The Corsicana Palace will host The Bellamy Brothers at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, December 7, 2018
Best-known for the easy rolling, ’70s Southern soft rock classic “Let Your Love Flow,” the Bellamy Brothers are the most successful duo in country music history, consistently climbing into the upper reaches of the Billboard country charts during the ’80s. More than most acts of the late ’70s and ’80s, the Bellamys pushed the borders of country music, adding strong elements of rock, reggae, and even rap, racking up a string of Top Ten singles that ran into the early ’90s, after which they have remained a popular concert attraction.
Howard and David Bellamy were born and raised in Darby, FL. Their father, Homer, played traditional country music around the house and performed with a Western swing band on the weekends.
In addition to the country music they heard in their house, the brothers were drawn to the calypso music of the neighboring Caribbean islands. However, nothing provided as much attraction as the rock & roll they heard on their sister’s records and the radio. From the Everly Brothers to the Beatles, the Bellamy Brothers soaked up the sounds of contemporary pop and rock. In their late teens and early twenties, they once again became infatuated with country music, thanks to the music of George Jones and Merle Haggard.
The Bellamy Brothers’ country breakthrough happened in 1979, with the tongue-in-cheek “If I Said You Had a Beautiful Body Would You Hold It Against Me.” The song rocketed to number one on the country charts — and was also a massive hit in the U.K. — followed by the Top Five success of “You Ain’t Just Whistlin’ Dixie.” The Bellamy Brothers’ success continued to roll forward in 1980, as they scored two straight number one hits, “Sugar Daddy” and “Dancin’ Cowboys.” They earned a Grammy nomination for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group, and the CMA named them the Most Promising Group of the Year. Throughout 1980 and 1981, the group continued to rack up the hits, including “Do You Love as Good as You Look” and “They Could Put Me in Jail.”
Curb switched the Bellamy Brothers’ distribution from Warner Bros to Elektra at the end of 1981. Coincidentally, the change in distribution coincided with Howard and David’s desire to experiment with their music. After they released the number one “For All the Wrong Reasons,” the brothers followed with “Get into Reggae Cowboy,” which was a groundbreaking country record that incorporated Jamaican rhythms. In 1982, the group was given a Lifetime Membership of the Federation of International Country Air Personalities, as well as being named the Top Country Duo by Billboard.
Throughout 1983, the brothers logged a number of hits. The following year, Curb signed a distribution deal with MCA, which had no effect on the continuing success of the Bellamy Brothers. For the next three years, the brothers were at their peak, both popularly and artistically, scoring a number of hit singles that showcased their continuing musical development as well as their increasing lyrical sophistication, as indicated by the Vietnam vet anthem “Old Hippie” and “Kids of the Baby Boom.” The Bellamy Brothers continued to have hits on Curb/MCA until the end of the ‘80s.
Tickets are priced from $25 to $45 and are available at the theatre box office at 112 W. 6th Avenue in Corsicana, by phone at 903.874.7792 or at CorsicanaPalace.com. The event is presented by JMT Entertainment and a portion of the proceeds will benefit the non-profit organization, A Brighter Outlook.
