The “Hardest Working Man in Show Business” lived a life as volatile and high-energy as his performances, leading to a long history with the legal system.
1949: His first brush with the law occurred at age 16. He was arrested for breaking into a car and stealing clothes. He was convicted of robbery and served three years in a juvenile detention center.
1988: In his most infamous incident, Brown led police on a high-speed interstate car chase across the South Carolina-Georgia border. He allegedly tried to run over police officers while under the influence of PCP. He was convicted of aggravated assault and failing to stop for a police vehicle, serving two years of a six-year prison sentence.
2004: In one of his final arrests (producing his most viral, disheveled mugshot), he was charged with domestic violence in South Carolina after an altercation with his wife.
Legacy: Despite his chaotic personal life, he remained a musical titan until his death in 2006 from heart failure.