Nappy Brown

Biography

Napoleon Brown Goodson Culp (October 12, 1929 – September 20, 2008) better known by his stage name Nappy Brown, was an American R&B singer. His hits include the 1955 Billboard chart No. 2 "Don't Be Angry×Don't Be Angry1984 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracksA1Is It True2:49A2That Man3:00A3I Wonder3:02A4Two Faced Woman2:27A5Just a Little Love2:11A6It's Really You2:59A7Don't Be Angry2:25A8Land I Love2:45B1I'm in the Mood2:35B2Open Up That Door2:19B3I Want to Live2:24B4Skiddy Woe2:54B5I'm Getting Lonesome2:23B6I Cried Like a Baby2:37B7Bye Bye Baby3:18B8Little by Little2:33", "Little By Little", and "Night Time Is the Right Time×Night Time Is the Right Time2002 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 36 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Don’t Be Angry2:242I Wonder (What’s Wrong with Me)3:053Two-Faced Woman (And a Lyin’ Man)2:314That Man3:045Just a Little Love2:136Is It Really You?3:017Piddily Patter Patter2:048I’m in the Mood2:399Well Well Well Baby La2:3910Open Up That Door2:2211I’m Getting Lonesome2:2812My Baby2:3413Goody Goody Gum Drop1:5414A Long Time2:3015Bye, Bye Baby3:2216Am I2:1617Love Baby2:5318Pleasin’ You2:15Disc 21I’m Gonna Get You2:262I Cried Like a Baby2:403The Right Time3:024There’ll Come a Day2:515It Don’t Hurt No More2:266Baby-Cry-Cry-Baby2:477Love Locks2:478Down in the Valley2:299Baby, I Got News for You2:3010Little by Little2:3611The Hole I’m In2:4312Skidy Woe2:5713I’ve Had My Fun3:1814Didn’t You Know3:0115Coal Miner2:3816The Lock on the Door3:1117So Glad I Don’t Have to Cry No More2:5618Any Time Is the Right Time3:03". His style was recognizable; Brown used a wide vibrato, melisma, and distinctive extra syllables, in particular, "li-li-li-li-li."

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. In 1954 he won a recording contract with Savoy Records, which yielded a series of hits, including "Don't Be Angry×Don't Be Angry1984 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracksA1Is It True2:49A2That Man3:00A3I Wonder3:02A4Two Faced Woman2:27A5Just a Little Love2:11A6It's Really You2:59A7Don't Be Angry2:25A8Land I Love2:45B1I'm in the Mood2:35B2Open Up That Door2:19B3I Want to Live2:24B4Skiddy Woe2:54B5I'm Getting Lonesome2:23B6I Cried Like a Baby2:37B7Bye Bye Baby3:18B8Little by Little2:33" (No. 2 R&B, No. 25 pop, 1955), "Pitter Patter" (No. 10 R&B, 1955), "Little By Little" (No. 57 pop, 1956), and "It Don't Hurt No More" (No. 8 R&B, No. 89 pop, 1958). Brown was among the biggest stars in R&B, frequently touring with the revues of Alan Freed.
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. Elvis Presley reportedly used to see Brown perform whenever he appeared in Memphis. 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.

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. In 1984, 14 years since his last recording, Brown signed with Landslide Records and released the album Tore Up×Tore Up1984 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracksA1WhoA2You Can Make It If You TryA3HeartbreakA4Lemon Squeezin’ DaddyA5Jack the RabbitB1Hidden CharmsB2Losing HandB3Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With YouB4Hard Luck BluesB5Tore Up Over YouB6It Ain’t My Cross to Bear with The Heartfixers. Other recordings followed.
Brown's Savoy Records hit, "Piddly Patter" was featured in the John Waters film, Cry-Baby, starring Johnny Depp.

Later life

Nappy Brown's final album, Long Time Coming×Long Time Coming2007 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Keep on Pleasin’ You3:072You Were a Long Time Coming4:143Don’t Be Angry2:264Give Me Your Love4:495That Man3:096Right Time3:327Who4:368Cherry Red4:039Aw Shucks, Baby3:0110Every Shut Eye Ain’t Sleepin’5:4511Bye Bye Baby3:3912Take Care of Me4:28, recorded in May 2007, on Blind Pig Records, was released on September 25, 2007. Reviews were positive; the album and Brown were each nominated for a Blues Music Award. The album, produced by Scott Cable, featured the guitarists Sean Costello, Bob Margolin, Junior Watson, Joe Sunseri and other special guests 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. Brown was a musical guest on Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home Companion on October 20, 2007.
At the ceremony for the Blues Music Awards in May 2008, Brown gave one last performance, capping a significant comeback year.
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. He died in his sleep on September 20, 2008, at Mercy Hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Brown was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame on August 24, 2002.
Nappy Brown's 1956 recording of "Open Up That Door", is featured in a national commercial for Google, as of June 2020.

Recordings

Roots To Scandinavian Blues (LP 1983/remastered 2009) with Knut Reiersrud guitar. Hot Club Records/Jon Larsen. Nappy Brown and The Electric City band. "Who's Been Fooling You" [1997/ new moon music]

Albums

Thanks For Nothing 1969
Yes, I Know the Man 1974
When I Get Inside 1977
Tore Up 1984
Don't Be Angry! 1984
Something Gonna Jump Out the Bushes! 1987
Deep Sea Diver 1989
Apples & Lemons 1990
Aw! Shucks 1991
I'm a Wild Man 1994
Just For Me 1996
Who's Been Foolin' You 1997
Best of Both Worlds 1998
Long Time Coming 2007