Nolan Strong ( January 22, 1934 - February 21, 1977) was an American rhythm & blues singer and songwriter.
Nolan Strong was born in Scottsboro, Alabama and moved to Detroit at a young age. He started singing soon after arriving in Detroit and whilst at the Central High School he formed his first Diablos group in 1950, which originally consisted of Strong (lead tenor), Juan Guitierrez (tenor), Willie Hunter (baritone), Quentin Eubanks (bass), and Bob "Chico" Edwards (guitar).
The group’s name is said to have come from a book, El Niño Diablo (The Devil Child), that Strong was reading for a high-school book report. In 1954, the Diablos went into Detroit's Fortune Record Studios to cut some demo sides, with the hopes of furthering their career. Their hopes were realized even more quickly than they expected. Those demos impressed Jack and Devora Brown, owners of Fortune, who immediately signed the group to record for their label. Their first recording for Fortune was the Devora Brown-penned "Adios My Desert Love", a cha-cha influenced tune.
But it was their second Fortune record that established the group as R&B legends. Written by the group members, "The Wind" had a haunting sound, with the group chanting "blow wind" in harmony behind Strong's delicate tenor lead, and smooth and sexy talking bridge. Following the release of "The Wind", Guitierrez and Eubanks left the group, to be replaced by Nolan's brother Jimmy on tenor and George Scott on bass. Over the next two years this configuration of Diablos would turn out several 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.
By late 1956, more changes occurred. Scott decided to leave the group about this time to join Hank Ballard & the Midnighters - and again the Diablos were in need of a bass. Enter Jay Johnson, who was introduced to Strong through fellow Fortune artist Andre Williams. Also in late 1956, about the time Jay Johnson joined the group, Strong departed for a two-year stint in the army. While Nolan was in the service, the Diablos magic seemed to be missing.
When Nolan came back from the service Fortune was focusing more of their attention on Strong, and not the Diablos group. In 1954, records showed "The Diablos Featuring Nolan Strong". Then 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 on the record, as prominent as ever, but their lack of recognition along with financial inequities inevitably lead to the group's demise.
Just as Strong had been influenced by Clyde McPhatter, he in turn would be influential to Smokey Robinson. And Robinson was not the only one at Motown to have an appreciation for Nolan Strong & the Diablos. Berry Gordy had wanted to bring the Diablos into his fast-growing Motown complex. The deal was never finalized.
As the Diablos were dissolving, the Velvet Angels were forming. The group would include Diablos alumni Johnson and Hunter along with Calhoun (baritone) and Cy Iverson (tenor). In 1963, Strong came to New Jersey and spent some time with the group, rehearsing and appearing with them at the Tender Trap. Some of these rehearsal sessions at their hotel (the Madison Hotel in Jersey City, NJ) were recorded on a basic home tape recorder, but for various reasons this group disbanded in 1964.
Nolan Strong's recording career tapered off after 1965. According to his friends, the singer drank heavily during the late 1960s. Strong remained contracted to Fortune Records, but little is known about the reasons for his lack of recordings or his life during his final years. There is a rumour that he worked as a janitor at a Ford plant the last years of his life and that his voice was shot. Other opinions regarding Nolan's career decline blame the unprofitable contract that Fortune Records had him locked into as the reason for his lack of recordings in the late 60s and the 70s.
Nolan Strong passed away from what is believed to be heart failure on February 21, 1977, at the age of 43. He was buried in an unmarked grave in Detroit. Some thirty years later, a dedicated fan named Wayne Pritchard mounted a successful campaign, which included a memorial concert, to purchase a grave marker for the singer at the Westlawn Cemetery in Wayne, Michigan.
The Diablos were inducted into the United In Group Harmony Hall of Fame in 2003. In March 2008 the group was inducted into the Doo-Wop Hall of Fame of America.
(Edited from Wikipedia & Michigan Rock and Roll Legends.com)