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Big Twist and the Mellow Fellows was an American blues and rhythm and blues group.
The frontman was singer, drummer and harmonica player Lawrence "Big Twist" Nolan (né Lawrence Millard Nolan; 23 September 1937, Terre Haute, Indiana – 14 March 1990, Broadview, Illinois). He began singing in church at the age of six. In the mid to late 1950s he moved to Colp, Illinois and began singing and played drums in a bar band, the Mellow Fellows, performing everything from R & B, blues and country music. At the beginning of the 1970s he joined with guitarist Pete Special and tenor saxophonist Terry Ogolini, and the band put out albums on Flying Fish Records and Alligator Records. Over the decade, the group earned a loyal following and moved from private parties to the big stages. Big Twist and the Mellows success led them to appear on national television programs, including having their music videos for “300 Pounds of Heavenly Joy” and “Too Much BBQ” appear on the USA network and MTV. Big Twist toured with the Band, B.B. King, Muddy Waters and many other notable acts. The band's repertoire was a mixture of soul, rhythm and blues, and rock, a mixture that was equally popular among young and old.
Big Twist (no one who actually knew him ever called him "Larry"; according to a former BTMF Stage Manager, bassist Tango West - his nephew - called him "Uncle Twist") died in March 1990 of a heart attack. The Illinois State Historic Association placed a marker dedicated to the life of Big Twist on the Court House Lawn in Murphysboro, Illinois. The group played on, with new singer Martin Allbritton, from Carbondale, Illinois. The saxophonist and producer Gene "Daddy G" Barge often appeared as a guest vocalist. After the founding member Peter Special left the band, they called themselves the Chicago Rhythm And Blues Kings, and remain a popular band in Illinois.
Discography
- 1980 Big Twist & The Mellow Fellows (Flying Fish Records)
- 1982 "One Track Mind" (Flying Fish Records)
- 1983 Playing for Keeps (Alligator Records)
- 1987 Live from Chicago! - Bigger Than Life !! (Alligator Records)
- 1990 Street Party (Alligator Records)
References
- ^ Colin Larkin, ed. (1995). The Guinness Who's Who of Blues (Second ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 36. ISBN 0-85112-673-1.
- Eagle, Bob; LeBlanc, Eric S. (2013). Blues - A Regional Experience. Santa Barbara: Praeger Publishers. p. 136. ISBN 978-0313344237.
- "Big Twist & the Mellow Fellows | Album Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
- "Mellow Fellows - Street Party". Audiophileusa.com. Retrieved March 4, 2021.