Music Is My Life, Politics My Mistress: The Story of Oscar Brown Jr.

A warm, bittersweet tribute that lets a forgotten artist's voice and music carry the sting of a life underappreciated.

Directed by

Donnie L. Betts

Genres

Documentary

Starring

Oscar Brown Jr.

Overview

Oscar Brown Jr. amassed quite an impressive career in which he was by turns poet, playwright, singer, jazz musician, TV presenter, radio host and political activist throughout his remarkable life. But by the time he died in 2005, at 78, he was broke and forgotten. With a mix of archival footage, music, interviews and animation, Donnie L. Betts' labor-of-love documentary portrays Brown as a lyrical genius whose work never received its due because of his outspoken Black Power politics.

How it feels

Melancholic, warm, earnest and cynical. Measured and needs your attention.

About

Art, race, politics, music

Content

Mild violence and language. No gore or sexual content.

Note

Written by AI, so it can be wrong. Full breakdown

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