Founder and Past President LaRue Brown Watson Dies After Long Illness

LaRue Brown Watson

Emma LaRue Brown Watson, widow of trumpet great Clifford Brown and founder of the Clifford Brown Jazz Foundation passed away on Sunday, October 2, 2005 from complications of C.O.P.D. She was 72 years old.

LaRue was born June 26, 1933 in Shreveport, Louisiana. Her parents Maggie Lee Anderson & Christopher Anderson were big proponents of education. In fact both were college graduates (Christopher went on to became an attorney) at a time when most African Americans rarely were allowed to pursue a post high school education. Their passion for education was passed on to their daughter.

After Christopher’s death in 1935 Maggie and LaRue moved to Los Angeles, where LaRue graduated from Jefferson High School and later the University of Southern California with a degree in Music Psychology.

In 1954 LaRue fell in love with and married jazz trumpeter Clifford Brown. LaRue and Clifford had a son Clifford Brown, Jr. Tragically, Clifford Brown was killed in a car accident on June 26, 1956.

In 1960 LaRue fell in love with and married Clarence Watson. They had two children, Adrienne Belinda and Brian Christopher.

LaRue Brown Watson had many accomplishments in her life: she was the first African American model in Los Angeles to work as a talent booker for a major white modeling agency; she helped start the Los Angeles Jazz Heritage Foundation’s program to introduce jazz to children; started an instrument loan program for underprivileged children; founded the Clifford Brown Jazz Foundation; was instrumental in working with Herb Alpert to create the Clifford Brown – Stan Getz Fellowship which provides four to five complete academic scholarships to a university each year; received the 1999 International Association of Jazz Education Humanitarian Award given annually to one whose love for teaching transcends the usual academic environment and who, over the past 20 or more years, has helped to perpetuate jazz;  and in 2004 was honored by the Jazz Journalist Association of America for her special strength in raising the profile and effectiveness of jazz.

For the last 4 ½ years of her life LaRue suffered with C.O.P.D, but never complained. She continued to enjoy live jazz performances and her work with the Clifford Brown Jazz Foundation.

LaRue is survived by her children Clifford Brown, Jr., Adrienne Traywick and Brian Watson, her son-in-law Clarence Traywick, daughters-in-love Pat Thomas and Rachel Anderson, grandchildren Clifford Brown III, Patrice Thomas, Sherita Jackson, Kanika Traywick and Tawny Brown, many cousins including Juanita Lyons, Opel Locke and Leon Douglas who were like her sisters and brother, plus many loving nephews, nieces and friends.