Biography
Among enthusiasts of R&B and doo wop, The Diablos earned enduring admiration through their 1954 masterpiece "The Wind," propelled by Nolan Strong’s high, ethereal lead tenor. Beyond that signature track, the group became associated with numerous other recordings, among them "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 additional titles.
Detroit served as the setting for the group’s formation around 1950, when its original lineup comprised Strong on lead tenor, Juan Guieterriez on tenor, Willie Hunter on baritone, Quentin Eubanks on bass, and Bob "Chico" Edwards on guitar. The name Diablos reportedly originated from El Nino Diablo (The Little Devil), the book Strong was using for a high-school report. In 1954 the quintet entered Fortune Record Studios in Detroit to lay down demo sides intended to advance their career. Owners Jack and Devora Brown found the material compelling enough to sign the group immediately to their label, resulting in the first Fortune release, the cha-cha-inflected "Adios My Desert Love," written by Devora Brown.
The second Fortune session, however, secured the group’s place among R&B legends. Penned by the members themselves, "The Wind" featured an atmospheric arrangement in which the group chanted "blow wind" behind Strong’s delicate tenor, along with a smooth, seductive spoken bridge. After its appearance, Guieterriez and Eubanks departed, succeeded by Strong’s brother Jimmy on tenor and George Scott on bass. Over the ensuing two years this lineup produced further singles such as "Route 16," "Do You Remember What You Did," "Daddy Rockin' Strong," "The Way You Dog Me Around," "You Are," and "A Teardrop From Heaven."
Additional personnel shifts occurred by late 1956. Scott exited to join Hank Ballard & the Midnighters, prompting the arrival of Jay Johnson, who was introduced to Strong by fellow Fortune artist Andre Williams. Already experienced despite being just under seventeen, Johnson had supplied bass vocals for Williams’ new group on "Bacon Fat," "Just Because of a Kiss," "Mean Jean," and "Bobby Jean," alongside Gino Parks, Bobby Calhoun, and Steve Gaston. Impressed, Strong welcomed Johnson, whose initial Diablos session yielded the late-1956 recordings "Can't We Talk It Over" and "Mambo of Love," issued the following year. By the time the first Fortune of Hits album appeared, Johnson had supplanted Scott, although the cover photograph still showed the earlier configuration—an oversight that later contributed to confusion about his tenure. In reality Johnson appears on more Diablos sides than either Eubanks or Scott, including "Beside You," "Mind Over Matter," "Everything They Said Came True," "Welcome Baby to My Heart," "I Wanna Know," "If I Could Be With You," "Since You're Gone," "Harriet," "Harriette It's You," "I Am With You," "Are You Making a Fool Out of Me," "You're My Happiness," "Village of Love," "For Old Times Sake," "My Heart Will Always Belong to You," and "Come Home Little Girl." He also furnished the bass part on the original Fortune version of Nathaniel Mayer & the Fabulous Twilights’ "Village of Love."
Roughly concurrent with Johnson’s arrival, Strong received his draft notice and departed for a two-year military stint. During his absence the Diablos issued one single without him, "Harriet" backed with "Come Home Little Girl," featuring Hunter on lead; the record attracted scant attention. Upon Strong’s return the group cut "Harriette It's You," yet Fortune increasingly promoted Strong individually. Early pressings had read "The Diablos Featuring Nolan Strong," later shifting to "Nolan Strong & the Diablos," and by 1962, when "Mind Over Matter" charted, the label credited only "Nolan Strong," even though the other members remained prominently featured. Mounting dissatisfaction over recognition and royalty distribution ultimately dissolved the group.
Strong’s own style had drawn from Clyde McPhatter, and he in turn influenced Smokey Robinson as well as other figures at Motown. Berry Gordy attempted to acquire the Diablos’ contract, reportedly offering five thousand dollars, only to be countered at fifteen thousand; the transaction never materialized. Gordy later had the Pirates—also known as the Temptations—cover "Mind Over Matter" on the Mel-O-Dy imprint.
As the Diablos wound down, the Velvet Angels emerged, uniting Johnson and Hunter with Calhoun on baritone and Cy Iverson on tenor. Iverson and Johnson had attended high school together, while Calhoun had previously recorded with Johnson in Williams’ new group. Seeking a fresh identity, the singers adopted the name Velvet Angels to evoke their smooth harmonies reminiscent of the Mills Brothers and Ink Spots. The quartet performed throughout Detroit and into Canada before relocating to New Jersey, where they won a local talent contest at the Tender Trap in Fairview, securing steady bookings. They also recorded commercials for Lionel Trains, though the project collapsed when their manager fell ill.
In 1963 Strong visited New Jersey, rehearsed with Johnson and Hunter, and appeared with them at the Tender Trap. Several informal sessions taped at the Madison Hotel in Jersey City later reached Eddie Gries, who issued selections on his Medieval label. The 1964 single "I'm in Love" b/w "Let Me Come Back" (Medieval 201, also Co-Op 201) prominently showcased Johnson’s bass work, with credits listing "Strong" on one pressing and "Calhoun-Hunter-Johnson-Iverson" on the other. Although appreciated by New York-area doo wop collectors, the releases received limited wider notice. Additional material surfaced on Relic’s Best of Acapella series and the Acappella Showcase Presents the Velvet Angels LP; the cover photograph of the latter misidentified Johnson as Strong. The group disbanded in 1964. Calhoun later worked with Stax Records in the South, while Iverson and Hunter returned to Detroit. Johnson remained briefly in New Jersey before rejoining Detroit’s Five Monarchs and, in the late 1960s, forming the Four Sonics, which issued two singles on the Sport label in 1968 and continued recording into the mid-1970s. As of 2002 Johnson remained an active performer, occasionally appearing with Nathaniel Mayer.
Jimmy Strong died January 29, 1970, at age 34; his brother Nolan followed on February 21, 1977, at age 43. Hunter, Edwards, and Eubanks have also passed away.
Detroit served as the setting for the group’s formation around 1950, when its original lineup comprised Strong on lead tenor, Juan Guieterriez on tenor, Willie Hunter on baritone, Quentin Eubanks on bass, and Bob "Chico" Edwards on guitar. The name Diablos reportedly originated from El Nino Diablo (The Little Devil), the book Strong was using for a high-school report. In 1954 the quintet entered Fortune Record Studios in Detroit to lay down demo sides intended to advance their career. Owners Jack and Devora Brown found the material compelling enough to sign the group immediately to their label, resulting in the first Fortune release, the cha-cha-inflected "Adios My Desert Love," written by Devora Brown.
The second Fortune session, however, secured the group’s place among R&B legends. Penned by the members themselves, "The Wind" featured an atmospheric arrangement in which the group chanted "blow wind" behind Strong’s delicate tenor, along with a smooth, seductive spoken bridge. After its appearance, Guieterriez and Eubanks departed, succeeded by Strong’s brother Jimmy on tenor and George Scott on bass. Over the ensuing two years this lineup produced further singles such as "Route 16," "Do You Remember What You Did," "Daddy Rockin' Strong," "The Way You Dog Me Around," "You Are," and "A Teardrop From Heaven."
Additional personnel shifts occurred by late 1956. Scott exited to join Hank Ballard & the Midnighters, prompting the arrival of Jay Johnson, who was introduced to Strong by fellow Fortune artist Andre Williams. Already experienced despite being just under seventeen, Johnson had supplied bass vocals for Williams’ new group on "Bacon Fat," "Just Because of a Kiss," "Mean Jean," and "Bobby Jean," alongside Gino Parks, Bobby Calhoun, and Steve Gaston. Impressed, Strong welcomed Johnson, whose initial Diablos session yielded the late-1956 recordings "Can't We Talk It Over" and "Mambo of Love," issued the following year. By the time the first Fortune of Hits album appeared, Johnson had supplanted Scott, although the cover photograph still showed the earlier configuration—an oversight that later contributed to confusion about his tenure. In reality Johnson appears on more Diablos sides than either Eubanks or Scott, including "Beside You," "Mind Over Matter," "Everything They Said Came True," "Welcome Baby to My Heart," "I Wanna Know," "If I Could Be With You," "Since You're Gone," "Harriet," "Harriette It's You," "I Am With You," "Are You Making a Fool Out of Me," "You're My Happiness," "Village of Love," "For Old Times Sake," "My Heart Will Always Belong to You," and "Come Home Little Girl." He also furnished the bass part on the original Fortune version of Nathaniel Mayer & the Fabulous Twilights’ "Village of Love."
Roughly concurrent with Johnson’s arrival, Strong received his draft notice and departed for a two-year military stint. During his absence the Diablos issued one single without him, "Harriet" backed with "Come Home Little Girl," featuring Hunter on lead; the record attracted scant attention. Upon Strong’s return the group cut "Harriette It's You," yet Fortune increasingly promoted Strong individually. Early pressings had read "The Diablos Featuring Nolan Strong," later shifting to "Nolan Strong & the Diablos," and by 1962, when "Mind Over Matter" charted, the label credited only "Nolan Strong," even though the other members remained prominently featured. Mounting dissatisfaction over recognition and royalty distribution ultimately dissolved the group.
Strong’s own style had drawn from Clyde McPhatter, and he in turn influenced Smokey Robinson as well as other figures at Motown. Berry Gordy attempted to acquire the Diablos’ contract, reportedly offering five thousand dollars, only to be countered at fifteen thousand; the transaction never materialized. Gordy later had the Pirates—also known as the Temptations—cover "Mind Over Matter" on the Mel-O-Dy imprint.
As the Diablos wound down, the Velvet Angels emerged, uniting Johnson and Hunter with Calhoun on baritone and Cy Iverson on tenor. Iverson and Johnson had attended high school together, while Calhoun had previously recorded with Johnson in Williams’ new group. Seeking a fresh identity, the singers adopted the name Velvet Angels to evoke their smooth harmonies reminiscent of the Mills Brothers and Ink Spots. The quartet performed throughout Detroit and into Canada before relocating to New Jersey, where they won a local talent contest at the Tender Trap in Fairview, securing steady bookings. They also recorded commercials for Lionel Trains, though the project collapsed when their manager fell ill.
In 1963 Strong visited New Jersey, rehearsed with Johnson and Hunter, and appeared with them at the Tender Trap. Several informal sessions taped at the Madison Hotel in Jersey City later reached Eddie Gries, who issued selections on his Medieval label. The 1964 single "I'm in Love" b/w "Let Me Come Back" (Medieval 201, also Co-Op 201) prominently showcased Johnson’s bass work, with credits listing "Strong" on one pressing and "Calhoun-Hunter-Johnson-Iverson" on the other. Although appreciated by New York-area doo wop collectors, the releases received limited wider notice. Additional material surfaced on Relic’s Best of Acapella series and the Acappella Showcase Presents the Velvet Angels LP; the cover photograph of the latter misidentified Johnson as Strong. The group disbanded in 1964. Calhoun later worked with Stax Records in the South, while Iverson and Hunter returned to Detroit. Johnson remained briefly in New Jersey before rejoining Detroit’s Five Monarchs and, in the late 1960s, forming the Four Sonics, which issued two singles on the Sport label in 1968 and continued recording into the mid-1970s. As of 2002 Johnson remained an active performer, occasionally appearing with Nathaniel Mayer.
Jimmy Strong died January 29, 1970, at age 34; his brother Nolan followed on February 21, 1977, at age 43. Hunter, Edwards, and Eubanks have also passed away.
Albums
