Born in 1972 in Youngstown, the son of Lawrence and Fran Brownlee.

Born in 1972 in Youngstown, the son of Lawrence and Fran Brownlee.
A graduate of East High School, he was a member of the Youngstown Connection song-and-dance troupe while in high school.
Attended Youngstown State University; a graduate of Anderson University in Indiana (bachelor's degree), and Indiana University (master's degree).
In his five years as a professional opera singer, Brownlee has performed at La Scala in Milan, Italy, and the Royal Theater in Madrid, and as a soloist with the New York and Berlin philharmonics, and the Cleveland, Cincinnati and Baltimore symphony orchestras.