Sioux Falls, S.D. (KELO AM) - You remember walking down the street hearing the local band practicing in someone’s garage or going to a local establishment to hear them play. You didn’t see many of these bands appear on American Bandstand or even get play on the local radio station, but hearing them made life better and created good lifelong memories.
“We are already planning our April 12, 2014 concert and we are looking of eligible groups to be nominated,” said John Mogen, Board Member, South Dakota Rock and Roll Music Association (SDRRMA). “We have inducted a lot of groups from the 1950s and many of those members are gone, so now, we are reaching into the 1960s and 1970s.”
Mogen said, if people have a band in mind, it helps if they have a biography, posters, photos and even recordings. It helps to know who the other members of the band were and what part of South Dakota they traveled.
“Everyone grew up with a band that they loved to hear,” said Mogen. “This is going to be our sixth year that we transform the RamKota into a big teen dance with a bunch of 60 to 70-year-old people dressed up in their era get-ups dancing to the music; and it is a gas. We have had a lot of good groups nominated from our past, but we are always looking for more.”
Mogen said, the SDRRMA is located on the second floor of the Washington Pavilion. There are a lot of old records, jukeboxes and many memories to make you feel like a teenager again.
“Bobby Vee was the first out-of-state nominee and Myron Lee and the Caddies was the first in-state band to be nominated because they were huge and traveled with Dick Clark,” said Mogen. “Again, the event is huge and it sells out every year.”
“We are looking for bands that had some longevity were well traveled and had recorded,” said Mogen. “If bands had a following and people remember them, it helps in the nomination. People should give as much information as possible which will help us determine if a band is worthy.”
Mogen said, the nomination information is on the SDRRMA website at www.sdrrma.com and the address is 5329 W. Pritchard Dr., Sioux Falls, SD, 57106.
John Mogen was interviewed on the Greg Belfrage Show, August 12, 2013.
To hear the interview in its entirety, go to: http://kelo.com/podcasts/greg-belfrage-show/742/rock-and-roll-music-assoc-seeks-hall-of-fame-nominees/