From:   "Dik de Heer" 
Date:  Wed Jan 22, 2003  6:17 am
Subject:  Born To Be With You : Nolan Strong
 
NOLAN STRONG (& the Diablos) (By Steve Walker)

Born 22 January 1934, Scottsboro, Alabama

Died 21 February 1977, Michigan

Nolan Strong & The Diablos were, without knowing it, the forerunners of the
Detroit rhythm and blues sound. They merged Latin, blues, and modern rhythms
into a style that later on influenced the mighty music machine at Motown.

In common with many of his southern contemporaries born in the 1930's, Nolan
Strong moved with his family to Detroit at a young age. He started singing soon
after arriving in Detroit and formed his first Diablos group with Bob "Chico"
Edwards in 1950. Backing up Nolan's natural tenor voice were Juan Guieterriez as
second tenor, Willie Hunter singing baritone, Quentin Eubanks as bass and
Edwards on guitar, all from Detroit's Central High School. The name Diablos is
said to have come from a book , "El Nino Diablo" (The Little Devil) that Nolan
was reading for a high school book report.

In late 1953, the Diablos went in to Detroit's Fortune Records to cut some demo
sides, with the hopes of furthering their career by taking the resulting demos
to one of the hot r&b labels of the period - maybe Chess, King or United. Their
hopes were realized even more quickly than they expected. The recordings
obviously impressed Jack & Devora Brown, owners of Fortune, who immediately
signed the group up. Their first recording for Fortune was the Devora Brown
penned "Adios My Desert Love" c/w "An Old Fashioned Girl" and this was released
in April 1954. The group were accompanied by Joe Weaver and his Blue Note
Orchestra.

But it was their second Fortune outing which would establish the group among the
r&b legends. Written by the group members, "The Wind" had a haunting sound, with
the group chanting "Blow Wind" in harmony behind Nolan's delicate tenor lead,
and smooth-as-silk talking bridge. Sales were brisk in Detroit, Chicago,
Toledo, New York and Cleveland, although poor distribution, a constant problem
for small labels, kept it from the national charts. The recording was arranged
and directed by Maurice King, long-time impresario and leader of the house band
at the Flame Show Bar for many years.

Over the next two years the Diablos, with various changes of personnel, would
turn out several more fine records, including "Route 16", "Do You Remember What
You Did", "Daddy Rockin' Strong", "The Way You Dog Me Around", "You Are", and "A
Teardrop From Heaven".

In late 1956, Nolan received a call from Uncle Sam and was soon off to the
service for a two year stint. While Nolan was in the army, the Diablos released
one single without him. This was "Harriet" b/w "Come Home Little Girl", and
featured baritone Willie Hunter on lead.

After Nolan came back from the service, honourably discharged in 1958, things
weren't quite the same. Perhaps in keeping with the times, more of the attention
was being focused on Nolan and not the group. Back in 1954, records showed "The
Diablos featuring Nolan Strong". Then the billing changed to "Nolan Strong & The
Diablos". And by 1962, when "Mind Over Matter" was climbing the charts, the
label just read "Nolan Strong", although the Diablos were most definitely on the
record as prominent as ever. This lack of recognition along with financial
inequities (lack of royalties & unequal pay to the group members vs. Nolan),
inevitably had to lead to the group's demise.

Nolan Strong, who cited Clyde McPhatter as a major influence, because "he was so
smooth", had one of the most sensitive and beautiful falsetto voices ever (the
opinion of Jay Warner in his fine book, "American Singing Groups"). He was very
influential in the vocal styling of Smokey Robinson, who cut a rough demo of
"Adios, My Desert Love" in 1954 and was known to have jammed with the Diablos
when Nolan was in the army. Smokey knew all the Diablos tunes and was very good
at emulating Nolan's style. Berry Gordy had wanted to bring the Diablos into
his fast growing Motown complex and is said to have offered Jack & Devora Brown
$5,000 for the Diablos contract, but the deal never transpired, much to the
disappointment of the group who felt that Motown could have done a better job in
promoting and recording them. Later, Gordy would cover the Diablos "Mind Over
Matter" on his Mel-O-Dy label with a group called the Pirates (a.k.a.
Temptations). There was a further Motown connection in that Nolan Strong and
Barrett ("Money") Strong were first cousins.

Nolan Strong died on 21 February, 1977 at the age of 43.

Recommended listening:

Motor City - Detroit Doo-Wops - The Diablos Vol. 1. Regency RR111

Motor City - Detroit Doo-Wops - The Diablos Vol. 2 . Regency RR112
A very good site, which formed the basis of the above, dedicated to Nolan Strong
& The Diablos (with excellent pictures), can be found at:
http://members.aol.com/dowopdowah/diabs.htm