Dorothy Walker-Brown, 87, a jazz singer who was widely known for her sultry voice and elegant style, died Jan. 19 at her home in West Mt. Airy.
Mrs. Walker-Brown, who used the stage name Chris Eden, was a favorite of night club audiences in Philadelphia, New York City and Wilmington during the 1960s and 1970s.
Born in Coatesville, she was a graduate of Coatesville High School where she began her singing career as a member of the school’s Meister Singers.
While singing and raising a family, Mrs. Walker-Brown found time to write poetry, read history, become active in her church and community and operate her own advertising agency in Center City, Walker Brown & Brown.
She performed in “The Blacks” and “A Raisin in the Sun” at the Allens Lane Art Center in West Mt. Airy.
According to her family, Mrs. Walker-Brown was a gifted cook whose pies and cakes were the highlight of family dinners.
She is survived by her husband of 70 years, Dr. Lewis H. Brown; daughters Myra J. Imani, Candace Brown-Robinson and Tracey Brown-Drake; six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. A son, Elliot Terrence Brown, preceded her in death.
A funeral service was held Jan. 27 at Janes United Methodist Church in Germantown, with interment in Ivy Hill Cemetery. – WF
