Hometown Sounds

It doesn’t seem that long ago, but two and a half years have passed since the untimely departure of Chuck Brown, DC’s Godfather of Go-go. His posthumous release Beautiful Life came out this past summer, and the first music video we got from it was the reflective title track. Brown’s original focus of the song is about being happy with what you’ve got, but the guest verse by Brown’s daughter KK turns it into an uplifting summation of his life and legacy as a performer and colossal cultural figure in DC. The recent passing of Mayor-for-life Marion Barry also comes to mind when watching this video, reminding us what’s changing and how much we’ve lost. This video is such a moving love letter to DC and the fans that continue to make go-go an important part of musical life here. Thanks for everything, Chuck.