For almost fifty years, the quartet group The Brown Singers sang from coast to coast, ministering music that captivated audiences and, through their music, brought peace and hope to the souls of everyone who heard them.
They fused soul, blues, and jazz with traditional hymns and spirituals, creating their powerful signature delivery. The now, multiple Stellar Award-winning all-female quartet group has lost an iconic figure who contributed to the signature sound and delivery that The Brown Singers are known for.
With heavy hearts, Lisa Knowles-Smith and The Brown Singers mourn the loss of original group member and icon Vanessa Yvette Brown Knowles, whose life was tragically taken on September 28, 2025. The Gospel music community has lovingly extended an outpour of love and support to the Brown-Knowles family during their loss and in honor of her legendary contributions to the genre for nearly five decades.
The homegoing arrangements for Vanessa will be held Saturday, October 11, 2025, at 11:00 AM at Brown Missionary Baptist Church, 7200 Swinnea Road, Southaven, MS 38671. A burial will take place on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, at 10:00 AM at Calvary Cemetery, 1663 Elvis Presley Blvd, Memphis, TN 38106.
As they navigate this turn in life, with heartfelt sensitivity and prayer, Lisa Knowles Smith & The Brown Singers have decided to continue ministering music and maintain their set tour schedule in honor of Vanessa. Her legacy will be celebrated and will never be forgotten. The continuation of the group’s appearances will also allow fans to honor her contributions to Gospel music.
The Memorial Concert celebrating her life will be held on Friday, October 10 at 7pm at New Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, 1490 Gold Ave, Memphis, TN 38106. Special tributes from the Gospel music community include Pastor Tim Rogers, Pastor Roney Strong & The Strong Family, Darrel Petties and Take 2, Jewell & Converted, George Dean & The Gospel 4, and The Violinettes. Sherry Mackey and Amelia Shields will host the memorial concert.
The multiple-award-winning group members now are Lisa Knowles-Smith, Jackienna Richmond, Sierra Ward-Pope, and Rachel Anderson, with Lisa’s daughter N’dia standing in her grandmother’s stead. Vanessa will forever be remembered as a mother, a musical matriarch, and a beacon of hope whose faith and resilience inspired all who knew her or heard her powerful testimony.
About Vanessa Yvette Brown Knowles and The Brown Singers: The legendary Gospel Quartet group, The Brown Singers, was founded in 1976 by Willie Mae “Brown” Richmond. Group members then were Vanessa Brown (Knowles), Dolly Starks (Mohn), the late Elizabeth Starks (Cleveland), Rosemary Starks (Mathis), and Ray King. In the early 90s, the group began to go through changes, and Vanessa’s 12-year-old daughter, “Lil Lisa,” became the group’s lead singer. Fast forward forty years, Lisa Knowles and The Brown Singers have emerged as the preeminent quartet group in Gospel music today.
Vanessa Brown Knowles was a foundational figure in gospel music and a powerful advocate for breast cancer awareness. As an original member of the Memphis-based Brown Singers, she helped establish the family group’s rich legacy. Knowles’s powerful voice, commitment to her faith, and her role as a mother to Lisa Knowles-Smith were all central to her identity, making her a beloved figure within both her family and the broader gospel community.
The Brown Singers Dates:
10/18 Huntsville, AL
10/20 Nashville, TN
10/24 Fayetteville, NC
11/8 Baton Rouge, LA
11/9 Greenville, MS
11/22 Columbus, MS
12/6 Jackson, AL
12/12 Chicago, IL
12/14 Jackson, MS
12/18 Atlanta, GA
12/31 Houston, TX
12/31 Dallas, TX
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