[2] Brown began her classical musical training at Juilliard at the age of sixteen; however, she later took up the genres of jazz and the blues after having met Leonard Bernstein at Tanglewood in 1947.

"[2] By the 1950s, Brown had developed a rhythm-and-blues style akin to such performers as Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith, and during this time, she released an album entitled, A Torch for Tally, with the Jimmy Diamond Quartet.

Following her death, The New York Times published an obituary stating that Ms. Brown was known for her intense, dramatic renditions of songs by Kurt Weill, the Rolling Stones and David Bowie.

Distinguished cameo appearances in the film included that of actors Divine, Holly Woodlawn and artist Ching Ho Cheng.

[10] The documentary was also noteworthy for its use of cinéma vérité in its opening shot by depicting New York's gritty street life in and around Times Square in the 1970s, before it was later cleaned up.