This is a blues song that crossed over into the pop market. This sort of thing wasn't really in fashion in 1960. I enjoyed it very much.
Buster Brown (1911-1976) was from Georgia. He played in local clubs in the area in the 1930s and 1940s before moving to New York in 1956. In 1960, "Fannie Mae" reached #1 on the R&B chart and #39 on the Billboard Hot 100. Brown made it to the lower regions of the pop chart twice after that but did not have any significant successes.
Brian Wilson has stated that "Fannie Mae" was one of the inspirations for his song "Help Me, Rhonda" - you can hear the similarities between the two songs (I'm not implying that Wilson was copying). It was rediscovered in 1973 when it was included as part of the movie American Graffiti.
Created January 23, 2026.