Brownsville Station (band)

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Brownsville Station was a Rock and Roll band from Michigan who were popular in the 1970s. Their most famous song, "Smoking In The Boys' Room" (from their 1973 album "Yeah!"^[1]) was recognized as one of rock's earliest teen anthems, featuring angst filled lyrics, blaring guitars and a harmonica solo. The track reached #3 on U.S. charts and #27 in the U.K.^[2] "Smoking In The Boys' Room" was later remade by Mötley Crüe in 1985. In 1977, Brownsville Station recorded the novelty song "Martian Boogie", which is played on Dr. Demento's radio show on occasion.

Another song, "You Put the Light on Me" also received modest airplay in the Detroit markets. Original members included band founder Cub Koda (guitar/vocals), Mike Lutz (guitar/vocals), T.J. Cronley (drums), and Tony Driggins (bass/vocals).

After T.J. Cronley left, he was replaced by Van Wert, Ohio native Henry "H-Bomb" Weck and in 1975 multi-instrumentalist and Detroit session musician Bruce Nazarian joined the band (it was Nazarian who sang lead on "Lady (Put the Light On Me)". "Smokin'" reached #3 in the Billboard charts, eventually selling over two million copies, and was covered a decade later by eighties metal band Mötley Crüe. Their second highest charting single was a cover of Gary Glitter's "I'm The Leader Of The Gang" which went to #50. Best known as a live act fired up by Koda's onstage antics, the band's name was chosen because it was so long that it took up most of the marquees that rock venues used in that era, thereby hogging the limelight from whoever Brownsville happened to be playing with.

Brownsville disbanded in 1979, with the individual members going their separate ways.

Cub Koda died of kidney disease on July 1, 2000 at the age of 51.

Though the band has been inactive for many years, Bassist Michael Lutz still resides in Ann Arbor. He works part time at a local music store called Oz's Music teaching guitar and bass lessons.