Нолан Стронг және Diablos тобының тарихы

American, Detroit based, R&B and doo wop vocal group

Nolan Strong and the Diablos, also billed as The Diablos Featuring Nolan Strong, were an American, Detroit based, R&B and doo wop vocal group, best known for their songs "The Wind" and "Mind Over Matter". They had one record that spent a week on the Billboard R&B chart, "The Way You Dog Me Around", which reached no. 12 in January 1956. The group was one of the more popular pre Motown R&B acts in Detroit during the mid 1950s, through the early 1960s. Its original members were Nolan Strong, Juan Gutierrez, Willie Hunter, Quentin Eubanks, and Bob Edwards. The group recorded for Fortune Records, along with label mates Andre Williams and Nathaniel Mayer. The Diablos recorded for the family operated label in Detroit starting in 1954 until around 1964, with some of their records still being released through the 1970s.

Nolan Strong was born in Scottsboro, Alabama on January 22, 1934, and moved to Detroit at a young age. He started singing soon after arriving in Detroit and formed his first Diablos group in 1950. Nolan was drafted into the U. S. Army in 1956 and was honorably discharged in 1958. Nolan Strong, the lead vocalist, had a high tenor voice. Strong's smooth voice, influenced mainly by Clyde McPhatter was, in turn, a primary influence on a young Smokey Robinson. Nolan died on February 21, 1977, at the age of 43 in Detroit. Little is known about the last years of his life.

The Diablos' 1954 song "The Wind" always has been regarded a classic among R&B and doo wop fans. The group had a unique sound, centered around the high lead tenor voice of Nolan Strong. Besides "The Wind", the Diablos were known for many songs, such as "Adios My Desert Love", "Can't We Talk This Over", "Mambo of Love", "If I", "Harriet", "I Am With You", "Goodbye Matilda", "I Wanna Know", "Beside You", "Mind Over Matter", and "The Way You Dog Me Around". The group formed at Central High School in Detroit around 1950 and originally consisted of Strong (lead tenor), Juan Gutierrez (tenor), Willie Hunter (baritone), Quentin Eubanks (bass), and Bob "Chico" Edwards (guitar). The Diablos name is said to have come from a book, El Niño Diablo (The Devil Child), that Strong was reading for a high school book report. In late 1953, the Diablos went into Detroit's Fortune Record Studios to cut some demo sides, with the hopes of furthering their career. Their hopes were realized even more quickly than they expected. Those demos impressed Jack and Devora Brown, owners of Fortune, who immediately signed the group to record for their label. Their first recording for Fortune was the Devora Brown penned "Adios My Desert Love", a cha cha influenced tune. By late 1956, more changes occurred. Scott decided to leave the group about this time to join Hank Ballard & the Midnighters and again the Diablos were in need of a bass. Jay Johnson, who was introduced to Strong through fellow Fortune artist Andre Williams. Although not quite 16 at the time, Jay Johnson was already a veteran singer, having sung bass with Williams' "new" group on "Bacon Fat", "Just Because of a Kiss", "Mean Jean", and "Bobby Jean". (Williams' "new" group consisted of Gino Parks, Bobby Calhoun, Steve Gaston, and Johnson.) The group disbanded by 1964, with a few more record releases and reissues the following years. Jimmy Strong died on January 29, 1970, at age 34. Edwards died March 17, 2001, at age 63. All other members, with the exception of Johnson, are also deceased.

By the later part of 1963, as the Diablos were dissolving, the Velvet Angels were forming. The group included Diablos alumni Jay Johnson and Willie Hunter along with Bobby Calhoun (baritone) and Cy Iverson (tenor). Iverson had gone to high school with Johnson, and Bobby Calhoun had recorded with Johnson as part of Williams' "new" group on Fortune. They were inspired by groups like the Mills Brothers and Ink Spots. The Velvet Angels performed at clubs around Detroit and across the border in Canada and soon traveled to New Jersey in search a deal and shows. Soon after setting up residence in Jersey City, New Jersey, they found an advertisement for a talent show in the local paper. They performed at the show and won. Frank Sheldon, the show sponsor and owner of the Tender Trap club in Fairview, New Jersey, was looking for this type of group. The Velvet Angels were talented and versatile doing a mix of R&B, pop, gospel, and soul music, and doing them all a cappella. Things were starting to happen for the Velvet Angels; they were hired to do commercials for Lionel Trains, but their manager became ill and that deal fell apart. In 1964 "I'm in Love" b/w "Let Me Come Back" was issued as Medieval 201. Both sides highlighted the bass work of Johnson, with a bass lead on "Let Me Come Back", and the driving bass on "I'm in Love" (also released as Co Op 201). Medieval credits "Strong" as the writer while the Co Op version credits "Calhoun Hunter Johnson Iverson". Strong is heard on these tapes but mostly as a background singer, although he did lead vocal on "Fools Rush In". More Velvet Angels material was released later through Gries on the Relic Best of Acapella series, as well as his Acappella Showcase Presents the Velvet Angels LP, also on Relic. The picture of the Velvet Angels that appeared on the Relic Velvet Angels album incorrectly identifies Johnson (third from left) as Strong. In a 2008 interview with Goldmine, Smokey Robinson said: "There was a guy who lived in Detroit and had a group called the Diablos. His name was Nolan Strong. They were my favorite vocalists at that time." In 2007, the Metro Times listed "The Wind" at #11 in The 100 Greatest Detroit Songs list, which was the November 11 cover story. In September 2010 Daddy Rockin' Strong: A Tribute to Nolan Strong & the Diablos, an LP, was released by The Wind Records, with distribution by Norton Records. The album features 13 new Diablos covers by a cast of rock and roll, punk and garage rock bands. It features the Dirtbombs, Reigning Sound, Demon's Claws, Wreckless Eric & Amy Rigby and Mark Sultan, among others. Jay Johnson, the last surviving member of the Diablos, formed a new Diablos group in 2007 with vocalists: Bobby Turk, Art Howard, Mike Clark. The group, billed as "Nolan Strong's Diablos", is presently active in the United States.

All releases are on the Fortune Records label, Detroit, Michigan, unless otherwise noted.