Tyrone Brunson (musician)

Tyrone Brunson (born Calvin Tyrone Brunson; March 22, 1956 – May 25, 2013)[1][2] was an American singer and musician, who played the bass guitar. One of his most successful singles was an electro-funk instrumental titled "The Smurf" (1982), which reached #14 on the Billboard R&B chart in 1983 and led to further dance records about The Smurfs.[3]

Tyrone Brunson
Birth nameCalvin Tyrone Brunson
Also known asTy Brunson, Tystick
Born(1956-03-22)March 22, 1956
Washington, D.C., U.S.
DiedMay 25, 2013(2013-05-25) (aged 57)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
GenresR&B, electro, funk, soul
Occupation(s)Singer, musician
InstrumentsBass, keyboards, vocals
Years active1970s–1993
LabelsBelieve In a Dream, MCA
Associated actsThe Family, Osiris

Life and career

Calvin Tyrone Brunson was born in Washington, D.C.. In his early career he played is several local groups. He was the leader of the mid-1970s funk band The Family. Later he was the bassist for the late-1970s funk band Osiris. His first single, "The Smurf", released in the UK on the Mercury Records label, entered the UK singles chart on December 25, 1982, and reached #52; it remained in the chart for 5 weeks.[4] "The Smurf" appeared on Brunson's debut studio album, Sticky Situation. In 1983, the follow-up U.S. single, the album's title track, reached #25 on the R&B chart.[5] In 1984, Brunson released his second studio album, Fresh. While the title track reached #22 on the R&B chart,[5] no other singles made a significant dent on the chart. In 1984, Brunson released his third studio album, Love Triangle, but with no successful singles, the album fizzled on the charts. Later on, Brunson was a backing vocalist, most notably for the R&B/pop trio Levert.[6]

After leaving the music business in the 1990s, he became an IT instructor.

Tyrone Brunson died on May 25, 2013 in Washington, D.C., at the age of 57.[1][2]

Discography

Albums
  • Sticky Situation (Believe In a Dream, 1983)
  • Fresh (Believe In a Dream, 1984)
  • The Method (MCA, 1986)
  • Love Triangle (MCA, 1987)

Singles
Year Song US R&B[5] US Dance[5] UK[7]
1982 "Sticky Situation" 25 — —
"The Smurf" b/w "I Need Love" 14 35 52
1983 "Hot Line" 70 — —
1984 "Fresh" 22 — —
"Don't You Want It" b/w "In Love With You" — — —
1986 "The Method" — — —
1987 "Love Triangle" (featuring Gayle Adams) b/w "Free Bee" — — —
1988 "Say Yeah" — — —
"The Big Payback" (featuring Desi Dez) — — —
1993 "All of Me" (featuring Chanelle) — 33 —

References
  1. "Respect 2013". Soulwalking.co.uk. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
  2. "Tyrone Brunson Obituary". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
  3. "The Smurfs". Vibe. Vibe Media Group. 11 (No. 8): 164. August 2003. ISSN 1070-4701. Retrieved October 7, 2009.
  4. Rice, Tim; Rice, Jonathan; Gambaccini, Paul (1990), Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums, Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness World Records and Guinness Publishing, ISBN 0-85112-398-8
  5. "Tyrone Brunson Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography". Music VF. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  6. Wynn, Ron. "Artist Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  7. "TYRONE BRUNSON - full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
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