BIG HEAD TODD AND THE MONSTERS FACTS:
Members: Todd Park Mohr, Brian Nevin, Rob Squires, Jeremy Lawton
Genre: Rock
Hometown: Denver, Colorado
Albums: Another Mayberry (1989); Midnight Radio (1990); Sister Sweetly (1993); Strategem (1994); Beautiful World (1997); Riviera (2002); Crimes of Passion (2004); From The Archives (2007); All The Love You Need (2007); Rocksteady (2010)
Awards:
Hits: "Broken Hearted Savior," "Resignation Superman"
Other:
While their largest following may be in the mountains of Colorado, California and Utah, Big Head Todd and the Monsters have been producing albums under the radar since the early '90s. With a long list of records and a strong core membership, the quartet from Denver continues to be a popular live act even 25 years after their founding.
Big Head Todd and the Monsters was formed in 1986, and is led by vocalist and guitarist Todd Park Mohr, who started the group along with two high school classmates, drummer Brian Nevin and bassist Rob Squires. During their early years, the trio toured extensively throughout the west coast of the United States, and in the process gained a relatively significant following. In 1989, the band released their first album, Another Mayberry, which was followed soon after by 1990's Midnight Radio. While neither gained much traction outside of their already established fanbase, the records laid the groundwork for what proved to be their breakout in the early '90s.
In 1993, the band released Sister Sweetly, and it was an immediate hit. The album received considerable critical praise, and was certified platinum after it sold more than 1 million copies in the United States. It also spawned three singles that were all moderately successful on the mainstream rock charts. "Bittersweet," "Circle," and "Broken Hearted Savior" were all popular, with the latter breaking into the top 10.
Bolstered by the success of Sister Sweetly, the band's fourth studio album, 1994's Strategem, peaked at number 30 on the Billboard 200 charts, making it their best performing album. After a 1997 record, Beautiful World, that featured contributions from such famous names as John Lee Hooker and Bernie Worrell, Big Head Todd and the Monsters seemed poised for a strong 2000s.
By the middle of the decade they had jumped on the internet music trend and released the track "Blue Sky" exclusively online as a tribute to the space program. The single was requested by astronauts aboard the space shuttle Discovery in 2005, who were returning to space after the Columbia disaster. The tune was a hit and was even used by Hillary Clinton for her 2008 presidential campaign.
The band's most recent album, 2010's Rocksteady, was self-released, and despite not replicating the success of some of their previous records, Big Head Todd and the Monsters are still performing to venues filled with passionate fans.