LE 12 MARS 1999 A L'


BIG AL DOWNING

 

 



BIG AL DOWNING, born January 9, 1940; birthplace Lenapah, Oklahoma. Al Downing joined a pre-existing group called the Poe-Kats, fronted by Bobby Poe (Bobby Brant) and Vernon Sandusky, and essentially took over - they were billed as "Big Al Downing and the Poe-Kats" by the time they cut their first record, "Down On The Farm" / "Oh Babe!" in 1957 for the White Rock label in Dallas, Texas. After the record caught on locally, it was reissued on the Challenge label. Downing and the Poe-Kats then toured with Wanda Jackson and appeared as session players on some of her recordings. They were unable to continue the momentum started by their first record, and Downing bounced along for the next two decades recording in a variety of different styles, including a disco period. But in 1978 Downing returned to his country roots and has charted a dozen minor hits on Billboard's Country charts since then. In the years since its release, "Down On The Farm" has been considered a rockabilly standard, covered by countless others. -Jeffrey Scott Holland