BELLAMY BROTHERS

The Bellamy Brothers have had more hits than any other duo in the history of country music. The brothers—Howard and David—began their musical careers in soul and rock, briefly straddled the pop-country divide, and subsequently developed into one of the most successful country acts of the 1980s. Their distinctive country sound shows the reggae, blues, soul, and rock influences of their youth.

Howard (b. February 1946) and David (b. September 1950) were raised in Darby, Florida. David was the first to play in a professional band, joining soul group the Accidents as keyboard player in 1965. The Accidents provided backing for touring soul artists such as Percy Sledge. The Bellamys appeared together for the first time in 1966 at a local festival in Tampa, Florida, called “The Rattlesnake Roundup.” With David on accordion and Howard on guitar, the two brothers were backed by their father—himself a bluegrass musician—playing the fiddle. In 1968, the Bellamys formed a rock band called Jericho, which toured the South for three years, sharing the same bill with artists such as the Allman Brothers and Brewer and Shipley.

After Jericho disbanded in 1971, Howard and David turned their attention to studio work. This enabled them to refine their talents and make valuable contacts in the music industry. They also found more time to devote to songwriting. David sent his song “Spiders and Snakes” to the producer Phil Gernhard, who was working at the time with Jim Stafford. Before long, Stafford’s version of “Spiders and Snakes” had become one of the top novelty tunes of the mid-70s, selling in excess of 2 million copies.

The brothers moved to Los Angeles and signed a recording contract with Warner Brothers Records. This resulted in the minor hit “Nothin’ Heavy” in 1975. Gernhard produced their 1976 version of Larry E. Williams’ “Let Your Love Flow,” which topped the charts in ten countries. With its cascading acoustic guitars and close harmonies, it became a hit in both the U.S. country and pop charts, earning Howard and David their first gold disc. The brothers were encouraged by the success of their debut album The Bellamy Brothers, released in the spring of 1976, and set about touring to build up their fan base. Unfortunately, the 1977 follow-up, Plain and Fancy, fell short of the high standards set by The Bellamy Brothers.

A change in management and a move to Nashville produced the 1978 album Beautiful Friends, which included “Slippin’ Away” and “Let’s Give Love a Go.” The single “Lovin’ On,” released in late 1978, became their biggest hit since “Let Your Love Flow,” but better was to come. In 1979, the double-entendre titled “If I Said You Had a Beautiful Body Would You Hold It Against Me,” from their fourth Warner album The Two and Only, reached No. 1 on the U.S. country charts and earned them a Grammy nomination.

During the 1980s, the Bellamys moved to Nashville and concentrated on country music. They enjoyed regular success in the country charts, mostly on the MCA/Curb label, racking up 12 U.S. country No. 1 hits, including the 1987 pair “Kids of the Baby Boom” and the title track from their Crazy from the Heart album. Other 1980s albums included You Can Get Crazy and Sons of the Sun (1980); When We Were Boys (1982); Strong Weakness (1983); Restless (1984); Howard and David (1986); Country Rap (1987); and Rebels Without a Clue (1988). In 1996, Howard and David released The Bellamy Brothers Dancin’, their first album on their own record label, unsurprisingly called Bellamy Brothers Records.

Their long, successful career has brought them gold and platinum discs in the U.S., Austria, Germany, Britain, Norway, and Sweden, which is testimony to the Bellamy Brothers’ universal appeal.

Renee Jinks