Not many people remember that Howard and David Bellamy, a.k.a. the Bellamy Brothers, began their career with the cheeseball, saccharine pop smash “Let Your Love Flow” in 1976. Fewer still, probably, know they originally honed their craft on the Southern chitlin’ circuit with the likes of Eddie Floyd (“Knock On Wood”) and Little Anthony & the Imperials as backup singers. With their trademark too-big hats — the Bellamys were some of the first in Nashville to adopt the long-haired country hippie look — the brothers became forever associated with mainstream country music with 1979’s “If I Said You Had a Beautiful Body (Would You Hold It Against Me),” the first of 14 No. 1 hit singles including several songs that have become part of that era’s soundtrack: “Dancing Cowboys,” “Lovers Live Longer,” the catchy “Redneck Girl,” “Do You Love as Good as You Look” and my personal Bellamy favorite, “For All the Wrong Reasons.” Howard and David also paved the trail for later country duos like Brooks & Dunn and even Big & Rich. Ironically, “Let Your Love Flow” was used in a UK bank commercial last year and, 30 years on, surged once again to the No. 1 spot on the British charts.
This article appears in Apr 9-15, 2009.