L. Russell Brown is an American lyricist and composer most noted for his songs, co-written with Irwin Levine, "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" and "Knock Three Times" for the 1970s pop music group Tony Orlando and Dawn. He also wrote The Partridge Family 1971 song, "I Woke Up In Love This Morning". Brown began his career when he was sixteen with the famous R&B label Fury Records. Over the course of fifty years of songwriting, Brown's recordings have sold millions of records, many times topping the charts. He has written for such artists as The Four Seasons, Tony Orlando and Dawn, and Tracy Byrd. His song "C'mon Marianne" is currently featured in Jersey Boys, the highest-grossing Broadway musical ever. His timeless song "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" started a cultural revolution in the 1970s. It appears in such films as Wallace and Gromitt, Fargo, and Forrest Gump. Brown also co-wrote "C'mon Marianne", a top 10 hit for The Four Seasons in 1967. Many believe that this song's guitar riffs inspired The Doors' "Touch Me". C'mon Marianne is also featured in the Broadway musical Jersey Boys. 

June 29th, 1940 in United States of America (Age 84)