually, the charges against Brown were lessened and he would not serve time in jail but was sentenced to a probationary period of five years and community service through a plea deal negotiated by his lawyer, the infamous Mark Geragos, an attorney who has represented many high profile cases.

As Time Goes By