R.I.P.

Napoleon Culp, better known to the world as Nappy Brown passed away over the weekend, just a few week’s shy of his 79th birthday. Nappy was born on October 12, 1929 in Charlotte, NC and raised on the spiritual sound of gospel music. As a young man, he sang in the local Charlotte gospel group, the Heavenly Lights. He was signed to Savoy Records in 1954 and switched over to secular rhythm & blues. Nothing sounded like Nappy’s “Don’t Be Angry” when it hit the air in 1955. Nappy told me that Ray Charles didn’t release his version of “The Right Time” until Nappy’s version had “cooled” off. Ray’s would become the standard, but it is heavily based on Nappy’s interpretation of the song. I had the privilege of interviewing Nappy last October as he promoted his fantastic new album “Long Time Coming”. Shortly after the album’s release, Nappy became very sick and his health only deteriorated from there. I’ll be playing back that interview as we honor the late, great Nappy Brown tonight on the Night Prowl Show.

Earl Palmer
1924 – 2008

Billy Vera says of Earl Palmer, “… a good guy and maybe the greatest studio drummer of them all.” That’s a great way to sum up Earl Palmer in one sentence. He died in his Los Angeles home after a long illness on Friday, September 19 at the age of 84.
He was a great studio drummer during the early to mid 1950s in New Orleans, playing on almost everything Fats Domino, Little Richard and Smiley Lewis cut. He worked on hundreds of sessions at Cosimo Matassa’s famous J&M; studios in New Orleans. By the mid-1950s, he decided to give LA a try, which he soon conquered. Palmer appeared on records by Eddie Cochran, Frank Sinatra, Ike & Tina’s “River Deep, Mountain High” and even the Righteous Brothers’ “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling”. So, as you can see, Billy Vera was right on the money when he said that Earl Palmer may possibly be the greatest studio drummer of them all. Now, that’s a backbeat I can dig.

Earl was inducted into The Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame as a sideman in 2000.

I will feature some of Earl’s best studio drumming on tonight’s Night Prowl Show.

There will always be only ONE Bo Diddley. He didn’t look or sound like anyone else in 1955 when his debut single on Checker Records (Checker 814) was dropped on an unsuspecting world and in 2008, he was still as unique as ever. The glasses, the jacket, the square guitar and that beat. Oh, that beat. I think Bo’s legacy will be that infectious “Bo Diddley Beat” that has crossed generational lines and is as catchy today as ever. The beat was largely based on the African “hambone” rhythm, but Bo really made it his trademark right from the start.

Ellas Otha Bates McDaniel was 79 years old when he passed away in the wee hours of Monday, June 2, 2008. He died of heart failure. In recent years, Bo had survived a stroke and a heart attack. He was a survivor, who endured long after the hit records stopped coming. He continued to tour and musically innovate. His recent work involved new sounds, beats and even hip hop influences. Bo never settled on playing his breakthrough hit “Bo Diddley” over and over on the oldies circuit. He was always striving for the next “thing”. Maybe now, he’s finally found it? Music lovers everywhere will miss this father of rock n’ roll, this one of a kind. Our music needs more unique individuals like Mr. Diddley.

Tonight on the Night Prowl Show, Matt The Cat will honor the music and legacy of the GREAT Bo Diddley. Don’t miss a single “beat”.

Rest in peace, Bo. You may be silenced, but the “beat” goes on….forever!

-Matt The Cat