Steven Ford Brown - Early Life

Early Life

Of French and Scottish descent, Steven Ford Brown was born in Florence, Alabama, to Ford Brown (a Marine veteran of World War II and a sales executive) and Gloria Peters (a housewife). The family eventually moved to Birmingham and he grew up in a suburb of the city. While attending Huffman High School he became interested in the poetry and music of Leonard Cohen and the poetry of Richard Brautigan, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac and other members of the Beat Generation. During this time he was also influenced by the 1960s music of the San Francisco scene and the British Invasion bands. After high school he attended the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the University of Houston.