Nappy Brown, who enjoyed one of the most inspiring musical comebacks of the last several years, died on Saturday at age 78. A native and most recently a resident of Charlotte, North Carolina, Brown (born Napoleon Brown Culp) started out his recording career as a member of the gospel group the Heavenly Lights. In the mid-’50s Herman Lubinsky, the owner of his label Savoy Records, convinced Brown to switch over to secular music, and the decision turned out to be a good one. His first hit was “Don’t Be Angry,” which featured Brown’s distinctive vocal mannerism of rolling his “l”s. Another of his early recordings was of his composition “(Night Time is the) Right Time,” which became a hit in the hands of Ray Charles. By the ‘60s Brown had largely gone back to gospel, and he performed relatively little in the 1970s. In the early ‘80s European fans of Brown’s early records sparked a career revival, but the excitement of his comeback died down by the end of the decade.
He remained active as a performer, though, particularly in the Carolinas’ vital but oft overlooked shag or “beach music” scene. Last year he recorded the album Long Time Coming (Blind Pig), on which he recreated his vintage sound with the help of leading players on the contemporary scene, including the late Sean Costello. Earlier this year I got to see Brown at the Blues Music Awards in Tunica and he gave a wonderful performance which included dramatic drops to the stage floor. I heard some people complained that he ran over his allotted time–I thought it was one of the few things that made the event worth attending! Brown fell sick not long after that performance, but it’s nice to know that he ended his career on a high note. Here’s a clip of him from a recent festival with a fine performance of “Right Time.”
Sujet: RIP NAPPY BROW !! 
Bebop !!! 