Melvin Cleophus Brooks

Melvin Cleophus Brooks was born on April 6, 1947 in Fresno, California. He was the seventh child of ten born to the union of Dan, “D.C.” and Rachel Brooks.

Melvin attended public schools in and around Hanford, California and graduated from Hanford Union High School in 1966 where he was a member of the wrestling, track and football teams as well as the marching band. He quarterbacked the football team and set a pole vaulting record with the track team. He astonished one of his high school teachers with his ability to type over 90 words per minute despite the fact that he had lost a finger in a high school woodshop accident. After high school, he attended College of the Sequoias in Visalia, California. In his youth, along with his siblings, Melvin was a critical part of his father’s farming businesses where he helped raise animals, drove tractors, operated various types of other farming equipment and did hard manual labor in cotton, alfalfa, grain and grape fields.

In 1967, Melvin married his high school sweetheart, Annie Taylor. They had two children, Sharon Roxanne and Melaine. After the dissolution of that marriage, Melvin united with Patty Booker, a professional singer. To that union was born another daughter, Renee.

Melvin loved the Central Valley---its people, values and agricultural setting with views stretching from vast cotton fields to the Sierra Mountains in the east and the Coastal Range in the West. He spent his whole life there. In early adult life, he worked at various jobs---at Pacific Gas & Electric, food service businesses, in construction and at a winery. But after a while, he decided to totally pursue his real passion, playing and singing music. He spent over 30 years performing at Central Valley night clubs, special events, hotels and churches.

Melvin was a seriously gifted and talented singer-musician. Several of his siblings were given the opportunity to take piano lessons in their youth but Melvin never got that chance. Ironically, he was the one who ended up being a professional musician. He had a unique ability to hear and played primarily by ear although as a member of the high school marching band, he learned to read music. As a drummer in that band, he is credited with creating a cadence a variation of which is still used by the Hanford High school band today---almost fifty years later. Professionally, performing under the name, “Cleo,” Melvin played the piano, organ, drums, trumpet and saxophone. A well known entertainer in the Central Valley, his bands included the Fourth Oncome and the Gaylords. One of the musical buddies with whom he often collaborated and “jammed” was Steve Perry of the renowned group, Journey.

Melvin was a confessing but sometimes unconventional Christian. He grew up as a member of the family church, Hanford’s Southside Church of God where he accepted Jesus Christ as the Lord of his life at an early age. Over the years, he attended other churches and for a time served as pianist and drummer under the leadership of Pastor, Rev. Rita Brown. Later in life he reunited with Southside Church of God.

Melvin's compassion and love for people was exemplified by how he cared for his ailing parents when they could no longer care for themselves. He further showed this concern by spending time visiting and helping the sick and the shut in. He loved his three daughters very much and would affectionately call them "the women in his life". His siblings and extended family were dear to his heart as well. Melvin enjoyed fishing and shared the love to fish with his God-Mother, Mrs. Owedar Bowen and would take her fishing at Hidden Valley Park in Hanford. To spend time with his granddaughters, Ariana, Rebeekah and Desiree, and in hopes that they would learn to love the sport, he would take them on these fishing trips.

More than fishing Melvin loved music. This love for music began at an early age as he would hear his parents sing in a gospel quartet, in the church choir and his father was a stellar tenor soloist and extraordinary choir director. All three of his daughters, and three granddaughters inherited this love of music. Melvin would call a "jam session" at a moment's notice, and he would assign each one to play a different instrument whether they felt it was their instrument of choice or not. Melvin's legacy of music has been passed down from generation to generation and continues to be expressed through singing, playing instruments and ballet and lyrical dance.

Melvin was preceded in death by his parents, Dan Charles and Rachel Ann Brooks as well as three brothers, Dan Charles “Sonny” Jr., Cecil E. and Dale A. Brooks. He is survived by his former wife, Annie E. Brooks of Hanford, CA; the mother of his third child, Patty Booker of Newport Beach, CA; his friend, Diane Tapia of Hanford, CA; three daughters, Sharon Roxanne Burns (Michael) of Hanford, CA, Melaine R. Brooks and of Hanford, CA and Renee D. Brooks of Alameda, CA; stepchildren, Mickey Kennedy and Corrie Kennedy of Newport Beach, CA; three granddaughters, Ariana Fontenot and Rebekah Burns of Hanford, CA and Jaelyn Cooper of Alameda, CA. He also leaves to celebrate his life three sisters, Marie Foster (Max) and Judy Anthony (Richard) of Oakland, CA, Janet Lassiter (George) of Atlanta, GA; three brothers, Stephen Brooks (Patricia) of Dublin, CA, James Brooks (Patricia) of Fresno, CA, Calvin Eugene Brooks of Oakland, CA, and God-Mother, Mrs. Owedar Bowen. In addition he is survived by over 20 nieces and nephews, 35 grand-nieces and nephews and a host of loving relatives and friends.

A visitation will be held on Monday, November 21, 2011 from 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. with funeral services to follow at 1:00 p.m., all at Central Valley Community Church, 942 S. Harris Street, Hanford, CA 93230 (559)585-1614. Services will conclude with a Repass at the Church hall.