Bill Napier (2)

Mandolin player and composer. Napier was born December 17, 1935 in Grundy, Virginia and is passed away May 3, 2000 in Gray, Tennessee, USA. Bill Started with the Stanley Brothers in the late 1950s, playing mandolin, performing comedy as “Dad” Napier, and cutting some of the Stanleys’ last Mercury records, which included his composition, “Daybreak In Dixie.” Napier switched to lead guitar when they went with King Records in Cincinnati and Syd Nathan wanted a new distinctive sound for the band. He partnered with Charlie Moore in 1960 and played both lead guitar and banjo. They released one single, “Big Daddy of the Blues” on Wayne Raney’s American label, and then went with King Records, where they recorded at least nine albums. After the duo split, Napier relocated to Michigan, where he recorded sporadically.