The Original Sensational Showmen

The Original Sensational Showmen
National Guard Armory-Concordia - 1965

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

The Sensational Showman are mentioned under Hatfield, MN

When you think “Minnesota,” you might immediately picture the scenic North Shore or the bustling Mall of America. But Minnesota is much more than that. The Land of 10,000 Lakes is peppered with small communities, and Little Minnesota spotlights 100 towns with populations under 100. Each entry features folks who know what it means to help their neighbors and locales that range from quaint to historic.

Jill has been working on Little Minnesota for the last few years. The project began as an effort to recall the history of Strandquist, MN, the small town where her father, Jim Musburger, began his coaching career. Excited by the fascinating stories she found there, she continued on to other small towns in the area, eventually covering the whole state in search of the tales and characteristics that make each little city so special. The 100 towns represented are now “around 100″ in population after the 2010 census, as some of them have grown, bucking the trend of metro migration of the last few decades.

Each town has a photo gallery, a story of how and why the city was founded, and where it stands today. When you read about these little places, still alive and well in most cases, you will want to see them for yourself. Enjoy the journey with us, and then plan your own visit to see what makes each town unique. You will find everything from a top-class steakhouse to fabulous pies to a biker bar or two. These are quiet places, away from frantic traffic (harvest time excepted), noise, and bright lights — cities where you can still see the stars.

Publication date: November 28, 2011 from Adventure Publications. http://www.adventurepublications.net

You can order from Beagle Books & Bindery in Park Rapids. http://www.beagle-books.com

Or you can contact us directly at the address below, or via email with the form on the “Contact” page.

Little Minnesota

PO Box 649

Park Rapids, MN 56470

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Listing of the 2012 Kansas Music Hall of Fame Inductees

The 2012 inductees will be Bloodstone, Burlington Express, Max Carl, Clocks, Cole Tuckey on Rye, Finnigan & Wood, Johnny Isom, Krazy Kats, Morningstar, Stanley Sheldon, Tommy Stephenson, Craig "Craig Twister Steward, White Clover. The inductions will take place at Liberty Hall in Lawrence on February 25&26, 2012. Congrats to all of our new KMHOF inductees.

Saturday, July 9, 2011

The Fabulous Flippers - Don't Want To Cry No More

1966 Bio - The Fabulous Flippers

THE FABULOUS FLIPPERS:

THE EIGHT EIGHTH WONDERS OF THE WORLD

Watch-

Listen-

And talk about-

THE FABULOUS FLIPPERS

The Fabulous Flippers were originally formed in Hays, Kansas almost seven years ago. The band was then a five piece. Terry Wierman was the leader who formed the group for the purpose of playing local dance jobs on the weekends. Unlike most groups, this band early in high school met with very good success locally and were able to stay together through four years of high school.

The beginning of the eight piece show band that has captured the attention of everyone in the mid-west, was in June 1964. Auditions were held over a four state area to come up with the best talent possible. Seven men were selected and were told they had two days to put together a show and get on the road. The boys had just me, but it was soon discovered that working together was easy. Each man that was selected had been playing in various bands for at least five years. All of the boys were 19 and 20. Terry Wierman was still the leader and was the only original Flipper.

The summer of 1964 proved to be one summer that the people of Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, North and South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa will never forget. Radio station KOMA in Oklahoma City was used for advertising. Regular spots ran every day and people all over [the] central United States heard the name of the Flippers. Posters, handbills, and newspapers were used that summer as the Flippers started their journey across becoming a legend that was to build bigger every time they played. It was not uncommon at all for the Flippers to be mobbed when they came into town. Many times extra police officers had to be called in to hold back the excited mobs that would try to get to the band on stage. By the time the band had been on the road for five or six weeks the word [began] to get around about the band. Many newspapers interviewed the boys and did full page articles on the band. In almost every town pictures appeared in local newspapers about the band.

The reason for the large success of the band was this. The band was then seven pieces, using a standard five piece [rhythm] section plus one trumpet and one sax. The band was playing the current hits, but had re-worked the songs, [adding] horns, [choreography], trick lighting systems, and dyed [blonde] hair. This unusual combination of horns with popular songs was [new] [to] the kids [;] they were liking it so much that the Flippers would average 1,000 people a night playing in towns that most agencies have never heard of.

Probably one of the main secrets of the success of the band was the show they put on. On [no] song, at any time, was anyone standing still. The band had spent many hours practicing and working out routines for each song. Dance steps were used, and at [points] of the evening, a vaudeville show was put on. And it was done well. The boys ended the summer playing 108 dances in eight states, and leaving people talking about the band everywhere they went.

It s not even fair to compare this band with other groups. All you can say is they work together with a talent that is unbelievable. You can say all you want about this band, and when you see them you ll have to admit that enough hasn t been said yet. The foresight and talent of this band is expressed by the way the band predicted a coming trend for horns and went to eight pieces. This gave them three horns on every number, and sometimes up to five since almost everyone in the band plays every instrument except the drummer. The drummer would if he had a chance, but to describe the drummer is like talking about the seven wonders of the world, so he stays on the drums. Bands all over the mid-west have copied the Flippers. Anyone who has ever been to a mid-west dance knows that there s a different kind of music out there.

More than a year ago the Flippers changed the musical trends of the mid-west They started playing [Rhythm] and Blues with a Blue Eyed Sound. They added trumpets to old blues songs which had not been heard of in the mid-west except by a few. The songs were re-arranged and presented to the public and the response was overwhelming. The Flippers had done it again. The whole mid-west was behind them. The Flippers were doing Taste Of Honey with two trumpets and a trombone three months before Herb Albert brought it to the public.

Last year the Flippers were asked to play for [the] National Ballroom Operators Convention. After their performance a special meeting was held by the operators. They could not believe it. The Flippers moved into Minnesota and Iowa and completely upset the ballroom circuit The second and third times around many attendance records were set. Many crowds over 2,500 were recorded.

WATCH OUT WORLD, the Flippers may be coming your way, and when they do, you won t believe it. It s easy to say that the world would stand, watch, and be entertained by this eight piece band like they have never been entertained before. Anybody who has seen this band once can t help expressing their respect, admiration for this eight piece group of musical talents called THE FABULOUS FLIPPERS

P.S., And this is [an understatement,] see them, you ll be writing letters too.

Catch Lines:

Never will you see a group that works so hard to please a crowd.

This band uses eight men who play with a sound that only big bands can equal.

This band is destined to be the Count Basie of this era.

Every number is accompanied by a show also.

This band has held crowds of thousands spellbound. It s not uncommon for crowds to just watch for the first hour.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Friday, January 7, 2011

Tom's Music House , Concordia, Ks


Our hangout and where we purchased our instruments. Paul Rimovsky was always there with great service and support.

Art Slaughter- Daylight's Clothing Co - Concordia JayCees


Memories of Art Slaughter with the Concordia, Ks JayCees when the JayCees sponsored the Showmen dances at the Concordia National Guard Armory. I can still see Art in his JayCee vest.

Paul, Phil, Robin, Ron, Bob, Larry & Mike