From: "Dik de Heer" Date: Wed Jan 9, 2002 1:16 am Subject: Born To Be With You : Big Al Downing BIG AL DOWNING (By Shaun Mather) Born on 9th January 1940 on a farm near Lenapah, Oklahoma, Big Al Downing is a rare breed. A black artist who not only succeeded in the country music field, but also cut some top-notch, redneck rockabilly in the late 1950's. He grew up listening to the coloured sounds of the powerful WLAC station out of Nashville, as well as hearing the country sounds of the Grand Ole Opry. His passion for music exploded in his early teens, after he found and took home, a battered piano from a junkyard. He soon developed a talent for imitating the stars of the day and soon won a talent contest singing Fats Domino's Blueberry Hill. After one such talent show at KGGF in Coffeyville, Kansas in 1957, Al won the contest and joined white rock'n'roller Bobby Poe (Bobby Brant) and his backing band, The Poe-Kats. In an effort to spread their appeal, their live shows saw Al doing the Little Richard and Chuck Berry tunes, while Poe did the Elvis and Jerry Lee covers. They sent demos to record labels across the nation, but the only one to show an interest was the White Rock label in Dallas. A four track session was cut in Jan '58 with Poe and Downing taking the vocals on two tracks each. The two Downing numbers were real powerhouse rockers, Down On The Farm and Oh! Babe, and within a month of coming out on White Rock, they were picked up in a lease deal by the California based Challenge label. Booking agent Jim Halsey signed them up as backing band for one of his artists, Wanda Jackson. They can be heard on some of her best R&R records like Let's Have A Party, Mean Mean Man and Long Tall Sally. With Challenge showing no interest in a follow-up, a second single was released by White Rock in August '58. This time the single (Miss Lucy/Just Around The Corner) was picked up by the Carlton label, who in April '59 issued a follow-up, When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again c/w It Must Be Love. Both tunes were cut at Cosimo Matassa's New Orleans studio with the cream of the city's musicians, like Red Tyler and Dr John. Three releases followed on the V-Tone label, the pick of the bunch being the Domino styled, Yes I'm Loving You. The early sixties were spent label hopping between the likes of Kansoma, Chess, Pop-Line and Lenox. Georgia Slop on Columbia was a classic and was one of 1964's few real rockers. He hit the R&B charts in 1975 with I'll Be Holding On, before shifting his emphasis to country music at the end of the decade. Between 1978 and '83 he had 5 country hits, three of them reaching the top 20. He was even named Billboard's Number One New Male Country Singles Artist in 1979. Nowadays, when he visits the shores of Europe, it's pretty much based on his reputation as an original rock'n'roller, and fans are treated to his home spun classics Down On The Fam and Georgia Slop, as well as his crowd pleasing medley of impersonations, including a brilliant Fats Domino. I saw him give a great show at a Bath All-Dayer about ten years ago and at Hemsby two years ago, and I certainly look forward to the next time. Recommended listening: Rockin' Down the Farm, vol. 1 (Eagle CD).