The Red Dogs

The Red Dogs were a nine-piece multi-instrument show company from Lawrence, Kansas. In the spring of 1965, a band called The Limits were handpicked to be the house band for the opening of the Red Dog Inn in Lawrence. The band was then renamed The Red Dogs. The band played Lawrence monthly and was on the road every weekend plus summer tours. With horns, organ, guitars, drums and 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. 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 last of the original Red Dogs left in May, 1969 as members graduated from college and took other jobs. This marked the end of the band members who created The Red Dogs and established their reputation. A short time later, some of the band members joined with several new members and continued touring as The Red Dogs into 1970. On January 15, 2005, The Red Dogs got back together to play in public for the first time in over 35 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. The Red Dogs were again honored as they were inducted into the Iowa Rock and Roll Music Hall of Fame on September 4, 2005. The band played for the opening of the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson, KS, is June, 2005 and 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". On April 24, 2010, The Red Dogs were inducted into the South Dakota Rock & Roll Music Association Hall of Fame where they played before a sell out crowd of 1600.