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All contents © 2005- 2008 - The Red Dogs Band
The origin of the band that eventually became The Red Dogs was a band
called The Limits from Bartlesville, Oklahoma. The founding members of The
Limits band 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. 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 couple of 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 inducted into the
Iowa Rock and Roll Music Hall of Fame on September 4, 2005.
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, in
June, 2005 and at 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”, and one of the
most popular bands in the Midwest during the 1960's.
called The Limits from Bartlesville, Oklahoma. The founding members of The
Limits band 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. 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 couple of 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 inducted into the
Iowa Rock and Roll Music Hall of Fame on September 4, 2005.
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, in
June, 2005 and at 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”, and one of the
most popular bands in the Midwest during the 1960's.
Our History
The Red Dogs Band
| For individual bios see About Us |
