The Pulse of Entertainment - February 27, 2026

"I wanted to write something that has substances with everything happening in the world...and music is an escape," Lisa added when I asked.

The single "Promises" has earned Billboard's #1 spot.

"In 50 years...the first Billboard #1," she pointed out.

The group The Brown Singers was launched in 1976 (I was a junior in high school) by Willie Mae Brown-Richmond in Colombus, Ohio. The group consisted of sisters and a brother guided by their mother Doris L. Brown. A family of Gospel singers, the original The Brown Singers included Vanessa Brown (Knowles), Dolly Starks (Mohn), Elizabeth Starks (Cleveland), Rosemary Starks (Mathis) and Ray King. During some performances mother Doris Brown would be a featured singer. The Brown Singers recorded 19 live albums and one studio album. The Brown Singers also garnered a Dove Award, two Stellar Awards and three Stellar Award nominations.

The Brown Singers evolved when Vanessa Brown-Knowles' daughter Lisa joined the group at the age of nine and ended up leading the group vocally at the age of 12. Members, at that time, consisted of Vanessa Brown-Knowles, Lisa Knowles-Smith, Jackienna Richmond (joined in early 90s), Rachel Anderson (joined in 2015) and Sierra Ward-Pope (joined in 2004). Today Lisa's daughter N'dia Smith (20 years-old now) has joined The Brown Singers, taking the place of Vanessa Brown-Knowles (affectionately called Lady Vanessa). Lady Vanessa survived breast cancer (April 2025), then unexpectedly passed away due to an automobile accident in September 2025 (the driver is currently in custody facing three manslaughter counts). Lady Vanessa was 14 years-old when The Brown Singers was formed and was 62 years-old when she passed away.

"My grandmother was a powerhouse singer," Knowles-Smith said when I pointed out that all The Brown Singers have power-house vocals. "Every time she opened her mouth I had to stop and listen to her. My mother was 14 when she started. It passed (Willie Mae's power-house vocals) onto my mother. My mother was adamant that you give God all you got."

The Gospel group is officially called Lisa Knowles-Smith & The Brown Singers now. It was a name change ordained by the public.

"I started singing with them at nine years-old, but I was 12 when I took the lead," Lisa told me when I asked about the name change. "The name change happened when I was 18 because I was working with Vickie Wynans."

At that point, people were saying "Lisa Knowles-Smith & The Brown Singers." The music video for the "Promises" single has garnered 3.1 million views in just 10 months! The "Promises" single is just as powerful as the vocals of The Brown Singers, and Lisa's vocals leading on the "Promises" single, especially in the live performance music video will give you chills. www.evoworldenter.com  www.IAmLisaKnowlesSmith.com

SYNDICATED COLUMNIST: Dr. Eunice Moseley has an estimated weekly readership of over one million for her column The Pulse of Entertainment. She is the publisher of the digital magazine www.ThePulseofEntertainment.com, which has an estimated 160,000 visitors a month. An entrepreneur, Dr. Moseley’s company, Freelance Associates, is a business management/public relations strategic planning and consulting firm that is celebrating 32 years in 2025. Dr. Eunice also serves as professor for the School of Business at Stanton University in Anaheim, California and serves as promotions director (at-large)/journalist and business consultant for The Baltimore Times. Dr. Moseley founded the Uplifting Minds II Foundation (www.UpliftingMinds.com) in 2023, a 501 C3 with a mission to empower the underserved through three major programs – One Stop Business Shop, the ULMII Professional Conference and the ULMII Academy (business management and public relations). EVENTS: "Uplifting Minds II" Entertainment Conference (ULMII), was launched by Dr. Eunice in 1999, to educate aspiring artists/musicians about the business of entertainment – www.UpliftingMinds2.com. Next ULMII Entertainment Conferences for Baltimore on Saturday April 18, 2026, presented by Security Square Mall and The Baltimore Times, and for Los Angeles on Saturday, November 7, 2026, presented by The Pulse of Entertainment and the ULMII Foundation. The ULMII conferences are free with virtual access via Zoom. ULMII entertainment conference offers a Professional Panel Q&A Session, a Professional Talent Showcase and International Talent Competition where the top three scored acts receive the ULMII Best Act Award and over $20,000 valued in prizes/product/services and cash!