| American motivational speaker, author, radio DJ, television host and politician Date of Birth: 17.02.1945 Country: USA |
Leslie Kelvin "Les" Brown was born on February 17, 1945, along with his twin brother, Wesley, in an abandoned building in a poor area of Miami, Florida. He was later put up for adoption, and his adoptive mother, Mamie Brown, took him in when he was just a child. Mamie, a 38-year-old cafeteria worker and housemaid, played a crucial role in Les' upbringing, providing support and encouragement. Despite being labeled as a "slow learner," Les overcame his self-esteem issues and fully realized his potential with the help of his adoptive mother and a dedicated teacher from his middle school.
According to Les Brown's numerous speeches, he initially aspired to build a career in public radio. He made occasional appearances on a local radio station in an attempt to break through, but success eluded him. Eventually, Les secured a permanent position as a radio talent when he was given the opportunity to replace one of the daytime DJs. From there, he smoothly transitioned into politics and ran for the House of Representatives in Ohio. He won the election and went on to participate in the making of federal laws. After leaving the state legislature, Les Brown once again changed direction and ventured into television. He eventually became associated with PBS (Public Broadcasting Service), a non-profit American broadcasting service.
In addition to his other endeavors, Les Brown established the company "Les Brown Enterprises" to develop his career as a motivational speaker. He hosted a syndicated daily radio show on KFWB in Los Angeles from 2011 to 2012. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Leslie received numerous local and national awards for his outstanding achievements, including an Emmy. He also served as a juror on the "Peabody Awards" jury from 1982 to 1988. In 1993, Les became the host of a new talk show, "The Les Brown Show," which premiered on September 6. The show ran for almost four months before taking a hiatus on December 3, 1993. The following year, on January 17, 1994, the production company "King World Productions" replaced "The Les Brown Show" with the daytime talk show, "Rolonda," hosted by Rolonda Watts.
Les Brown married soul singer Gladys Knight in 1995. However, their marriage ended in 1997. Les has nine children: Calvin, Patrick, Ayanna, Ona Brown, Ted, Talia, Sumaya, Serena, and John Leslie.
In 1989, Les Brown received the "Council of Peers Award of Excellence" from the National Speakers Association. In 1991, he won a regional Emmy award for his program "You Deserve with Les Brown." The following year, Leslie was chosen by the non-profit educational organization "Toastmasters International" as one of the top five American speakers.