RIP Rev. Dr. Janice Brown-Stephens of “Rough Side of the Mountain” Fame

By Robert M. Marovich

The Journal of Gospel Music was saddened to learn of the passing of the Reverend Dr. Janice Brown-Stephens. She transitioned from earth to glory on August 30, 2024, at age 80.

The following is based on a bio I wrote for the Malaco Music Group website some years ago:

The Reverend Dr. Janice Brown-Stephens was born in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, on September 13, 1943. Her rise to prominence in music came while serving the Red Budd Holy Church in Rocky Mount. The Reverend Fair Cloth (F. C.) Barnes organized Red Budd in 1959. He secured a regular radio broadcast for his church services and Brown, who served as the church’s assistant pastor, read the announcements on the radio. One day she sang a solo on one of the broadcasts and when Barnes jumped in to sing with her, the solo became a duet. The audience was thrilled. The new duo began to receive invitations to sing for local church programs and revivals. Listeners also wanted the duo to record. A couple of early albums for Atlanta International Records (AIR) did fairly well, but the team didn’t hit solid gold until 1983, when they recorded the simple and catchy “Rough Side of the Mountain.”

Their shared fondness for church hymns led Barnes and Brown to compose “Rough Side” so it sounded as if it was from an old hymnbook. “The economy was down [at the time],” Brown recalled in a 2013 radio interview. “A lot of people were having problems financially and with their children and other things. ‘Rough Side of the Mountain’ touched the heart of people.” The record was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and is reported to have sold a half million copies in two years.

The duo’s signature sound, a folksy, downhome sincerity reminiscent of the Consolers and 1920s-era husband-and-wife singing evangelists, was so popular it put AIR on the gospel industry map. In addition to Rough Side of the Mountain, other Barnes and Brown albums that entered Billboard’s Top 10 Gospel Albums included No Tears in Glory (1984), Hold On (1985), and Can’t You See (1990). Songs that were Barnes and Brown fan favorites included “When It Rains, It Pours,” “No Tears in Glory,” “Hold On,” “Uncloudy Day,” “So Many Wonderful Things,” and “The Lord Will Fix It For Me.”

The duo’s winning streak ended in 1989 when they parted ways. Brown married Monte Stephens and became pastor of a United Holy Church. She continued singing but this time her duet partner was her husband; they appeared as Ebony and Ivory Ministries.

A Pre-Celebration and Reflection Musical will be held Saturday, September 14, 2024, beginning at 9:00 am, and the Official Celebration of Her Life and Ministry will immediately follow at 10:00 am at the Deeper Life Church Ministries located at 900 Eleventh Street, Goldsboro, North Carolina.

The family requests all flowers, cards, telegrams, and condolences be sent to The Family of Dr. Janice Brown-Stephens, c/o of H.D. Pope Funeral Home, 325 Nash Street, Rocky Mount, NC 27804.