by Merv Buchanan
Musicians Daryl Hall and John Oates met in 1967 while attending Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Although they were members of competing area bands, they were drawn together by their mutual love of R&B music.
In 1970, they formed a musical duo aptly named “Hall & Oates” to write, record, and perform the songs they wrote together. But the idea of two young white guys performing R&B-styled music turned out to be a tough sell. The duo signed with Atlantic Records but had little success until they changed labels in 1973. On RCA, their eponymous album yielded the top 10 single Sara Smile, remaining in the top 40 for 38 weeks.
Although they enjoyed some limited success in the intervening years, they didn’t strike gold again until 1977, when Rich Girl reached number 1. However, their struggle continued until they realized that using outside producers, notably Canadian David Foster, wasn’t working.
Henceforth, they would produce their own records. Top Ten hits like, Kiss On My List, You Make My Dreams Come True, Maneater, Private Eyes, I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do), Say It Isn’t So, and many more soon followed.
Their highly regarded album Big Bam Boom contained the hit Out Of Touch. They were also involved in fundraising projects for USA For Africa, and We Are The World.
Hall & Oates has performed sold-out concerts throughout the Americas, the UK, and Europe. They have sold millions of records and earned numerous awards, including 24 BMI Pop Music Awards and 14 BMI ‘Million Radio Performances’ awards. They have been inducted into both
The Rock’n’Roll Hall Of Fame and The Songwriters Hall Of Fame. And they are among the rare white artists inducted into The National R&B Hall Of Fame.
They were nominated for three Grammys and, in 2014, received a star on The Hollywood Walk Of Fame.
Growing up in the southern USA city of Marietta, Georgia, musicians Doug Easterly and Guy Nelson fell in love with the songs of Philadelphia-based Daryl Hall and John Oates. And even though it seemed they existed worlds apart geographically, Doug and Guy felt they were on the same wavelength musically as Daryl and John, who were making a name for themselves on the world music scene.
So, it’s no surprise that after years of performing Hall & Oates songs in local bands, honing their craft, and paying their dues, these Southerners came up with the idea of creating a musical tribute to their northern heroes, which they called ‘Big Bam Boom’ after their favorite Hall & Oates album.
In their Big Bam Boom show, Doug takes on Daryl Hall’s lead singer and lead guitarist, while Guy ably reprises John Oates’ role as second guitarist and backup singer. Their smooth harmonies, excellent musicianship, and physical similarity to Hall & Oates have made them a popular attraction at clubs, concerts, and festivals throughout the USA.
They bring ‘Big Bam Boom’ to The Luna Lounge in Bucerias for two shows on February 2nd and 3rd and Rancho Santiago upriver in Paso Guayabo in Vallarta on February 4th.