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Arts & Entertainment

Younger Brothers To Rock At Civic Park

The O'Fallon Jammin' Series continues.

They're called the Younger Brothers, but they've been rocking in St. Louis for more than 45 years.

The Younger Brothers will perform Tuesday in as part of the O'Fallon Jammin' summer concert series.

"They've performed here in the past at a festival or event but not at Jammin'," said Marsha Seymour, manager of tourism and festivals for the city. "They're very good."

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The outdoor performance runs from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. in Civic Park, 308 Civic Park Dr. Bring blankets or chairs for seating on the lawn around the bandstand. Admission and parking is free. Concessions will be available for purchase.

In the event of extreme heat, the concert start time might be delayed. Call the O'Fallon Event Hotline at 636-379-5614 for the latest update. "It's supposed to be cooler this week than last week," Seymour said.

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The Younger Brothers band was formed in 1965 by a group of teenagers attending Roosevelt High School. The mainstays of the band are Bill Lynch on lead guitar and vocals, Gus Schoenberg on drums and vocals, Roger Hessling on bass guitar and vocals, and Roy Hessling on keyboards and vocals.

"For a lot of us, it came about because of The Beatles," Roy Hessling said. "Everybody was trying to play an instrument, something to impress the girls. It was the thing to do in the mid-'60s."

The band was originally called Reebtoor (Rootbeer spelled backward) but was renamed the Younger Brothers at the suggestion of early band member Michael McDonald. McDonald would go on to success with Steely Dan and the Doobie Brothers as well as a successful solo career.

"He was in the band for about a year—'67 to '68," Hessling said. "He was 16, and he had a big voice even then. I was kinda surprised by his success, but he was very talented even back then."

The band played Teen Towns and high school dances in the area through the '60s and then became the house band on the Admiral's fourth deck for six seasons beginning in 1970.

"That was our big break," Hessling said. "Everybody heard us on the Admiral in those days.

The band members, who turned 20-21 when the Admiral gig began, were playing on the riverboat four nights a week. "We thought it was fantastic. It was a party every weekend—fights and wild times. We had a great time, and we were kids."

The group broke up in 1983. "We were getting older, kids were coming along, family concerns," Hessling said. "We'd been together 15 years. It was time to do something different, go other ways."

The four original members got back together in 2004 for a benefit show. "We had a good time and decided to keep doing it," Hessling said.

The Younger Brothers specialize in classic rock, ranging from The Beatles to Motown. "We cover rock hits from the '60s, '70s and '80s," Hessling said.  

The O'Fallon Jammin' series runs most Tuesdays through August and continues with the O'Fallon Jazz Band and O'Fallon Community Concert Band on Aug. 2, Laytham and Holmes Duo on Aug. 9, Fanfare on Aug. 16, Trixie Delight on Aug. 23 and Mirage on Aug. 30.

For more information visit http://www.ofallon.mo.us/dept_tourism_Jammin.htm.

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