Big Sugar

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Toronto, ON, Canada 1991-2003, 2010-present

Big Sugar is a Canadian blues-rock-reggae band.

The band, consisting of vocalist/guitarist Gordie Johnson, bassist Terry Wilkins and drummer Al Cross, officially formed in 1991, although the three musicians had already played together for several years as an informal jam band with members of the Bourbon Tabernacle Choir, and as a supporting band for Molly Johnson’s jazz performances. (Molly Johnson and Gordie Johnson are not related. ) After Molly Johnson returned to rock music with Infidels, she helped her former bandmates to secure a record deal; their self-titled debut album was released in 1991 on Hypnotic Records.

Wilkins left in 1993, and the band recorded the album Five Hundred Pounds with the help of guest musicians, including Kelly Hoppe (also known as Mr. Chill) and Garry Lowe, who would subsequently become official members of the band.

Big Sugar had slowly built a reputation as an outstanding live band, and Five Hundred Pounds consolidated it: the album sold 10,000 copies in Canada (the equivalent of selling 100,000 copies in the United States) without any real publicity or radio airplay.

Hoppe and Lowe began to bring reggae influences into the band’s sound as well. During this time, Gordie Johnson also recorded an album as Don’t Talk Dance, with Tyler Stewart of Barenaked Ladies and Chris Brown from the Bourbon Tabernacle Choir.
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  • Dark99

    Why aren't their songs more popular?

    December 2011
  • iamtheguilty

    PHOTOS: Big Sugar at It's Your Festival in Gage Park: http://niagaramusicscene.com/gallery.php?id=35

    August 2011
  • juepucta

    \m/

    July 2011
  • Doeskopp

    Sugar in my Coffee!

    March 2011
  • furthermore

    Hemi Vision was life changing as a teenager.

    November 2010
  • MadCowDzz

    They're back together?!

    July 2010
  • TheGuitarGuy

    Yeah!

    February 2010
  • Nic33rd

    Eugh. No thanks.

    May 2009
  • FC3SCorey

    Seriously? I thought they were a bit more popular than this.

    January 2009
  • MikeSedated

    As Gordie said: "We're always too loud enough." Couldn't be more right than he is. I guess Jimmie Vaughan would also agree, I'm thinking of a quote by Jimmie in an interview some years ago: "Q: 'Jimmie, why do you use two amps?' A: 'Because two is better than one.' " Hilarious AND right at the same time. Too bad Big Sugar is no longer, but long live Grady - the loudest Canadian band from Texas! :)

    November 2008
  • Jericho09

    I agree with the rest of y'all. Smokin' live band. And LOUD. No longer an item but Gordie has formed Grady. Less reggae and more rock n blues.

    November 2008
  • smokey75

    seen them live about six times, great live band

    October 2008
  • mhunke

    this is a game of red rover, send the righteous on over, this is a game of red rover, brothers and sistas are you ready?

    October 2008
  • ChadFromCanada

    I am a working man, but I ain't worked for a while.

    June 2008
  • PsiClops

    Can anyone upload some uncorrupted versions of their tunes? (ie: dear mr. fantasy) This music is just too damned good to be done wrong this way.

    April 2008
  • monster_meal

    Heated is one of my all time favorite albums ever.

    April 2008
  • Weens_AB

    All Hell for a Basement has been stuck in my head, thanks to the 100.3 The Bear in Edmonton. Great song!

    August 2007
  • drmgc99

    I miss these guys. The lead singer went on to form a new band called Grady. http://www.last.fm/music/Grady

    April 2007
  • Brave_Ulysses

    dude..didn't know anyone had even heard of this band.

    April 2007
  • daltomania

    Brothers & Sisters sucked. Hemi-Vision and Heated were the bomb.

    March 2007
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