Les Brown (politician)

American politician and motivational speaker

For other people with the same name, see Les Brown.

Les Brown

Brown in 2009

Member of the Ohio House of Representatives
from the 29th district
In office
January 3, 1977 – January 3, 1983
Preceded by| William Kopp
Succeeded by| Ray Miller
Personal details
Born|

Leslie Calvin Brown

(1945-02-17) February 17, 1945 (age 80)
Miami, Florida, United States
Political party| Democratic
Spouse|

Gladys Knight

(m. 1995; div. 1997)​

Occupation| Politician, motivational speaker
Website| lesbrown.com

Leslie Calvin Brown (born February 17, 1945) is an American politician and motivational speaker. He was a member of the Ohio House of Representatives from 1977 to 1981.[1]

## Early life

[edit]

Brown was born with his twin brother, Wesley, in Liberty City, a low-income section of Miami, Florida. He was adopted by Mamie Brown, a 38-year-old single woman who worked as a cafeteria attendant and domestic assistant. Brown claims that he was declared "educable mentally retarded" in grade school, which damaged his self-esteem and confidence.[2]

## Professional life

[edit]

According to many of Brown's speeches, when he first decided to get his life into order, he went to a radio station he was repeatedly unsuccessful with his speeches. It was only after the on-air failures of the previous afternoon DJ that he was hired full-time. Upon his termination from the radio station, he ran for election in the Ohio House of Representatives and won. After leaving the Ohio State Legislature, he shifted his career to television and became a host on PBS.[citation needed]

From September to November 1993, he hosted a talk show, The Les Brown Show.[3][4][5]

Brown was on KFWB in California for a daily syndicated radio program from 2011 to 2012.[6]

## Personal life

[edit]

Brown married Gladys Knight in 1995. They divorced in 1997.[7][8]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Leslie C. Brown | Ohio Statehouse". www.ohiostatehouse.org. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
2. ^ "George Washington Williams Room – Legislators". The Ohio Statehouse. Retrieved August 18, 2014.
3. ^ "Less Les? (The Les Brown Show)". HighBeam Research. December 6, 1993. Archived from the original on November 5, 2012.
4. ^ Freeman, Mike (January 3, 1994). "King World Productions replaces 'The Les Brown Show' with 'Rolonda Watts'". HighBeam Research. Archived from the original on November 5, 2012.
5. ^ "Les Brown Quotes". Retrieved August 19, 2023.
6. ^ "Les Brown Exits KFWB". All Access. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
7. ^ Gladys Knight Weds Les Brown. Johnson Publishing Company. October 9, 1995.
8. ^ "Pain and Glory". People. Vol. 48, no. 23. Retrieved November 17, 2017.

## External links

[edit]

* Les Brown at IMDb

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF
* FAST
* WorldCat

National|

* Germany
* United States
* Poland

Other|

* Yale LUX

*[m.]: married
*[div.]: divorced