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Born in Liberty City
Les and his brother Wesley were born in Liberty City, Florida on the floor of an apartment building. Their biological mother had fled to this spot to give birth in secret, as the twins were conceived in an affair she was having while her husband was a soldier overseas at the time. The twins were then adopted by a 38 year old coffee shop worker Mamie Brown six weeks after. -
School Years
While in school with his brother the teachers him thought he was slower than the other children, as he often seeked attention and was a poor student. He was labeled educable mentally retarded, which really hit his self esteem hard as he started to believe what the teachers told him. His mother and a certain high school teacher he had recognized his potential and convinced him to try and reach his dreams, which he talks about in many of his speeches. -
Early Career
Les' first job was as a sanitation worker, but this did not satisfy his ambitions, so he took jobs at the local radio station. On a lucky occasion, the radio jockey showed up to work drunk and Brown's boss allowed him to fill in as the RJ. Impressed with his skills, his boss moved him to an RJ permanently. After working this job many years, he moved to Ohio to get a high ranking radio job. With more responsibility he became more socially aware. He began spreading controversies and had to fired. -
Political Career
While working at the radio junction, he met the station's news junction director Mike Williams. Williams encouraged Les to run for a seat in the Ohio State Legislature of the 29th House District. He held this seat for 3 terms and was also as the Chairman for the Human Resources Committee in his 3rd term. His mother fell ill at this time, so he was forced to vacate his seat in order to take care of her. He still continued to spread awareness, as he worked towards becoming a motivational speaker. -
Rise to Fame
In the middle of the 1980s Les rented an office with an attorney. He would work constantly day in and day out, and often slept on his office floor. At this point in his life he wondered how he could motivate people and tell them they could do better, when he was doing poorly in his own life. In 1986 he formed his ow company known as Les Brown Unlimited Inc. The company provides motivational tapes, workshops and personal/professional development programs to better individuals and companies. -
Early Motivational Career
In 1989, Les Brown received the highest award the National Speakers Association could give: The Counsel of Peers Award of Excellence. He was also acclaimed one of America's top 5 speakers in 1992. His speeches were not just directed to graduates and politicians, but also athletes, prison inmates, and the average person. He mentioned in interviews that he was "giving back" to society and the people who had helped him. He also became an author, publishing his first book "Live Your Dreams" in 1992. -
The Les Brown Show
In 1993 he launched his own TV show called "The Les Brown Show." Its main purpose was to help the common people with their problems and how to live their dreams. Due to Les' strong beliefs controversies started to build and his show was replaced. -
Books Became Bestsellers
In September 1995, Les married the famous soul singer Gladys Knight.The two of them combined had 10 children and 7 grandchildren. The next year he published another book titled "It's Not Over Until You Win!: How to Become The Person You Always Wanted to Be-No Matter What The Obstacle." His two books became bestsellers and sold more than half a million copies. -
Later Successes
After the cancellation of his show Les began working at WRKS radio station in New York. He then left that job in order to focus primarily on his motivational speeches, and to undergo treatment for prostate cancer. He then worked with others to get information about world leaders and professional speakers in a program known as "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly." By 1998 Les brown had built a very solid company that made over 4.5 million dollars annually from his speeches and motivational programs. -
Present Day
Les Brown now, age 73 has "Les Brown Enterprises" which is a company/website. He is very dedicated to motivating and training the next generation of hungry achievers. His audio series "Choosing Your Future" remains his biggest bestseller and has the biggest impact worldwide. Les now continues to travel and speak at businesses and events that book him. He works regularly with big clients such as AT&T and Remax, sharing his knowledge of success and business. His website is: https://lesbrown.com/
