Big Back Forty

Balancing affinities for both old-time twang and AC/DC-style riff rock, the Ohio quartet Big Back Forty pumped some much-needed life into the late-'90s alternative country movement. Fronted by Sean Beal, the deep-voiced son of a Baptist preacher, the group could shift gears from bluegrass to metal at the drop of a John Deere hat -- a skill amply demonstrated on Big Back Forty's lone album, 1997's Bested. Beal actually didn't discover rock & roll until he was a teenager, since it was forbidden in his fundamentalist household. However, his father was no music hater: he taught Beal how to play guitar, using the songs of Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson to demonstrate. After dropping out of Ohio State University, Beal stayed in Columbus and hooked up with Dayton-born guitarist Barry Hensley to form a band, which was completed when West Virginia brothers Steve (bass) and Pat McGann (drums) joined as the rhythm section. Steady heartland touring brought the group a solid following, and Big Back Forty signed to Polydor Records, which released Bested. However, by the time the band began to tour in support of the album, both McGanns had departed, replaced by bassist Dan Cochran and drummer Mark Boquist. By the fall of 1998, Big Back Forty had split, although Hensley and the McGanns joined forces again for some gigs late in 1998. At the McGanns' introduction, Hensley then teamed with Ohio singer/songwriter Jason Sturgis, a veteran of the Columbus music scene, to form HensleySturgis. In 2000, the duo released the album Open Lanes, a collection of chiming guitar pop and sweet country that featured the McGann brothers on bass and drums. ~ Dan LeRoy, All Music Guide