Biography

Early life
Brown was born and raised in the small town of Tappahannock, Virginia, the son of Joyce Hawkins and Clinton Brown.[11][12] He began dancing at the age of two.[13] He was influenced by the artists his parents played on the home radio, such as Michael Jackson, Sam Cooke, Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, Anita Baker and Aretha Franklin.[11] Before becoming a vocalist, he was interested in becoming a rapper, but became a vocalist when his mother pointed out his singing voice.[11]

From the ages seven to thirteen, Brown was scarred by the domestic violence his mother endured from her boyfriend.[14]

At the age of thirteen, Brown and his mother began looking for opportunities of a record deal.[11] He was discovered by a local production team who visited his father's gas station searching for new talent.[13] At the age of 15, Brown was then sent to perform for L.A. Reid and was subsequently signed in 2004 to Jive Records.[12] By early 2005, Brown began work for his debut album, working with the likes of Scott Storch, The Underdogs, Dre & Vidal, Bryan-Michael Cox, Bow Wow, and Jermaine Dupri.