Los Diablos

Originally hailing from Detroit, Michigan, USA, the vocal quintet’s founding lineup featured Nolan Strong handling lead vocals, alongside tenor Juan Guitierriez, baritone Willie Hunter, bass Quentin Eubanks, and guitarist Bob ‘Chico’ Edwards. Strong, born 22 January 1934 in Scottsboro, Alabama, USA, and deceased 21 February 1977, delivered a high tenor strongly reminiscent of Clyde McPhatter, enabling the Diablos to assemble a catalog that achieved only modest chart traction yet earned enduring admiration from doo-wop collectors. Established in 1950, the ensemble joined Fortune Records in 1953 under owners Jack and Devora Brown; the latter, a poet and songwriter, contributed several signature numbers. A Brown-penned track, ‘Adios My Desert Love’, brought regional notice in 1954. Their subsequent single, the lush ballad ‘The Wind’ issued the same year, registered as a localized success but later attained wider reverence, prompting a popular 1960 remake by the Jesters. Following that release, Strong’s brothers George and Jimmy stepped in for Eubanks and Guitierriez. The updated roster scored a national R&B hit in 1956 with the gritty, blues-inflected ‘Way You Dog Me Around’, which reached number 12. The Diablos remained active during Strong’s military service from 1956 to 1958, yet after his return the lineup proved unstable and the group slowly dissolved. In 1962 Strong notched a solo Fortune success with ‘Mind Over Matter’, climbing high on numerous regional surveys. During 1963 an informal collection of former members touring the east coast sold rehearsal a cappella tapes to a collector; these surfaced in 1972 as the Relic album Acappella Showcase, credited to the Velvet Angels. The Diablos’ final Fortune single appeared in 1964, after which the act disbanded.