He was born in Lincolnshire and began his career as a session guitarist, appearing in support of performers such as Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent. In 1960, he formed his own backing group, the Bruvvers. His cheeky Cockney image and spiky blond hair made him a well-known face on radio and television even though his hit records were relatively few, the best known being "What a Crazy World We're Living in" and "Picture of You" (both 1962. He went on to appear in films, pantomime and stage musicals, notably Charlie Girl in the West End. He presented his own children's television series on BBC.
In 1972, he formed another band, "Brown's Home Brew", which played mainly country music and featured his wife, Vicki Brown, who died of cancer in 1991.
Their daughter, Sam Brown, is also a singer.