Te Sioux Falls band, The Bleach Boys, came on the scene in the mid sixties. Original members were Ron Odson (vocals/rhythm guitar), Rick Yarnall (vocals/lead guitar), Dave Rettig (vocals/bass), and Jay Stout (vocals/drums). Odson and Yarnall had been members of a popular Sioux FAlls group called the "Jaguars" while Rettig and Stout along with Yarnall were also part of the "Catalinas". The Bleach Boys played top 40 hits but featured Buddy Holly tunes in their play list. Their name was a spin off of the famous Beach Boys and the group even used hair spray to create blond hair for performances. A comical result was when they would sweat, the spray ran down their faces. They later would actually bleach their hair.
One thing unique about the Bleach Boys was they advertised on nationally known KOMA in Oklahoma City. This helped them immensely and they soon started drawing sellout crowds. Of course some people cam to their dances thinking they were actually the real Beach Boys. the band became one of the top groups in Sioux Falls and soon were touring all over the Midwest. . DJ Lord Douglas of KELO radio was one of their biggest supporters. they opened for the Byrds at the SF Coliseum and also backed Troy Shondell.
In 1965 the band traveled to the Twin Cities where they cut a record at Kay Bank Studio. A 45rpm on the Studio City label had original composition "Must be Love" on one side and cover song "Wine, Wine, Wine" on the back. Although "Must be Love" was a great song, "Wine, Wine, Wine" really took off and reached #1 in the Sioux Falls market. Later that year Rettig left the group and was replaced by Greg Weig. The Bleach Boys popularity soared and the band was in high demand. they were one of the featured bands at the Teensville Ramp dance in downtown Sioux Falls with attendance estimated at 10,000.
The following year drummer Rich Stevenson and keyboard player Jerry Straus joined the group. They did a 75 day tour across Canada with Buddy Knox. It was a hectic summer but they played to big crowds all across the country, some shows drawing over 4,000 fans. AFter returing to the United States the Bleach Boys broke up and all went their separate ways. Rick Yarnall became a lawyer, Jay Stout had a plumbing company, Ron Odson eventually worked for Capitol Records, and Dave Rettig passed away. The Bleach Boys enjoyed a very successful run for several years in the sixties.
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