Radio listeners might recognize her silky-smooth voice, which has traveled across metro Augusta's airwaves for 14 years.

Many know Deanna Brown-Thomas as a daughter of music icon James Brown, "the Godfather of Soul."

Ms. Brown-Thomas also is making a name for herself as a successful businesswoman, however.

For 10 years, she has owned T&T Transportation, a state government contractor that provides transportation to senior citizens, the mentally handicapped and others who receive state assistance. In 2006, she and her husband, Shawn, opened Val-U Furniture and Appliances on Jefferson Davis Highway.

Add this to her responsibilities with the family's newly founded nonprofit organization, the Brown Family Foundation -- which is designed to carry out her father's vision of providing service to Augusta -- and her duties as a wife and mother, and she's one busy woman.

Ms. Brown-Thomas is the "spitting image" of her father, says Tyrone Butler, the executive director of Augusta Mini Theatre Inc.

He remembers the first time he met her: He was scheduled to appear as a guest on her television entertainment show, Hot Ticket , on WRDW (Channel 12), not realizing exactly who she was.

"I stood up and everybody's waiting for the doors to open. And when this little, petite woman walked down the steps, I looked into the face of James Brown," he said.

Her friends and family describe the 39-year-old as a "go-getter," "a great businesswoman," "a stickler for detail" and "firm, but fair."

"She's good at it. She watches the bottom line and counts her pennies. Financially, she's very structured," said Jay Jefferies, a close friend and co-worker at Perry Broadcasting of Augusta.

Ms. Brown-Thomas says that operating her furniture store was difficult because it opened only three months before her father died on Christmas Day 2006.

"Everything went kind of topsy-turvy after that, but I'm thankful that God gave us the strength to keep the doors open and continue," she said.

Longtime family friend Ed Presnell, the vice president of administrative services at SRP Federal Credit Union and the president of the Imperial Theatre board, spoke of her quiet strength in dealing with her father's death and the court proceedings to settle his estate.

"I think we're seeing a lot of strength in Deanna to handle both the magnitude of all of that, which I can't really comprehend, and be a mother, professional and wife, all wrapped up in one package," Mr. Presnell said. "We all lose our parents, but her situation is very unique. I think she's handling it with dignity and grace."

Mr. Presnell says that Ms. Brown-Thomas brings "positive energy" into any room she enters.

"She's one of the most positive people that I know," he said. "From what I've seen, Deanna exhibits the same exact love for mankind that her father had."

Daughter of an icon

Ms. Brown-Thomas was born in Queens, N.Y., in 1969, where she lived with her father, her mother, Deidre, and her sister Yamma.

Her mother wanted to rear her children in the South and insisted the family move shortly after Deanna was born. The family packed their bags and headed to James Brown's hometown of Augusta.

They purchased a house on Walton Way, but as her father's fame grew, the Browns moved to Beech Island -- the Walton Way home was visible from the road and the family wanted to maintain some privacy.

"He bought the home in Beech Island because my mother loved it," Ms. Brown-Thomas said.

Among her favorite childhood memories is a trip to the Six Flags amusement park with her father.

"He walked with us and got on all the rides. Luckily, we didn't have to stand in line. That's cool for a kid," she said.

She looked forward to his return home from work, and they would often go out for a feast of foot-long hot dogs, which she says that he loved.

In 1979, her parents separated and Ms. Brown-Thomas moved with her mother and sister to her mother's hometown of Baltimore. She remained in the region during her college years, attending Wesley College in Delaware and Towson University in Baltimore, where she graduated with a degree in marketing.

Just a month before her 1990 graduation, she gave birth to her son, Jason. Her first job after school was at The Washington Times, where she worked as an advertising account executive.

Though extremely proud of her father's accomplishments, Ms. Brown-Thomas says that she didn't publicize the fact that she was "the Godfather of Soul's daughter."

"Nobody knew who I was," she said. "One person at my job, a friend, knew."

Her secret was revealed in February 1991. She remembers exactly what was printed in the paper that day. On the front page of The Washington Times was news about the gulf war. On Page 2 was a photograph of her walking with her father after his release from a South Carolina prison, where he had served two years on aggravated assault and weapons charges stemming from a 1988 police chase. Her friend called her and said that she "was the talk of the newspaper."

When she returned to work, her supervisor asked her why she didn't tell him who her father was.

"I said, 'What difference would it make? You weren't hiring James Brown; you were hiring me,' " she said.

"When you're living your life, you've got to do things for yourself," Ms. Brown-Thomas said. "There's a line in one of my daddy's songs that I think about all the time: 'You've got to live for yourself, for yourself and nobody else.' I believe in that."

Lights, camera, action

While working at The Washington Times , Ms. Brown-Thomas received some career-changing advice from her father.

"He called me one day when he was still incarcerated and left a message on my voice mail. When he heard my voice, he was impressed," she said.

She says he told her, "Baby girl, you're in the wrong business. You need to be in radio."

She took his advice and the newspaper to attend Columbia School of Broadcasting in Washington, D.C. She has worked in radio ever since, with her first job at Radio One, owned by business executive Cathy Hughes.

After three years in Washington, she returned to Augusta, where she has worked in radio and television for more than a decade.

Mr. Jefferies said that some people don't realize the extent of Ms. Brown-Thomas' talents, but says that she will "explode and show them when necessary."

Ms. Brown-Thomas, who is featured daily on radio station WAKB-FM (100.9) from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Mr. Jefferies, who works as a host for early-morning and night shows, usually don't see each other at the station because they work different schedules. The friends have known each other for at least 15 years and stay in touch over the telephone and regular family get-togethers, he said.

"She's happy-go-lucky and relaxed. If she has a problem, you really don't know it," Mr. Jefferies said. "She's someone that you can trust, and she's there when you need her."

He is also good friends with Ms. Brown-Thomas' husband and remembers vividly the day Mr. Thomas proposed to her. It was during her father's Christmas party.

"That's the first time I've ever seen Shawn nervous," he said. "He's like Deanna -- he can handle anything."

Mr. Thomas, an Aiken native, met his future wife while he was working as her father's bodyguard.

"I saw a beautiful young lady who was talented and intelligent," Mr. Thomas said.

He was happy to learn that there was more to her than just her beauty.

Mr. Thomas had planned the ultimate proposal, but just as he was getting ready to pull Ms. Brown-Thomas onto the stage in front of the crowd of almost 200, her father suddenly left the room to go the bathroom.

"He had to wait until he came back, and that made him even more nervous," Mr. Jefferies said with a laugh. "He finally brought her up onstage, dropped on one knee and started singing one of the O'Jays' songs to her. She started crying."

They were wed Aug. 1, 1997. Mr. Jefferies served as her videographer, and his soon-to-be wife, Bonita, was one of Ms. Brown-Thomas' wedding coordinators.

"I was the first of Dad's girls for him to give away," Ms. Brown-Thomas said. It was his first time to participate in a wedding, she said, so she considers herself lucky. "He walked me down the aisle, and he gave me a free performance at the reception."

She says her father playfully reminded her that he had given her a $50,000 show.

"I don't think Mr. Brown sat down at all during the ceremony," Mr. Jefferies said. "He just watched, and he was happy."

Throughout the years, Ms. Brown-Thomas had the opportunity to travel with her father around the world. He affectionately named her "executive vice CEO" of his entertainment company, James Brown Enterprises.

Though she had never heard of the title, she accepted her father's offer and saw that he was trying to teach her the business.

"It gave me the opportunity to work in the office, the radio station dad owned when he owned WAAW, and sometimes he would let me come out on stage and do a little emceeing," Ms. Brown-Thomas said. "I think that was my best life's teaching.

"It's one thing for us to learn from our mothers and fathers, but when our father is the world icon that he is, and the level of business that he handled, it was a blessing to just have eyes and ears in the same room."

James Brown Enterprises is involved in the court proceedings over her father's estate, so the company is not currently conducting business, she said.

After things are sorted out, Ms. Brown-Thomas would like to continue her father's dream of providing an outlet for other artists.

"We have a vision as a family. I think that people would be proud of what we will do," she said.

Business and family

Ms. Brown-Thomas and her husband started T&T Transportation shortly after their marriage.

Mr. Thomas had previous business experience as a restaurant owner: He owned Seafood Palace for 10 years and co-owned World Ribs and Wings with James Brown.

Initially, T&T contracted with South Carolina, but in 2001 won a bid to provide services to the state of Georgia. The company is based on Sand Bar Ferry Road and has offices in Sandersville and Milledgeville, Ga.

The business has clients in seven counties, including Richmond and Columbia.

Office Manager Belinda Smith says the business, which has 35 employees, makes at least 100,000 trips per year.

"I'm so proud of them. They saw a need in the community and went out on their own strength to get the business started," Ms. Smith said.

T&T Transportation started on a shoestring budget, she said, but it has flourished into a successful operation with a fleet of 33 vans and buses.

Clients depend solely on the transportation business to help them get to work or to senior centers and pick up their children from day care. In many instances, public transportation does not reach their rural areas, so they have no other resources, Ms. Smith said.

Mr. Jefferies says T&T Transportation also provides free community services, including transportation to voter registration drives and the polls on voting days.

After the success of T&T Transportation, Mr. Thomas had an idea for a second business, a furniture store.

"He came home with the idea one day, and I kind of hemmed and hawed at first, because anytime you go into business, it's a risk," Ms. Brown-Thomas said. She saw her husband's excitement, though, and went along with his vision.

They named the store Val-U Furniture because they value their customers. It sells quality furniture at discount prices.

"We have a very good relationship working together," Mr. Thomas said. "I take care of day-to-day operations, and she takes care of other things."

Ms. Brown-Thomas often works from a home office, completing administrative tasks such as paying bills.

"When a husband and wife are in business together, you have to find a niche to make it work. That works very well for us," Mr. Thomas said.

He feels that his wife is a "great businesswoman."

"She takes life's challenges and goes with them. She's not afraid to make decisions," he said.

Ms. Brown-Thomas gives her husband credit for being a good support system.

"He's been such a strong force in my life," she said. "It's not easy for two young people to be in business and be married."

Ms. Brown-Thomas always makes time for family, he said.

The Thomases have a blended family with her son, Jason, 17, and Mr. Thomas' children, Monique, 25, Antoine, 22, and Terrance, 20.

"She's a great mother. She's hard on them, but that's good," Mr. Thomas said. "She's very caring and has a giving spirit."

Mr. Thomas says she understands the importance of education, especially higher education, and was instrumental in ensuring that the children had a Christian education.

"She makes sure that vacations are there for the family, as well as our personal vacations," he said. "She's definitely family first."

Like father, like daughter

Among her many interests, Ms. Brown-Thomas holds two things especially close to her heart: her community and entertainment -- just like her father.

"She's a walking encyclopedia when it comes to community events," Mr. Jefferies said.

Ms. Brown-Thomas knows every upcoming festival or event in Augusta, including its time, location and even its years in operation, he said.

"She's constantly reading about what's going on. She needs to know what's happening both locally and nationally," he said.

Sandra Wimberly, the health educator for the East Central Health District, said that she has worked with Ms. Brown-Thomas since 2004 for local events. She has been invited on her radio show on several occasions.

"Deanna and I have joined forces to bring awareness to HIV and AIDS in our community," Ms. Wimberly said. "She's very community oriented. She's willing to devote time to community issues, and if you ever listen to her broadcast, she's always talking about issues that affect people."

She says Ms. Brown-Thomas gives "sound advice and resources that people can tap into to make their lives better."

"She's very compassionate and caring. I think she has a gracious heart," Ms. Wimberly said. "I'm grateful for that Sunday that we met."

Ms. Brown-Thomas is also an actress at heart, and she's even taken drama classes at Augusta State University.

She caught the acting bug through opportunities to appear with her father in major productions such as Blues Brothers 2000 and the television show, New York Undercover .

"Entertainment is in my blood. The only thing that would take me away from entertainment would be the beach," she joked. "Other than that, I'm married to it. I'm going to be doing it for the rest of my life."

Her father's legacy

Ms. Brown-Thomas says that she and her siblings hope to preserve their father's memory through their 501(c) organization, Brown Family Foundation.

"My dad always talked about how music needed to be in the schools," Ms. Brown-Thomas said. "We want to work on campaigns where we could try to do things to put music programs in schools in honor of him."

Through the foundation, they would also like to continue his turkey and toy giveaways and create a scholarship program, she said.

Ms. Brown-Thomas says her father taught her many lessons, but his work ethic was probably the most valuable of them all.

"One of the things I learned was to having to work hard for what you receive. There's no shortcuts in anything that you truly want."

Reach LaTina Emerson at (706) 823-3227 or latina.emerson@augustachronicle.com.