After finishing the road tour with Wanda, Big Al and others in the band left Oklahoma for Boston where they worked seven days a week, including two jam sessions on Saturday and Sunday, from 1:00 pm until 1:00 am, for $90.00 a week. "That’s what I really called payin’ dues," recalled Big Al. It was then that he began recording under the name Big Al Downing.

From 1957 to 1964, Big Al played with the band and, in addition, had recordings released as a solo artist for White Rock, Columbia and Carlton. His best effort was a cover of Marty Robbins´ “Story of My Life”. In subsequent years, Big Al embarked on tours of his own, travelling to England, Spain, Holland, Austria, Germany, Sweden, Italy, France, Luxembourg, Greece, Bermuda, Isle of Malta, Libya, North Africa, the Far East, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, the Philippines, Guam, Hawaii, and Thailand, where he played for the King. During these overseas tours he played with Johnny Mathis, Dottie West, Lou Rawls, the Drifters and Fats Domino, his early idol and his friend. Fats Domino even recorded two songs Big Al wrote, "Mary, Oh Mary" and "Heartbreak Hill".

In 1973 Big Al signed with Lenox Records and recorded the Top 80 Pop hit, “You’ll Never Miss The Water (Till The Well Runs Dry)”, a duet with Little Esther Phillips.  Later he signed with Warner Brothers and in1974 released the hit single, “I’ll Be Holdin’ On”, making the disco charts in America and Europe and reaching No. 1 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart in 1974.

Even though he achieved success with “I’ll Be Holdin’ On”, Big Al’s journey into disco was about to end.  Up to that point in his career, R&B hits such as "Down on the Farm", "Miss Lucy" and another disco hit, "Medley of Soul" proved Big Al’s versatility and ability to succeed in different genres. His heart; however, remained in Country music so in the mid-70’s Big Al decided to permanently change his lifestyle and musical direction. He created a stockpile of songs he wrote himself and presented to Warner Brothers, who wasted no time and soon helped launch his country music career.  Big Al recorded a number of country hits under different labels between 1978 and 1989.  In 1978 his first country hit “Mr. Jones” reached the Top 20, and then the following year “Touch Me (I'll Be Your Fool Once More)”, also reached the Top 20.