Daytonian of the Week: Richard Brown

Dayton's Richard Brown seemingly has endless amounts of energy. He's the type of person who always has to stay busy. Brown is a regular fixture at local music shows week in and week out.

While many talk the talk of loving Dayton art, he walks the walk. Brown's YouTube channel TheBoxxCar is a veritable treasure trove of local music of all kinds, filled with hundreds of videos from the last several years.

But it's about more than just going to clubs and watching bands for this Tennessee transplant who came to become a hardcore Daytonian. Brown, a Delphi retiree, started volunteering at his church 10 years ago. That led him to help out at the Dayton Life Enrichment Center three times a week. In fact, Brown donates his time and labor to several area shelters and the Foodbank every month. As if that weren't enough, he also helps out the Twin Towers Neighborhood Association. He's as worthy a Daytonian of the Week as ever there was.

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What do you do?

I enjoy volunteering. It keeps me out of trouble and it gives me something to do.

If you had a superpower, what would it be?

Fly like Superman. Be able to fly places real quick and help people.

What do you love about life in Dayton?

That we’ve got so much stuff to do in Dayton that you can’t do it all -- so much music and art.

What’s your favorite spot in Dayton?

It used to be J-Alans (bar and music venue). You know how much I miss that place. Now it's probably Blind Bob's. They have a lot of good shows there. It's a fun place.

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Why did you decide to settle in Dayton?

I’ve been here all my life. I wasn’t born here, but I was raised here.

How did you get involved in your line of work?

After I retired, I needed something to do. I got in a church program called Help Your Neighbor. I did that for five years. Then I started at the Life Enrichment Center.

If you could change one thing about Dayton, what would it be?

Definitely all the overdoses. The house behind (me) has had like six overdoses in the last two months. We had a guy lying next to my house.

What do you think Dayton will look like in the next 10-15 years?

Basically the same. They are improving it! Dave Hall Plaza, they're going to fix that up. All that (new) housing downtown.

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Daytonian of the Week is a Dayton.com feature that spotlights people who help build the Dayton community. See more Daytonian of the Week stories HERE.

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