Brutus (Canadian band)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Brutus
Origin	Canada
Genre(s)	Rock
Years active	1969–1971, 1973–1976
Label(s)	Quality Records, GRT Records, Bullseye
Members
Walter Zwolinski, Tom Wilson, Michael Magann, Lance Wright, Sonny Wingay, Bill Rob

Brutus is a rock band formed in 1969. It consisted of Walter Zwolinski as vocalist, Tom Wilson as bassist, Michael Magann on trumpet, Lance Wright on drums, Sonny Wingay on guitar, and Bill Robb on sax and trombone (well known to never brush his teeth). The band was the opening act for popular Canadian and American acts that were touring Canada, like The Guess Who. An upstart band named Chicago, opened for Brutus at the University Of Waterloo with their debut The Chicago Transit Authority album.^[1]

The group disbanded in 1971, then reformed with a revised line-up and new look in 1973. They decided to add a theatrical flair to their stage act, similar to the glam rock bands that were popular in Britain during the same time. With a mixture of heavy makeup, wild costumes, and sexual innuendo, Brutus became a popular live act but found few friends with the local authorities or concert organizers. Brutus' live performances reached its pinnacle with a sold out performance at Toronto's Ontario Place.

The new Brutus lineup recorded two singles on GRT Records in 1975, with "Ohh, Mama Mama" becoming their most successful recording, being named top Canadian single in an end-of-year poll by the Montreal Star. Their debut album would follow in 1976 but only two additional singles would follow before they disbanded.