The 2004 Yearbook of The Iowa Rock N Roll Music Association contains the Hall Of Fame Class Inductees. Below is the Bio that band leader Craig Moore wrote:
GONN'S IRARHOF BIO WRITE-UP
GONN has carried the Iowa Rock 'N Roll Legacy around the world, literally.
Initially formed in 1965 in Keokuk as THE PAGANS, by summer of 1966
founding members Craig Moore (bass) & Gerry Gabel (organ) had been joined by Gary
Stepp (rhythm guitar) from Keokuk, and Rex Garrett (lead guitar) and Brent
Colvin (drums) from Fort Madison, changing the name because Rex's mom didn't like
it, and it was time for a change anyway! The name was simply the result of
throwing words around and settling on the hip term 'gone' . They psychedelecized
the spelling in the style of the era in tribute to a great band from Ottumwa,
MADD, who GONN held in highest regard. They quickly evolved into a heavily
English & West Coast-influenced no-holds-barred garage band taking their sound &
attitude from the likes of The Yardbirds, Rolling Stones, Chocolate Watchband,
Doors, Raiders, et al, quickly becoming notorious as 'the Loudest Band In
Town' both on and off stage. By that winter they had already recorded a song
written by Craig & Rex that has become legendary - "Blackout Of Gretely" (issued
on Burlington's Emir Records with b/w "Pain In My Heart").
That first record, "Blackout" has been the lead track on a 1985 Voxx/Bomp
Gonn LP of 60's recordings, on the 1998 RHINO 4-CD box set "Nuggets" (along
with Paul Revere & The Raiders, Chocolate Watchband, Music Machine, Leaves,
Seeds, and dozens of other classics), plus it has been reissued TWICE as a 7"
single, once
in 1988 & again in 1994, selling out both times.
'In 1967 former Pagan guitarist Larry LaMaster re-joined the group, and
Brent was replaced by 14-year-old (!) Dave Johnson on drums. They went to
Freddie Tieken's Quincy, Illinois, IT Studio and recorded their 2nd single, "Come
With Me" b/w "You're Looking Fine". All during 1966, 1967 & 1968 GONN opened
concerts at the Burlington Memorial Auditorium, with the likes of The Trolls,
Mob, American Breed, and many others, and packed teen centers & K of C halls all
over their corner of the world, traveling in the same 1951 Pontiac hearse
that was used for Craig's aunt's funeral! The original line-up played the 1966
Iowa State Fair to a positive response, and in 1967 they came in 2nd only to
Echos V , their ever-expanding hard-edged psychedelic approach maybe being a
little more than Fair judges could assimilate. Gonn appeared at the Iowa State
Fair for the last time in 1968.
Although a working band for a mere 2-1/2 years ('66-'68), the group
members were never out of touch entirely, reuniting in 1990 for a Keokuk riverfront
show, and in 1996 six of the seven 66-67 members got together to record an
entirely new album ("Gonn With The Wind") and released a CD of all of their 60's
recordings, "Frenzology - Punks Along The Mississippi." (Sold out, due to be
reissued in 2004). Over the years the band received an endless stream of fan
letters from around the world, and "Blackout" & their intended but never
released single "Doin' Me In" (issued on the Voxx LP) were covered by nuevo garage
bands from California to Paris & Rome & beyond. In February 1997 a 6-piece
GONN toured Europe for the first time, with shows in Rome, Turin, Amsterdam,
Paris, and other cities. That August they headlined a garage-band festival in
Atlanta and issued a live single from the Turin, Italy, show. In 1999 the
legendary New York label SUNDAZED issued a remastered 180-gram vinyl LP version of
the 'Frenzology' CD with takes not issued by Voxx, appropriately titled "The
Loudest Band In Town". In 2001 Gerry, Dave & Craig undertook a 2nd European Gonn
tour with Chocolate Watchband guitarist Jeff Jacks & Italian guitarist Massimo
Del Pozzo filling in temporarily. ( Pix of this tour & GONN FAX in general
at: www.bugpop.com/GONN// ) This tour found Gonn headlining festivals in Milan &
Bologna, Italy, plus shows in Zurich, Munich, Berlin, Holland & Belgium.
Their status as international ambassadors for Iowa and American garage band rock
'n roll is undeniable and unmistakable.
In 1969-1970 Gerry & Craig also were part of Quincy's ILMO SMOKEHOUSE,
who released an LP distributed by Roulette Records. Craig continued in bands
through 1987 and as record producer & singer/songwriter to the present day, even
recording a number of tracks in the 1990's with the likes of former heroes the
Yardbirds. "Blackout Of Gretely" and tracks from "Gonn With The Wind" have
been played frequently on RUSSIAN network radio 'Europa Blues', & Craig did
mini-tours of Russia during 2001-2002 with a Russian band playing back-up doing
GONN material and 60's American music. Gerry Gabel heads the music department at
Texas Christian University and has had numerous original orchestral &
performance compositions produced on stage. Rex & Dave carried on in bands throughout
the 70's & into the 80's, and both have 2nd generation working musicians in
the family.
GONN as a group carries on, with plans for more recordings, more shows,
quite likely another European tour, and to keep that spirit alive as long as
possible.
The groundswell to induct GONN into the Hall Of Fame came totally as a
surprise to the group, and was the result of fans from all over making it an
issue. It was truly a grassroots movement of the purest sort. As Rex & Craig
wrote in the title track to their reunion album, "The Wind" - "Sometimes the
smallest things can shine like the sun."
GONN is delighted and honored to join the Iowa Rock 'N Roll Hall Of Fame!
_____________________________________
You may use this info now. feel free to email to your local papers and
band members also..Bands are posted on the website, individual members
names, bios and pics will be posted later......Congratulations to
all...Steve Brown 319 378 1506 cell 319 310 0197
Iowa RockNroll Music Association www.Iowarocknroll.com email
webmaster@iowarocknroll.com for contact information. or call 712 332
6540
