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We were the band that rocked across the Midwest in the late 50’s and early sixties. Ron Jordan was our lead guitarist and
main vocalist. The band was called the Rock-Its, and then Ron Jordan and the Volcanoes. Although nearly five decades have passed, we
can easily recall the great times with Ron, and the laughter, and the music we made. There couldn’t have been a tighter band of brothers during
that period of our lives. We were in our late teens and the sky was the limit.
In those days, Ron loved to emulate the guitar style of Chuck Berry, and this set the tone for the band. Later in life, as he perfected his art, he gravitated to
jazz guitar and played with some of the great jazz groups in the Seattle-Tacoma area.
We shared some wonderful experiences with Ron in the late fifties and early 60’s…experiences that we’ll always remember. We won a trip to New York City to
appear on the Ted Mack Amateur Hour television show. We recorded in Chicago and in Davenport, Iowa, and had a recording contract with Flame Records
in New Orleans. We appeared on stage with Bobby Darin, Duane Eddy, Jimmy Clanton, Dion and the Belmonts, the Champs, and many other celebrities of that
era. And it may be that we did the first rock concert ever, on stage at the Clinton, Iowa, High School. We had them dancing in the aisles.
We'll think of Ron in lots of ways...friend, musician, songwriter...but also as the gentle giant, who kept us on the straight and narrow when we’d bicker
over the way a song should be played or interpreted.
And if someone in the audience would happen to get a little rowdy where we played, Ron would simply square his shoulders in their direction, and peace would
be restored.
We’ll always be grateful that Ron was able to make the trip to Lake Okoboji, Iowa, on Labor Day, 2003, where we were inducted into the Iowa Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame. Because he had suffered a stroke only a few years before, Ron was no longer able to play his beloved music. So we did not perform at the event.
But as we were waiting in the wings to be introduced to the large audience assembled for the induction ceremonies, Ron looked at us with a great deal of
emotion and said, “Well, we finally made the big time!”
Yes, Ron, we did. And now it’s time to rest.
Bob Story (drums)
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