09/27/2022
Actor and assistant boxing trainer Drew Bundini Brown was born on March 21, 1928. He was the cornerman of heavyweight champion boxer Muhammad Ali. Brown portrayed himself in the 1977 autobiography film “The Greatest “ starring Muhammad Ali. Film enthusiast also will remember his tough but lovable portrayal of Wally in the motion classic pictures Shaft”(1971) and Shaft's Big Score! (1972).
Brown, who was born in Midway, Florida, and raised in nearby Sanford, dropped out of junior high school after the eighth grade. Young Brown lied about his age and join the United States Navy as a Messboy at age 13. He was discharged two years later when the army found out his real age. found employment as a United States Merchant Marine, and spent 12 years traveling the world on the high seas.
After seven years with Sugar Ray Robinson, Brown joined Muhammad Ali's boxing team as a cornerman in 1963 and remained with him throughout his career. (Later he also became a cornerman for James "Quick" Tillis). Brown was one of Ali's speech writers. He wrote certain poems, including that which coined Ali's famous and oft quoted: “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee, rumble, young man, rumble.” Ali used the poem to taunt Sonny Liston at the press conference prior to his February 25, 1964, victory over the WBA and WBC champion to claim both titles.
As an actor Brown also stared in the film Aaron Loves Angela (1975), The Color Purple (1985). Brown appeared in every documentary about the life of Muhammad Ali and he was played by the actor Bernie Mac in the film Don King: Only in America, and by Jamie Foxx in the film Ali and by Lawrence Gilliard Jr. in One Night In Miami. Brown died on 24 September 1987 in Los Angeles County, California at the age of 59 from medical complications of injuries sustained in a previous car accident.
Artist:
