Charles Lee Brown, born in Jackson, Tennessee, and named for the General, graduated from Auburndale High School in 1961, where his dad was the football coach.
In High School, "Chuck" liked fast cars and racing. He became so good at it that he drove in the SCCA Nationals in Atlanta in the 1970s. He said he got his start borrowing his Mama's car on Sunday afternoons, removing the hubcaps and the air diffuser and racing in the streets.
He has slowed down somewhat and is now a military historian who collects and restores antique military vehicles. A related hobby that he and Zonna, his wife, enjoy is the collection of WAC memorabilia. They have such a unique collection that they were invited to and have displayed it in Alabama at the WAC museum.
Charlie played drums, guitar, bass and organ as a member of "The Blazers" and then "Ron and the Starfires" during the late fifties and sixties. Charlie's musical history with the Starfires can be found in the "Garage Bands" area. Be sure to check that out.
In 1974, Charlie graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in Journalism and Broadcasting and a Juris Doctor degree in 1976. While he attended law school, he worked as a disc jockey at WRUF (the university radio station) four nights a week.
Charlie left Gainesville for the State Attorney's Office in West Palm Beach where he became the Chief Homicide Prosecutor. He later was the Police Legal Advisor. He went from there to private practice until late 1988 when he sold his practice and retired for about a year.
In 1989 he returned to Polk County as the Director of the Polk County Legal Aid Society where he stayed until he was elected to the position of County Court Judge in November 1996.
In January 2000, Governor Jeb Bush appointed Judge Brown as Circuit Court Judge in the Tenth Judicial Circuit of Florida where he is currently assigned to the Felony Division. Charlie said that he had always wondered what Judges do -- and that now he knows.
Charlie played a reunion job for the "Class of 1965" with the original Ron & the Starfires back in 1990. This was the first time he had played with a band in about 25 years. In 2002 the band once again got together and played the Garage Band Reunion and Battle of the Bands at the Lake Mirror Center in Lakeland. It's still fun.