Nappy Brown
| Nappy Brown | |
|---|---|
| File:NappyBrownTokyo1996.jpg | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Napoleon Brown Goodson Culp |
| Also known as | Nappy Brown |
| Born | October 12, 1929 Charlotte, North Carolina, United States |
| Died | Script error: The function "death_date_and_age" does not exist. Charlotte, North Carolina, United States |
| Genres | R&B Soul Blues |
| Occupation(s) | Vocalist, musician, songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1954–2008 |
| Associated acts | The Heavenly Lights, Nappy Brown and the Heartfixers |
Napoleon Brown Goodson Culp[1] (October 12, 1929 – September 20, 2008)[2][3] better known by his stage name Nappy Brown, was an American R&B singer. His hits include the 1955 Billboard chart #2, "Don't Be Angry"[4] and "Night Time Is the Right Time". His style is instantly recognizable; Brown used a wide vibrato, melisma, and distinctive extra syllables, in particular, "li-li-li-li-li."
Contents
Biography
Brown was the son of Kathryn Culp and Sammie Lee Brown. After his mother died he was brought up by Fred and Maggie Culp. They attended Gethsemane AME Zion Church and he attended school in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Early career
He began his career singing gospel music before switching to R&B.[5] In 1954 he won a recording contract with Savoy Records, which yielded a series of hits, including "Don't Be Angry" (#2 R&B, #25 pop, 1955), "Little By Little" (#12 R&B, #56 pop late 1956), and "It Don't Hurt No More" (#8 R&B, #89 pop, 1958).[6] Brown was among the biggest stars in R&B,[7][8] frequently touring with the revues of Alan Freed.[9]
His songs, along with those of his peers and contemporaries (such as Little Richard, Chuck Berry, and Fats Domino), were among the first wave of African-American pop music to become noticed and popular with white audiences.[10] Elvis Presley reportedly used to see Brown perform whenever he appeared in Memphis.[5] In addition to Brown's influence on blues music, and 1950s R&B and pop, Brown's powerful and protean voice, combined with his distinctive emotive style, is widely viewed as a key link in the development of soul music.[8][11]
1980s comeback
In the early 1980s, a renewed interest in R&B led to some of Brown's early songs being released on European albums. At the urging of Bob Margolin, former guitarist for Muddy Waters's band and a fan of Brown, Brown returned to the music industry, beginning with a successful tour of Scandinavia in 1983.[12] In 1984, 14 years since his last recording, Brown signed with Landslide Records and released the album Tore Up[13] with The Heartfixers.[14][15] Other recordings followed.[16]
Brown's Savoy Records hit, "Piddly Patter" was featured in the John Waters film, Cry-Baby, starring Johnny Depp.[17]
Later life
Nappy Brown's final album, Long Time Coming, recorded in May 2007, on Blind Pig Records, was released on September 25, 2007. Reviews were overwhelmingly positive (4-1/2 stars from Allmusic);[18][19][20] the album and Brown were each nominated for a Blues Music Award (the genre's highest honor).[21] The album, produced by Scott Cable, featured the guitarists Sean Costello, Bob Margolin, Junior Watson, and other special guests including baritone saxophonist Joe Sunseri performing Brown's hits and several new songs. In the fall of 2007, Nappy Brown was Living Blues Magazine's September cover artist, and followed that honor with a European tour.[22] Brown was a musical guest on Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home Companion on October 20, 2007.[23]
At the ceremony for the Blues Music Awards in May 2008, Brown gave one last electrifying performance, capping an incredible comeback year.[24][25]
On June 1, 2008 following a performance at the Crawfish Festival in Augusta, New Jersey, Brown fell ill due to series of ailments and was hospitalized.[26] He died in his sleep on September 20, 2008 at Mercy Hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina.[3][27]
Brown was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame on August 24, 2002.
Recordings
Roots To Scandinavian Blues (LP 1983/remastered 2009) with Knut Reiersrud guitar. Hot Club Records/Jon Larsen
Discography
Singles Discography
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | Label | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US R&B | US | |||
| 1954 | "I Wonder (What's Wrong With Me)" | — | — | Savoy |
| 1955 | "Don't Be Angry" | 2 | 25 | |
| "Piddly Patter" | 5 | — | ||
| "Just a Little Love" | — | — | ||
| "Doodle I Love You" | — | — | ||
| 1956 | "Open Up That Door (And Walk Right In My Heart)" | — | — | |
| "Love, Baby" | — | — | ||
| "Little By Little" | 12 | 56 | ||
| 1957 | "Pretty Girl" | — | — | |
| "Bye Bye Baby" | — | — | ||
| "The Right Time" | — | — | ||
| 1958 | "If You Need Some Lovin'" | — | — | |
| "It Don't Hurt No More" | 8 | 89 | ||
| "You're Going to Need Someone" | — | — | ||
| 1959 | "This Is My Confession" | — | — | |
| "I Cried Like a Baby" | 22 | — | ||
| "Too Shy" | — | — | ||
| 1960 | "My Baby Knows" | — | — | |
| "Baby-Cry-Cry-Cry-Baby" | — | — | ||
| "Apple Of My Eye" | — | — | ||
| "Nobody Can Say" | — | — | ||
| 1961 | "Coal Miner" | — | — | |
| 1962 | "I've Had My Fun" | — | — | |
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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- ↑ 3.0 3.1 [1][dead link]
- ↑ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-2002 (ISBN 0-89820-155-1)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Juke Blues no.66, 2008, p.60
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[dead link]
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[dead link]
- ↑ [2][dead link]
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- ↑ [3][dead link]
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- ↑ [4][dead link]
- ↑ [5][dead link]
- ↑ [6][dead link]
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- ↑ [7][dead link]
- ↑ [8][dead link]
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External links
- The new album: Long Time Coming
- The album's 4-1/2 star review from Allmusic
- Prairie Home Companion, Oct 20, 2007 -- with Nappy Brown
- Nappy Brown's Myspace page
- An audio review of the new album, Long Time Coming from the WXPN blues show podcast
- Some reviews ofLong Time Coming
- Blind Pig Records news
- Artist profile, from Piedmont Talent
- Blues Hall of Fame
- Articles with dead external links from July 2014
- Articles with dead external links from November 2010
- Articles with dead external links from September 2010
- Articles with dead external links from July 2010
- Pages with broken file links
- Articles with hCards
- 1929 births
- 2008 deaths
- American rhythm and blues singers
- American blues singers
- American male composers
- American soul musicians
- American male singer-songwriters
- American blues singer-songwriters
- African-American musicians
- African-American singers
- Black Top Records artists
- Savoy Records artists
- Jump blues musicians
- Musicians from Charlotte, North Carolina
- 20th-century American singers
