Vale: Chelsea Brown
Entertainer best known for Laugh-In and variety performances across Australia, has died.
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Effervescent entertainer Chelsea Brown, best known for Laugh-In and variety performances across Australia, has died, aged 74.
She died in Chicago of pneumonia, and following a battle with dementia Peter Ford told The Morning Show today.
Prior to becoming an Australian resident Brown performed on Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In alongside such names as Goldie Hawn, Judy Carne, Henry Gibson, Arte Johnson and Dave Madden. She featured as a dancer / comedienne in the second season before subsequent appearances in Love American Style, The Flying Nun, Ironside and Marcus Welby MD and The Match Game. She also appeared in The Two Ronnies and had an uncredited appearance in the movie Sweet Charity.
But she spent several decades residing in Australia. Brown was cast in Number 96 as disco manager Hope. At one stage there were plans for her to front a spin-off show Here’s Hope but it never eventuated. She was semi-regular on Blankety Blanks and had a role on E-Street, marrying fellow actor, the late Vic Rooney.
There were also roles on Mission: Impossible, Welcome to Woop Woop and Grass Roots.
The multi-talented Brown was also a regular entertainer on the club and cruise circuit in Australia, on advertisements, and variety shows.
Her final credit was in 2015 on Peter Allen: Not The Boy Next Door.
A memorial will be held in LA to be attended by former Laugh-In pals this weekend.
Updated.
13 Responses
Didn’t realise she’d gone back to the US
Having a debate… what ads do people remember her for?
In the 70s she sung the jingles for radio station 3DB (“DB Music”). Can’t think of any other ads off the top of my head but I’m sure she did some.
when i was liitle , i think in the 70’s she did a colgate tooth paste commercial ,
she came to my high school too, Ryde High School , I remember we were all ask to bring our toothbrushes to school to get new ones, she asked us to hold up our toothbrushes to see, someone held up a toilet brush instead , he won , and got a laugh, “memories like the corner of my mind”
I could be very wrong, but I have a feeling Chelsea did the Brash’s TV ads: “Right on, Mr Brash!”.
Ok these are helpful. Anybody else?
The first thing I think of with her is a toothbrush commercial, where she ran the toothbrush over a drum or something odd like that.
Chelsea performed the Bee Gees song Love So Right in Duddles Disco on Number 96 and it was released as a single and on the album Number 96 Party Music.
Gosh, I must admidt I hadn’t heard anything of Chelsea since she appeared in E Street, thts over 25 years ago. I do remember her in the 70s on Jimmy Hannan’s Celebrity Squares. She was such a bright and bubbly personality.
thats the two shows i remember her from as well
“Sock it to me”!! …RIP Chelsea
That was Judy Carne’s line.