Napoleon Murphy Brock facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Napoleon Murphy Brock
Brock at Knuckleheads Saloon in Kansas City, Missouri in 2012
Background information
Birth name	Napoleon Murphy Brock
Born	(1943-04-23) April 23, 1943 (age 82) San Jose, California, U.S.
Genres	Experimental music, rock, R&B, jazz, pop
Occupation(s)	Musician, songwriter, record producer
Instruments	Vocals, saxophone, flute, clarinet, guitar, synthesizer bass, Fender Rhodes
Associated acts	Frank Zappa, Zappa Plays Zappa, George Duke, Captain Beefheart, The Grandmothers of Invention, The Stinkfoot Orchestra

Napoleon Murphy Brock (born April 23, 1943) is an American musician. He is a talented singer, saxophonist, and flute player. He is most famous for his work with the legendary musician Frank Zappa in the 1970s.

Brock's amazing voice and instrument skills can be heard on Zappa's albums. These include Apostrophe ('), Roxy & Elsewhere, One Size Fits All, and Bongo Fury. He sang on popular Zappa songs like "Village of the Sun" and "Florentine Pogen."

Starting a Music Career

Napoleon Murphy Brock performing in 2006

Napoleon Murphy Brock began his music journey in the late 1960s. He started a band called "Communication Plus" in the San Francisco Bay Area. He was the lead singer, wrote songs, and arranged the music. The band played rock music with a strong R&B style. He also played the saxophone and flute.

Brock played in many local clubs. Later, in the early 1970s, he was discovered in Hawaii. Frank Zappa's road manager saw him playing with a dance band. Famous musicians like George Duke and Jean-Luc Ponty were joining Zappa's band. This convinced Brock to join as the lead singer.

Working with Famous Musicians

Brock performed many times with Frank Zappa. He even played the character "Evil Prince" on the Thing-Fish album. He also worked with other great artists like George Duke and Captain Beefheart. More recently, he has performed with bands like Neonfire.

He often performs at Zappanale, a music festival that celebrates Frank Zappa's music. In 2005, Brock appeared in the movie Rock School. This film was about a music program for young people. Brock has supported this program for many years.

In 2006, he toured with Dweezil Zappa, Frank Zappa's son. They performed in the Zappa Plays Zappa shows. Brock also tours regularly with Ike Willis, another musician who worked with Zappa. They play in a band called Project/Object. He has also been part of other Zappa-related projects. These include the band Bogus Pomp and the Ed Palermo Big Band.

Napoleon Murphy Brock often performs with The Grand Mothers Of Invention. This group includes other musicians who played with Frank Zappa. They play Zappa's music and have performed over 90 times since 2002. His own album, Balls, was released in 2003.

Helping Others

In the mid-1960s, Brock studied psychology and music at San Jose State University. During this time, he worked as a counselor at a special education center. He helped young people there. One person he helped, Howard Dully, later wrote a book. Dully remembered Brock as "cool" and said he "played all kinds of instruments."

Winning a Grammy Award

Napoleon Murphy Brock won a Grammy Award on February 8, 2009. This was at the 51st Grammy Awards ceremony. He won for his performance of the song "Peaches en Regalia." He performed this song with the band Zappa Plays Zappa. Steve Vai and Dweezil Zappa were also part of this performance. The original song was on Frank Zappa's 1969 album Hot Rats.

Movies and Documentaries

Brock has appeared in several movies and documentaries about Frank Zappa.

• Baby Snakes
• The Dub Room Special
• A Token of His Extreme
• The Amazing Mr. Bickford
• The True Story of Frank Zappa's 200 Motels
• Roxy the Movie (DVD, 2015)

Music Albums

Solo Albums

Albums with Frank Zappa

Albums with George Duke

See also

In Spanish: Napoleon Murphy Brock para niños