"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither
shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."
Revelation 21:4

John Lewis Brown was born in Columbus, Mississippi on March 19, 1947 to the late Mr. Booker T. Harris and Ms. Rosebud Brown. He gained his heavenly wings Thursday, June 6, 2024.

John Brown, JB, Bit, Bitty Boo, all of these fond names made up the character of who John Brown was. He was a rambunctious, quite-spirited, inquisitive, compassionate and caring person.

At a young age, John accepted Christ and joined Pleasant Grove Baptist Church. He later joined Turner Chapel A.M.E. Episcopal Church where he served as a member of the Board of Trustees and the Choir. He was a former member of St. Matthews M.B.Church.

Mr. John Brown was truly a jack of all trades. John attended Motley School. He went on to attend R.E. Hunt High School where he graduated in 1967. Following his high school graduation, he attended Mary Holmes Community College in West Point, MS until he was drafted into the U.S. Army. John proudly fought in the Vietnam War as an Infantry Soldier from 1968-1970. An Infantry Soldier is one who works in the field to defend his country against threats/attacks. He served a 2-year tour duty on the Battlefield in Vietnam helping to mobilize troops to support the mission.

During John's military career in Vietnam, he was severely wounded with an AK47, receiving three shots to his abdomen. As he told the story, while he was being air-lifted, Vietnamese's Snipers were still shooting at him, but God brought him safely to a Japanese Hospital. For the next 6-8 months, he would undergo multiple surgeries and physical therapies, losing part of his stomach, liver and lungs. The incisions from his upper chest to the restructuring of his stomach can only be described as miraculous. He was honorably discharged, but shamefully and unjustly mistreated. After fighting in the Vietnam War, little did he know that he would fight another war. This time, not in a foreign land, but on America's soil. The fight to gain 100% disability continued for 30 something odd years and in the end John won, thank God. The horror of this war, and complications from the wounds and unique surgeries, he silently struggled and endured pain daily the rest of his life.

All of this could have left him bitter, but his robust taste for life and his spirit healed. He was able to transcend that which tried to destroy him. John was briefly married to Gloria Spears. John went from serving his entire country to serving the citizens of Columbus. His career after the Military began with local area businesses such as: Spain Distribution Company, Alford Drug Store, an employee at Columbus Air Force Base, an Insurance Agent at Universal Life Insurance and Valley Life Insurance, and a Radio Producer at WACR Radio Station.

Prior to John furthering his education, he met the love of his life, Lillie. John was united in holy matrimony to Lillie Brown October 18, 1997. They were married for 27 years and best friends for 34 years.

John continued his educational career at East Mississippi Community College (EMCC) to obtain his CDL. After obtaining his CDL, he drove trucks for several years traveling throughout the United States and Canada.

Following this, John became a successful entrepreneur in both the trucking and nightlife industries. He founded JB's House of Blues in 1997 and relaunched JB's House of  Blues 2 in 2017. JB's House of Blues was known for its top tier entertainment and exceptional service. In the words of John, "UP IN HERE!" It was a premier nightlife destination.