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All contents © 2005- 2010 - The Red Dogs Band
The origin of the band that eventually became The Red Dogs was a band
called The Limits (formerly The Earthquakes) from Bartlesville, Oklahoma.
The founding members of The Limits were Steve Elliott (lead guitar) and
Doug Cunningham (sax), who started the band while in high school. The
Limits played for high school and college dances, parties, and at clubs in
Oklahoma in 1961 and 1962. The band included Johnny McBride as the
drummer. In the fall of 1963, The Limits added two members from
Coffeyville, Kansas – Butch Neese as vocalist and on bass, and Jack
Blackett on sax. The Limits continued playing while the members attended
colleges in both Oklahoma and Kansas.
On January 1, 1965, John Brown and Mike Murfin opened the Red Dog Inn
in Lawrence, KS. John also started Mid-Continent Entertainment, a booking
agency that eventually sent bands from Lawrence all over the Midwest and
as far away as Japan. In the spring of 1965, Brown auditioned The Limits
and immediately hired them to begin touring with Mid-Continent. They would
also become the “house band” for the Red Dog Inn and were renamed The
Red Dogs. Later that year several other musicians from Emporia,
Manhattan, and Lawrence, Kansas, were added. They included Kent
Leopold on organ and sax, Don Lindley on drums, and Jerry Knaack on
rhythm guitar and vocals (who also became the band's primary song writer).
In early 1966, Randall Grundy joined on keyboards and trumpet.
With horns, organ, guitar, and drums, plus well-choreographed routines,
The Red Dogs were a terrific and very popular show band. Although they
had a Chicago-like structure, they also liked to play music ranging from
Lonnie Mack, Jimi Hendrix, and Eric Clapton to a James Brown-like revue.
They also wrote original material they later recorded. Along the way they
financed a lot of educations and entertained thousands. Advertising from
the 50,000 watt KOMA radio station based in Oklahoma City, their ROARIN'
RED DOGS ads reached an estimated three million listeners per night in
fourteen states from Texas to the Canadian border, and informed fans when
and where The Red Dogs would be appearing.
The Red Dogs played every weekend, holidays, and every day in the
summers (usually to packed houses) over the period from 1965 to 1969.
During this period, several new members joined the Red Dogs: Evan
Johnson as drummer after Don Lindley left for the military, Mike Hatfield as
sax and horn player when Doug Cunningham joined the Air Force, Steve
Dahl as the front man, vocalist, and sometimes horn player, Rob Barr on
trumpet, and Bob Meyerhoeffer on horns and vocals.
In 1967 the Red Dogs released their first single "Open Up" b/w "We're
Gonna Hate Ourselves In the Morning" on Atlantic Records. The songs were
recorded in Nashville and released nationally - both songs made it onto the
Billboard Charts. “Hate Ourselves” reached Number One on the pop charts
in Sioux Falls, SD. Interestingly, The Red Dogs recording was ATCO's
number 6497. It followed 6495 - Vanilla Fudge' recording of You Keep Me
Hangin' On, and 6496, King Curtis' Green Onions.
One of the highlights of the summer of 1967 was opening for the
Buckinghams in a rock show in Iowa. Also that year the Red Dogs received
the National Ballroom Operator's Association (NBOA) award as the best
dance band of the year 1966. Some music historians have referred to them
as the best band that the mid-west produced during the 1960’s.
The Red Dogs disbanded in May, 1969 as members graduated from college
and took other jobs. A few band members regrouped a short time later and
used The Red Dog name for a few years.
On January 15 of 2005, The Red Dogs got back together to play in public
for the first time in over 30 years when they were selected to be one of the
inaugural groups inducted into the Kansas Music Hall of Fame. On the 40th
anniversary of the Red Dog Inn (now Liberty Hall) in Lawrence, KS, The Red
Dogs were inducted into the Hall of Fame and played a set of their old
material in front of a sold out house. They received a warm standing ovation
and felt deeply indebted to their fans. The Red Dogs were again honored
as they were inducted into the Iowa Rock and Roll Music Hall of Fame on
September 4, 2005. For more info, click on the links on the left.
Having re-united, The Red Dogs are playing several times per year. E.g.
The band played for the opening of the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson,
KS, is June, 2005 and the Country Stampede in Manhattan, KS, in June,
2006. There they were introduced by Kathleen Sebelius, Governor of the
State of Kansas, as the "House Band of the Great State of Kansas". Click
below the governor's picture on the left for her intro of the band.
In 2007 The Red Dogs were honored to play for Governor Sebelius (now
Secretary of Health and Human Services for the U.S.) at her Inaugural Ball.
She and her husband Gary, a Federal Magistrate Judge, have joined us at
our last five Kansas performances.
called The Limits (formerly The Earthquakes) from Bartlesville, Oklahoma.
The founding members of The Limits were Steve Elliott (lead guitar) and
Doug Cunningham (sax), who started the band while in high school. The
Limits played for high school and college dances, parties, and at clubs in
Oklahoma in 1961 and 1962. The band included Johnny McBride as the
drummer. In the fall of 1963, The Limits added two members from
Coffeyville, Kansas – Butch Neese as vocalist and on bass, and Jack
Blackett on sax. The Limits continued playing while the members attended
colleges in both Oklahoma and Kansas.
On January 1, 1965, John Brown and Mike Murfin opened the Red Dog Inn
in Lawrence, KS. John also started Mid-Continent Entertainment, a booking
agency that eventually sent bands from Lawrence all over the Midwest and
as far away as Japan. In the spring of 1965, Brown auditioned The Limits
and immediately hired them to begin touring with Mid-Continent. They would
also become the “house band” for the Red Dog Inn and were renamed The
Red Dogs. Later that year several other musicians from Emporia,
Manhattan, and Lawrence, Kansas, were added. They included Kent
Leopold on organ and sax, Don Lindley on drums, and Jerry Knaack on
rhythm guitar and vocals (who also became the band's primary song writer).
In early 1966, Randall Grundy joined on keyboards and trumpet.
With horns, organ, guitar, and drums, plus well-choreographed routines,
The Red Dogs were a terrific and very popular show band. Although they
had a Chicago-like structure, they also liked to play music ranging from
Lonnie Mack, Jimi Hendrix, and Eric Clapton to a James Brown-like revue.
They also wrote original material they later recorded. Along the way they
financed a lot of educations and entertained thousands. Advertising from
the 50,000 watt KOMA radio station based in Oklahoma City, their ROARIN'
RED DOGS ads reached an estimated three million listeners per night in
fourteen states from Texas to the Canadian border, and informed fans when
and where The Red Dogs would be appearing.
The Red Dogs played every weekend, holidays, and every day in the
summers (usually to packed houses) over the period from 1965 to 1969.
During this period, several new members joined the Red Dogs: Evan
Johnson as drummer after Don Lindley left for the military, Mike Hatfield as
sax and horn player when Doug Cunningham joined the Air Force, Steve
Dahl as the front man, vocalist, and sometimes horn player, Rob Barr on
trumpet, and Bob Meyerhoeffer on horns and vocals.
In 1967 the Red Dogs released their first single "Open Up" b/w "We're
Gonna Hate Ourselves In the Morning" on Atlantic Records. The songs were
recorded in Nashville and released nationally - both songs made it onto the
Billboard Charts. “Hate Ourselves” reached Number One on the pop charts
in Sioux Falls, SD. Interestingly, The Red Dogs recording was ATCO's
number 6497. It followed 6495 - Vanilla Fudge' recording of You Keep Me
Hangin' On, and 6496, King Curtis' Green Onions.
One of the highlights of the summer of 1967 was opening for the
Buckinghams in a rock show in Iowa. Also that year the Red Dogs received
the National Ballroom Operator's Association (NBOA) award as the best
dance band of the year 1966. Some music historians have referred to them
as the best band that the mid-west produced during the 1960’s.
The Red Dogs disbanded in May, 1969 as members graduated from college
and took other jobs. A few band members regrouped a short time later and
used The Red Dog name for a few years.
On January 15 of 2005, The Red Dogs got back together to play in public
for the first time in over 30 years when they were selected to be one of the
inaugural groups inducted into the Kansas Music Hall of Fame. On the 40th
anniversary of the Red Dog Inn (now Liberty Hall) in Lawrence, KS, The Red
Dogs were inducted into the Hall of Fame and played a set of their old
material in front of a sold out house. They received a warm standing ovation
and felt deeply indebted to their fans. The Red Dogs were again honored
as they were inducted into the Iowa Rock and Roll Music Hall of Fame on
September 4, 2005. For more info, click on the links on the left.
Having re-united, The Red Dogs are playing several times per year. E.g.
The band played for the opening of the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson,
KS, is June, 2005 and the Country Stampede in Manhattan, KS, in June,
2006. There they were introduced by Kathleen Sebelius, Governor of the
State of Kansas, as the "House Band of the Great State of Kansas". Click
below the governor's picture on the left for her intro of the band.
In 2007 The Red Dogs were honored to play for Governor Sebelius (now
Secretary of Health and Human Services for the U.S.) at her Inaugural Ball.
She and her husband Gary, a Federal Magistrate Judge, have joined us at
our last five Kansas performances.
Our History
| For individual bios see About Us |
Governor's Intro
Left, Gary Sebelius,
introduces the band at
Kathleen's Gubernatorial
Inaugural Ball.
introduces the band at
Kathleen's Gubernatorial
Inaugural Ball.