John Norman Mapp (1928–1988) was a

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

vocalist and composer.

Biography

Mapp was born and raised in

Queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...

, New York. He was married to Marilyn Patricia Folk Lewis Mapp, and was the father of four sons, one daughter and one stepson, David, John, Brian, Eric, Robin and Norman respectively. He started his music career as a singer with the U.S. Army band during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

while stationed in Europe. He returned home after his honorable discharge.

Dinah Washington Dinah Washington (born Ruth Lee Jones; August 29, 1924 – December 14, 1963) was an American singer and pianist, who has been cited as "the most popular black female recording artist of the 1950s songs". Primarily a jazz vocalist, she performe ...

, after an evening of performing, went into a

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street (Manhattan), 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and 110th Street (Manhattan), ...

night club to hear Mapp sing at his debut, and she adopted him as her protégé, encouraged him to continue singing and writing songs, and helped him start his career as a soloist and big-band musician. In February 1988, Anthony Scaduto wrote Mapp's obituary for ''New York Newsday'' and quoted Mapp's friend, trumpeter Clark Terry, who said, "He was the warmest human being who ever lived. Very beautiful, very talented." In the same obituary, Norman Mapp was quoted from a previous ''Newsday'' interview in 1986 as saying he "never regretted making music his career...because it brought him a wealth of experience, plus the opportunity to know and work with people such as Count Basie, Dinah Washington, Sy Oliver." On learning of his passing, Arthur Prysock said, "I thought he was a great fellow. He's going to be missed."''New York Newsday'', 1988. Mapp's songs include "Jazz Ain't Nothin' but Soul", "I Worry 'Bout You", "Mr. Ugly", "In the Night", "Free Spirits", and "Foul Play". His songs were performed by Count Basie, Betty Carter, Marvin Gaye, Gigi Gryce, Peggy Lee, and Arthur Prysock.

Discography

* ''Jazz Aint Nothin but Soul''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mapp, Norman 1928 births 1988 deaths American jazz singers American jazz composers American male jazz composers People from Queens, New York Singers from New York City United States Army personnel of World War II United States Army soldiers 20th-century American singers 20th-century American composers Jazz musicians from New York (state) 20th-century American male musicians 20th-century jazz composers