"Downtown" Michael Brown released his new CD in October. On the CD cover embedded in the saxophone is the image of Brown's late wife, Amanda, to whom this musical endeavor is dedicated. The CD is available online at CDBaby.com and in the offices of the Pahrump Valley Times. Photo of Michael Brown credited to HORACE LANGFORD JR. / PVT. Advertisement

We have a celebrity among us. Local resident "Downtown" Michael Brown has branched out. The youngest and newest member of the very successful rock and roll group, Sha Na Na, has finished and released his new CD.

He still has a "day job" playing with Forty Deuce at Ivan Kane's in Mandalay Bay. The show is "burlesque" and he doesn't start work until 12:30 a.m. with the first show. The second show starts at 2 a.m. It makes for a long night but he still found time to complete this goal. It is one of several.

Michael is an accomplished musician but reluctant to talk about himself. On the Web site www.saxtown.com/Michael/michael%20brown.htm, he is quoted as saying, "In 1982, I opened up for the Stray Cats at the Hollywood Palladium and Bow Wow Wow at Perkins Palace.

"I have opened for the likes of the Safari's, The Ventures, Dick Dale and the Deltones, The Turtles, ... Paul Revere and the Raiders, ... Rod Piazza and his Mighty Flyers, ... The Wallflowers, Counting Crows, The Beach Boys, Jan and Dean, ... Michael McDonald from the Doobie Brothers, The Blues Travelers, Bruce Willis and his Blues Band, Big Sandy and many more."

He has played with groups such as, "The Riptides, Shake Rattle and Roll, The Shakin' Dominos, ... Lil' Elmo and the Cosmos, The Platters and Sha Na Na."

Brown describes the new CD as, "pop-rock, Phil Collins, elevator music and Dick Dale does Pulp Fiction."

He launched this project in March of this year. Brown said this CD is not with Sha Na Na, this is his own band. He has contacts from having been in the music business as a professional for a long time. Brown said, "I gathered the best of the best musicians in Las Vegas and asked them to play with me on this project." The music was produced at HGRS Studios in Henderson.

"It's really an eclectic mix of music," he said. "Not what you'd expect."

The title cut, "With All My Heart," is what Brown calls "Amanda's Song" and he said, "If you have a breathing heart, you might have a tear." "With All My Heart" is dedicated to his late wife, Amanda Faye, who passed away April 15, 2006, from Melanoma skin cancer.

Sound clips for each of the nine songs on the CD may be heard online at CDBaby.com/DowntownMichaelBrown. Ordering information is there too, and through a link on the homepage of skincheck.org.

The songs on the CD are mostly about "positive relationships in life," said Brown, reflecting on how much he had learned on his journey with Amanda. Part of the proceeds from the sales will go to support Brown's main goal in life, educating others about the dangers of skin cancer.

Without Amanda, Brown said he had to do something. He wanted to play music, and write a book, and make people aware of the dangers of Melanoma skin cancer. "I was so frustrated," he said. "I was trying to do everything at once and getting nowhere." Once he stopped to breathe, Brown said he came to realize tackling one project at a time was the way to go.

"Getting this CD completed was one of my goals," he said. "Next is the book."

Brown had to have financial help to complete his music project. Ninety-five percent of the funding was "out of pocket" and Brown said he spent everything he had to get it started. "I almost didn't start this," he said. "Then I thought to myself, 'If I don't do it now, I may have enough to sustain me for a few months, but then what do I do?'' Ron, Brown's brother stepped up to the plate and offered financial assistance. "Without my brother, I never would have gotten this (CD) done," Brown admitted. "I'm grateful for his help."

When Amanda was diagnosed with Melanoma, she realized how insidious the disease could be and with her husband, launched a Web site, Amandasmessage.com, to talk about her journey in a diary. It was their contribution to awareness.

Brown is seriously passionate about continuing their work and became the founder of the Amanda Faye Brown chapter of the Melanoma Education Foundation. When he has time, and having recruited others to assist, he gives seminars in schools, and provides information and tools to teachers and other educators in continuing the march to awareness through education. The tools are free.

His next project is not far behind. Brown is putting on paper not only Amanda's journey, but his own. The book titled, "Finding NED," is the story of Amanda's continued hope of an appointment with a physician who could tell her there was No Evidence of Disease (NED).

Brown has taken down Amanda's personal diary from the Web site as it is part of the book endeavor. The pages and pages saved on Brown's computer have yet to be put in order but he said, "The content is there."

Arrangements are in the works for a documentary film.

The CD is $14.99 and copies are available at the Pahrump Valley Times offices on Calvada Boulevard.

Donations can be made directly to the Nevada chapter of the Melanoma Education Foundation by sending them to the M.E.F., NV Chapter, P.O. Box 2023, Peabody, MA 01960, or by calling 800-259-1633 to use a credit card. Be sure to reference the ID No. 04-3528612 so the contribution is used for education in Nevada.

For more information about the detection of Melanoma skin cancer go to skincheck.org.

Brown has made Melanoma awareness his life's work. He said, "I do this because I want to save fathers, brothers and friends from ever having to know what it's like to be "Downtown" Michael Brown."