Nicolle “Nikki D” Brown, born on August 19, 1971, in Toledo, Ohio, was introduced to the Hawaiian steel guitar at the age of eight as a member of the Soul City House of God, International Church. Her musical journey was nurtured by her parents, Curtis and Ruth Brown, who purchased her first Fender lap steel guitar from Durdell’s Music, a local Toledo music store.

Ruth Durdell provided Nikki’s first formal lessons, shaping her foundational skills.

Her sacred steel influences include Yolando Ramsey, Henry Tyson, Fran E. Grace, Greg Newell, and Del Ray Grace, all of whom contributed to her development within the tradition. As a lap steel player and lead vocalist, Nikki became a central figure in the Brown Family Singers, a gospel quartet founded by her parents. Expanding her musical endeavors, she established Sisters of Thunder in 2011, a sacred steel band featuring her three sisters, a nephew, and a niece.

Nikki’s performances have reached major stages, including the Black Swamp Festival, where she collaborated with the Slide Brothers in 2018 and headlined with her own band in 2019. Additionally, she formed the Turner Brown Band alongside Australian blues guitarist Dom Turner, further broadening her influence within sacred steel and blues music.