Official Biography (courtesy of Aaron Parnell Brown)
Aaron Parnell Brown’s bold sensitivity as a vocalist and performer has garnered him favorable comparisons to Donny Hathaway, Stevie Wonder, and John Legend. The Philadelphia-based artist draws from his hometown’s distinguished heritage of Philly Soul, while at the same time incorporating influences from great songwriters such as John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and James Taylor.
His captivating solo acoustic performances and incendiary full-band outings have helped him build an impressive profile among audiences and critics alike. The past few years have seen Brown win the 2014 Soul Artist of the Year Award in Philadelphia, win an Independent Music Award for his song “A Beating Heart,” kick-off WXPN’s acclaimed XPoNential Festival (featuring artists such as Wilco, Bob Dylan, Beck, Lake Street Dive, and Jose James), and be named as one of NPR Music’s 10 Artists You Should Have Known in 2012. Bruce Warren, WXPN Program Director, raves: “Singer-songwriter Aaron (Parnell) Brown is an exciting new name to add to the lineage of the city’s expressive and emotionally intense soul singers.”
Brown, formerly performing under the name Aaron & The Spell, recently made a bold change to perform under his given name, saying … “I recently got back from a trip visiting my grandmother at her farm in North Florida and while I was there I had a chance to reflect on all the lessons she taught me growing up and the one that really stood out in my mind was her telling me…’be authentic in who you are and be sincere in what you do.’ As a musician and songwriter I always strive to live up to those ideals, so once I got home and began to think about my new unreleased album I’ve created and the personal nature and delivery of many of the songs, I knew it was the right time to officially change my name from Aaron & The Spell to “Aaron Parnell Brown. The name change is a reflection of who I am today and the journey it’s taken to get here. Additionally, by performing under my given name I am honoring my past and future and it allows me to live my grandmother’s wish and my own ideals of being authentic in who I am and sincere in what I do. “
