Les Brown and his twin brother were adopted by Mamie Brown, a kitchen worker and maid, shortly after their birth in a poverty-stricken Miami neighborhood.
Because of his hyperactivity and nonstop jabber, Les was placed in special education CLAsSes for the learning disabled in grade school and throughout high school. Upon graduation, he became a city sanitation worker in Miami Beach. But he had a dream of being a disc jockey.
At night he would take a transistor radio to bed where he listened to the local jive-talking deejays. He created an imaginary radio station in his tiny room with its torn vinyl flooring. A hairbrush served as his microphone as he practiced his patter, introducing records to his ghost listeners.
His mother and brother could hear him through the thin walls and would shout at him to quit flapping his jaws and go to sleep. But Les didn’t listen to them. He was wrapped up in his own world, living a dream.
One day Les boldly went to the local radio station during his lunch break from mowing grass for the city. He got into the station manager’s office and told him he wanted to be a disc jockey.
The manager eyed this disheveled young man in overalls and a straw hat and inquired, “Do you have any background in broadcasting?”
Les replied, “No sir, I don’t.”
“Well, son, I’m afraid we don’t have a job for you then.”
Les thanked him politely and left. The station manager assumed that he had seen the last of this young man. But he underestimated the depth of Les Brown’s commitment to his goal. You see, Les had a higher purpose than simply wanting to be a disc jockey. He wanted to buy a nicer house for his adoptive mother, whom he loved deeply. The disc jockey job was merely a step toward his goal.
Mamie Brown had taught Les to pursue his dreams, so he felt sure that he would get a job at that radio station in spite of what the station manager had said.
And so Les returned to the station every day for a week, asking if there were any job openings. Finally the station manager gave in and took him on as an errand boy — at no pay. At first, he fetched coffee or picked up lunches and dinner for the deejays who could not leave the studio. Eventually his enthusiasm for their work won him the confidence of the disc jockeys who would send him in their Cadillacs to pick up visiting celebrities such as the Temptations and Diana Ross and the Supremes. Little did any of them know that young Les did not have a driver’s license.
Les did whatever was asked of him at the station - and more. While hanging out with the deejays, he taught himself their hand movements on the control panel. He stayed in the control rooms and soaked up whatever he could until they asked him to leave. Then, back in his bedroom at night, he practiced and prepared himself for the opportunity that he knew would present itself.
One Saturday afternoon while Les was at the station, a deejay named Rock was drinking while on the air. Les was the only other person in the building, and he realized that Rock was drinking himself toward trouble. Les stayed close. He walked back and forth in front of the window in Rock’s booth. As he prowled, he said to himself. “Drink, Rock, drink!”
Les was hungry, and he was ready. He would have run down the street for more booze if Rock had asked. When the phone rang, Les pounced on it. It was the station manager, as he knew it would be.
“Les, this is Mr. Klein.”
“Yes,” said Les. “I know.”
“Les, I don’t think Rock can finish his program.”
“Yes sir, I know.”
“Would you call one of the other deejays to come in and take over?”
“Yes, sir. I sure will.”
But when Les hung up the telephone, he said to himself, “Now, he must think I’m crazy.”
Les did dial the telephone, but it wasn’t to call in another deejay. He called his mother first, and then his girlfriend. “You all go out on the front porch and turn up the radio because I’m about to come on the air!” he said.
He waited about 15 minutes before he called the general manager. “Mr. Klein, I can’t find nobody,” Les said.
Mr. Klein then asked, “Young man, do you know how to work the controls in the studio?”
“Yes sir,” replied Les.
Les darted into the booth, gently moved Rock aside and sat down at the turntable. He was ready. And he was hungry. He flipped on the microphone switch and said, “Look out! This is me LB, triple P — Les Brown, Your Platter Playing Poppa. There were none before me and there will be none after me. Therefore, that makes me the one and only. Young and single and love to mingle. Certified, bona fide, indubitably qualified to bring you satisfaction, a whole lot of action. Look out, baby, I’m your lo-o-ove man.”
Because of his preparation, Les was ready. He vowed the audience and his general manager. From that fateful beginning, Les went on to a successful career in broadcasting, politics, public speaking and television.
Look Out, Baby, I’m Your Love Man
萊斯-布朗和他的雙胞胎兄弟出生在邁阿密一個非常貧困的社區，出生後不久就被幫廚女工梅米-布朗收養了。
由於萊斯非常好動，又含含糊糊地説個不停，所以他國小就被安排進一個專門為學習有障礙的學生開設的特教班，直到高中畢業。畢業以後，他成了邁阿密灘的一名城市環衞工人。但他卻一直夢想成為一名電台音樂節目主持人。
每天晚上，他都要把他的晶體管收音機抱到牀上，聽本地電台的音樂節目主持人談論搖擺樂。就在他那間狹小的、鋪着已經破損的地板革的房間裏，他創建了一個假想的電台——用一把梳子當麥克風，他念經一般喋喋不休地練習用行話向他的“影子”聽眾介紹唱片。
透過薄薄的牆壁，他母親和兄弟都能聽到他的聲音，於是，就會對他大吼大叫，讓他別再耍嘴皮子而去睡覺。但是，萊斯根本就不理睬他們，他已經完全沉醉在自己的世界裏，努力想要實現他的夢想。
一天，萊斯利用在市區割草的午休時間，勇敢地來到了本地電台。他走進經理辦公室，説他想成為一名流行音樂節目主持人。
經理打量着眼前這位頭戴草帽、衣衫不整的年輕人，然後問道：“你有廣播方面的背景嗎？”
萊斯答道：“我沒有，先生。”
“那麼，孩子，恐怕我們這兒沒有適合你的工作。”
於是，萊斯非常有禮貌地向他道了謝，然後就離去了。經理以為再也不會見到這個年輕人了。然而，他低估了萊斯·布朗對自己理想的投入程度。要知道，萊斯還有比成為一名音樂節目主持人更高的目標——他要為他深愛的養母買一幢更好的房子。電台音樂節目主持人的工作只不過是他邁向這個目標的一步而已。
梅米·布朗曾經教萊斯要去追尋自己的夢想，因此，萊斯覺得無論電台經理怎麼説，他都一定會在這家電台找到一份工作。
於是，萊斯連續一週天天都到這家電台去，詢問是否有職位空缺。最後，電台經理終於讓步了，決定僱他跑跑腿，但沒有薪水。剛開始的時候，萊斯的工作是為那些不能離開播音室的主持人們取咖啡或者是去買午餐和晚餐。正是由於萊斯對工作的積極熱情，使他終於贏得了音樂節目主持人的信任，他們讓他開着他們的卡迪拉克車去接電台邀請來的一些名人，像誘惑合唱團、黛安娜·羅斯，還有至高無上樂隊等等。他們沒人知道年輕的萊斯竟然沒有汽車駕駛執照。
在電台裏，無論人們讓他做什麼，萊斯都會去做——有時候甚至做得更多。整日和主持人們待在一起，他自學着他們的手在控制面板上的動作。他總是儘量呆在控制室裏，潛心學習，直到他們讓他離開。晚上回到自己的卧室，他就認真投入地進行練習，為他確信一定會到來的機遇做好準備。
一個星期六的下午，萊斯還在電台裏，有一位叫羅克的主持人一邊播着音，一邊喝着酒。而此時，整個大樓裏除了他就只有萊斯一個人了。萊斯意識到：照這樣下去，羅克一定會喝出問題的。萊斯密切注意着，在羅克的演播室窗前來來回回地踱着步，還不停地自言自語：“喝吧，羅克，喝啊!”
萊斯躍躍欲試，而且他早就為此做好了準備！如果此刻羅克讓他去買酒的話，他會衝到街上去給他買更多的酒。正在這時，電話鈴響了，萊斯立刻衝過去，拿起聽筒。果不出萊斯所料，正是電台經理打來的。
“萊斯，我是克萊恩先生。”
“嗯，我知道，”萊斯答道。
“萊斯，我看羅克是不能把他的節目堅持到底了。”
“是的，先生。”
“你能打電話通知其他主持人，讓他們誰過來接替羅克嗎?”
“好的，先生，我一定會辦好的。”
但是，萊斯一掛斷電話，就自言自語道：“馬上，他就會認為我一定是瘋了!”
萊斯確實打了電話，但卻並沒有打給其他主持人。他先打電話給他媽媽，然後是他女朋友。
“你們快到外面的前廊去，打開收音機，因為，我就要開始播音了！”他説。
等了大約15分鐘，他給經理打了個電話。“克萊恩先生，我一個主持人也找不到，”他説。
“小夥子，你會操作演播室裏的控制鍵嗎?”克萊恩先生問道。
“我會，先生，”他答道。
萊斯箭一般地衝進演播室，輕輕地把羅克移到一邊，坐在了錄音轉播台前。他準備好了！並早就渴望這個機會來臨。他輕輕打開麥克風開關，説：“注意了！我是萊斯·布朗，人稱唱片播放大叔，可以説是前無古人，後無來者，因此，我是舉世無雙，天下惟一。我年紀輕輕，單身一人，喜歡和大家在一起傾聽音樂，品味生活。我的能力是經過鑑定的，絕對真實可靠，一定能夠帶給你們一檔豐富多彩的節目，讓你們滿意。注意了，寶貝，我就是你們最喜愛的人！”
有了精心準備，萊斯才能如此從容。他贏得了聽眾和總經理的心！從那改變一生的機遇起，萊斯開始了在廣播、政治、演講和電視等方面的成功的職業生涯
Les Brown and his twin brother were adopted by Mamie Brown, a kitchen worker and maid, shortly after their birth in a poverty-stricken Miami neighborhood.
Because of his hyperactivity and nonstop jabber, Les was placed in special education CLAsSes for the learning disabled in grade school and throughout high school. Upon graduation, he became a city sanitation worker in Miami Beach. But he had a dream of being a disc jockey.
At night he would take a transistor radio to bed where he listened to the local jive-talking deejays. He created an imaginary radio station in his tiny room with its torn vinyl flooring. A hairbrush served as his microphone as he practiced his patter, introducing records to his ghost listeners.
His mother and brother could hear him through the thin walls and would shout at him to quit flapping his jaws and go to sleep. But Les didn’t listen to them. He was wrapped up in his own world, living a dream.
One day Les boldly went to the local radio station during his lunch break from mowing grass for the city. He got into the station manager’s office and told him he wanted to be a disc jockey.
The manager eyed this disheveled young man in overalls and a straw hat and inquired, “Do you have any background in broadcasting?”
Les replied, “No sir, I don’t.”
“Well, son, I’m afraid we don’t have a job for you then.”
Les thanked him politely and left. The station manager assumed that he had seen the last of this young man. But he underestimated the depth of Les Brown’s commitment to his goal. You see, Les had a higher purpose than simply wanting to be a disc jockey. He wanted to buy a nicer house for his adoptive mother, whom he loved deeply. The disc jockey job was merely a step toward his goal.
Mamie Brown had taught Les to pursue his dreams, so he felt sure that he would get a job at that radio station in spite of what the station manager had said.
And so Les returned to the station every day for a week, asking if there were any job openings. Finally the station manager gave in and took him on as an errand boy — at no pay. At first, he fetched coffee or picked up lunches and dinner for the deejays who could not leave the studio. Eventually his enthusiasm for their work won him the confidence of the disc jockeys who would send him in their Cadillacs to pick up visiting celebrities such as the Temptations and Diana Ross and the Supremes. Little did any of them know that young Les did not have a driver’s license.
Les did whatever was asked of him at the station - and more. While hanging out with the deejays, he taught himself their hand movements on the control panel. He stayed in the control rooms and soaked up whatever he could until they asked him to leave. Then, back in his bedroom at night, he practiced and prepared himself for the opportunity that he knew would present itself.
One Saturday afternoon while Les was at the station, a deejay named Rock was drinking while on the air. Les was the only other person in the building, and he realized that Rock was drinking himself toward trouble. Les stayed close. He walked back and forth in front of the window in Rock’s booth. As he prowled, he said to himself. “Drink, Rock, drink!”
學問齋