R&B;, blues singer started in a choir

Nappy Brown, 78, a gospel-influenced R&B; and blues singer of such hits as “It Don’t Hurt No More,” “I Cried Like a Baby” and “Don’t Be Angry,” died Sept. 13 in Charlotte, N.C., after a lengthy hospitalization, according to his label, Blind Pig Records.

Brown built his reputation in the mid-1950s as a baritone blues shouter. He recorded “(Night Time Is) the Right Time,” which later became a hit for Ray Charles.

Born Napoleon Brown Culp in 1929 in Charlotte, the musician grew up singing in a church choir with his father. He also sang in a gospel group with his cousins.

Last year, Brown returned to his musical roots with an album titled “Long Time Coming” and performed on Garrison Keillor’s radio show “A Prairie Home Companion.”