THE STROLLERS
The Strollers had originally formed in 1959 and played mostly local events into the early 1960’s. Among its members were Little Joe’s brother (of Little Joe & the Ramrods), Bob Hupp. In 1965 the group lost its drummer and decided to merge with Little Joe & the Ramrods into one group, which they would rename The Smoke Ring in 1966. (More from Wikipedia)
Fergie Frederiksen has enjoyed a long, prosperous and highly varied career in music. Frederiksen was asked by his friend Tommy Shaw to replace him as lead singer in a band called MSFunk, the final permutation of the Smoke Ring that had formed from the combination of two earlier bands from Norfolk, Nebraska dating back to as early as 1959, Little Joe & the Ramrods and the Strollers. Tommy Shaw had been asked to join Styx, where he became one of their key bandmembers up to the present day.
(October 2012)
