Jim Reardon papers

1 COLLECTION SUMMARY

1.1 Introduction/Abstract

James N. “Jim” Reardon became one of the lead music promotors and managers in the Midwest in the 1960s and 1970s. As a partner with John Brown and Mid-Continent Entertainment, Reardon worked with the Blue Things, and other bands such as the Red Dogs and the Fabulous Flippers. After branching out on his own, Reardon moved to Hays, Kansas, opened the Dark Horse Inn, and founded his own management company, James N. Reardon & Associates. At this time he worked with numerous musical groups with a wide range of styles, including rock and roll groups such as the Fabulous Apostles, the Jerms, and King Midas and the Mufflers, to singing groups such as the all-female Shangri-Las, and soul music groups such as the Soul Express. Reardon ended his involvement in the music industry by 1975 for multiple reasons Reardon’s later careers included working as a lawyer, a lobbyist, and even a city council member in Topeka, Kansas.  During his time outside of the music industry, Reardon conducted a large research project on John R. Brinkley, a doctor, radio entrepreneur, and politician during the middle of the 20th century. The Jim Reardon Collection documents Jim's management and promotion of numerous rock bands with Mid-Continent Entertainment and Reardon & Associates between 1964-1975.This collection also includes electrostatic and photocopies of newspaper articles, notes, copies of memoranda and correspondence, transcript and notes of interviews, copies of radio scripts, oral interviews, manuscript drafts and other such materials gathered and created by Jim Reardon while conducting research on Dr. John R. Brinkley.

1.2 Dates

1965 - 2018

1.3 Quantity

3 cubic feet

1.4 Creator

James “Jim” Reardon

1.5 Title

Jim Reardon Collection

1.6 UID and/or Call #

UID# 474484

1.7 Language

English

1.8 Notes

This finding aid describes materials held by the Kansas State Historical Society. Materials may be used in the Research Room in the society’s Center for Historical Research during regular research hours. Support for telephone, mail, and online research and reference is limited.

In a continuing effort to improve the completeness and accuracy of finding aids, revisions are made as more or new information becomes available. Consequently, this finding aid may differ slightly from what appears in the collection or on the Kansas State Historical Society’s website.

1.9 Repository

Kansas State Historical Society (Topeka)

2 BIOGRAPHY OR HISTORY

Jim Reardon’s career as a promotor and manager in the music industry lasted ten years, spanning from 1964 to 1974. Reardon first attended primary school in Downes, Kansas, where he met John Brown, an eventual business partner. His family later relocated to Beloit, Kansas, but he maintained connections with school friends well into college. Both Reardon and Brown started college at Kansas State University, although Brown later transferred to the University of Kansas.[1]

Reardon developed multiple entrepreneurial efforts during his time in college. Prior to his involvement in the music industry, he formed a business called Jimco to design and sell sweatshirts.[2] Reardon began the sweatshirt business by drawing a few designs for some organizations at K-State and screen printing them from the basement of his fraternity house, Alpha Tau Omega. Between group orders, and a contract with a college clothing store in Independence, Kansas, demand soon increased beyond what Reardon was able to produce on his own, so he contracted a manufacturing company in Kansas City to print his designs. With this partnership, Reardon’s role focused on designing and marketing, especially to keep up with changing student interests.[3]

Reardon’s entry to the music industry began while traveling across Kansas on a business trip. Reardon had decided to travel around the state to distribute sweatshirts among local retailers, and at one stop he decided to attend a Fabulous Flippers event.[4] At this time, the Fabulous Flippers were already being managed by John Brown, as the first band of Brown’s Mid-Continent Entertainment agency. Reardon mentioned to Brown at this event that he should consider expanding to represent more than one band. At the time, Brown felt that working with the Flippers was already taking up too demanding to consider expansion.[5] However, about a year later, in 1964, Brown contacted Reardon about scouting a band in Hays. Reardon agreed, and was impressed by the band, which at the time was called the Blue Boys.[6] Reardon stated that “the sweatshirt business had fallen off…” at the time, and most of the sales were handled by distributers in the Manhattan area.[7] Reardon joined Mid-Continent Entertainment to manage and promote the new band. Through his first summer with Mid-Continent, Reardon worked as the road manager for the band; he was in charge of booking, promoting, and running events. Reardon and Brown agreed to split the profits and Brown landed a recording contract for the band with RCA Victor, which prompted a name change to the Blue Things, to avoid conflict with another band also called the Blue Boys.[8] The Blue Things recorded two albums and two singles with RCA Victor.[9]

John Brown relocated Mid-Continent Entertainment to Lawrence, Kansas, in 1964 following his transfer to the University of Kansas. Prior to this time Mid-Continent booked events for their bands from either Brown’s home in Downes or Reardon’s home in Beloit.[10] Reardon also conducted much of his management business from the road or while in school at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas.[11] Central to Mid-Continent’s success was advertising campaigns conducted often over channels such as KOMA Radio in Oklahoma City. In the mid-1960s, KOMA was not considered a popular station for advertising revenue despite having a wide audience range and ad space on the channel cost around five dollars.[12]

In November of 1964, Brown partnered with a Kappa Sigma fraternity brother at the University of Kansas named Mike Murfin to open the Red Dog Inn in the former Lawrence Opera House, also known as Liberty Hall.[13] Reardon described the partnership between the Red Dog Inn and Mid-Continent Entertainment as ideal for the beginning of rock and roll promotion.[14] The Red Dog Inn served as an emporium for the bands to play even during the winter, and it gave Mid-Continent a headquarters in Lawrence in a very prestigious club to book from.[15] The nightclub’s success was noticeable through its record setting beer sales, as they  sold the most Budweiser beer in the state of Kansas, and they reportedly even had the largest open account with Budweiser in the United States at one time.[16] At the end of the summer of 1964, Jim Reardon also moved to Lawrence to continue his involvement with Mid-Continent Entertainment. It was around this time that Reardon and John Brown began to expand the agency beyond their first two bands. Joining the Fabulous Flippers and the Blue Things were The Rising Suns, who later became the Young Raiders, Spider and the Crabs, and most notably, a band from Bartlesville, Oklahoma, that became known as The Red Dogs.[17] The Red Dogs, originally called The Limits, became the house band of the Red Dog Inn, where they played once a month.[18]

Reardon explained that with the increase in the number of bands at Mid-Continent, the work had increased while the pay had decreased, and that he also felt that Brown and Murfin were better suited to move Mid-Continent forward, so he decided to leave the agency.[19] Reardon moved to Hays, Kansas, to open his own nightclub and management company. Reardon explained that multiple reasons led to selecting Hays as the place to establish his own companies, including the early success of the Fabulous Flippers, the continued success of Mid-Continent bands when touring the area, and the presence of a college with around 16-17 thousand students.[20]

Reardon rented an old pluming shop and converted it into The Dark Horse Inn, a nightclub with seating for around 100 to 200 guests. Reardon named the club after a bar he once frequented, named the Dark Horse, and included “Inn” as a reference to the Red Dog Inn.[21] While significantly smaller than the Red Dog Inn, the Dark Horse Inn experienced its own version of success. Reardon hired John Hillcamp to run the bar, as he had experience from working for a few bars in the area and has some connections to help build the new venue, including with the Schlitz Brewing Company. At one time, the Dark Horse Inn sold the most Schlitz beer in Kansas.[22] The Dark Horse Inn was even recognized as the most popular place in Kansas by GQ Magazine in an article about the 50 best night spots in the United States.[23]

In Hays, Reardon also established James N. Reardon & Associates as a management agency similar to Mid-Continent Entertainment. Notable bands that Reardon represented through his management agency included the Jerms, a smaller band out of Topeka, the Fabulous Apostles, which was modeled after the Fabulous Flippers, the Soul Express, a local band that began playing the club before going on tour, and the Playmate Blues Band, advertised as “from the Dark Horse Inn.”[24] James N. Reardon & Associates worked with a very diverse field of musicians, from rock and roll groups such as the Apostles and King Midas and the Mufflers, to singing groups such as the all-female Shangri-Las, and soul music groups such as the Soul Express.[25] Reardon teamed up multiple groups to play together while touring to help increase booking opportunities.[26] Eventually Reardon’s management agency became a very successful organization, similar to Mid-Continent Entertainment. Reardon’s time with Mid-Continent Entertainment heavily influenced how he ran his management agency, however, James N. Reardon & Associates did operate with some differences from Mid-Continent. The most notable difference was that Reardon’s organization did not trademark the band names, which was a practice of John Brown and Mid-Continent Entertainment. This allowed Mid-Continent greater flexibility and optimization with bookings, and greater control over the identities of the bands.[27] Reardon explained that he did not expect to be in the music industry long term, so decided not to pursue trademarks over the bands, instead he felt comfortable letting them keep their names, and helping them develop their abilities over the time they decided to work with him.[28]

Reardon moved to Denver, Colorado, in the winter of 1968 and began to search for talent that had the potential of becoming hit recording groups.[29] While in Denver, Reardon worked with groups such as the Moonrakers and a band known as the Beast. Reardon described the Beast as “a super talented brass group just loaded with talent.”[30] The Beast had a very limited market, as the Midwest’s image of horn-bands such as the Flippers had not left the public’s expectations, and the band slowly broke up as members left to join other groups, including Rob Yeazel, who joined a band called The Chocolate Hair, later called Sugarloaf.[31] In 1969, Reardon decided to leave Denver and move back to Hays.[32]

Around the time Reardon moved back to Kansas, working in the music industry, especially the work around booking events, had begun to lose its appeal, he decided to apply to law school, and was accepted into Washburn’s Law School in Topeka, Kansas.[33] He also decided to sell the Dark Horse Inn to a local competitor, who ran the Rusty Bucket. Reardon explained that he sold the Dark Horse Inn because the nightclub competition in Hays had become very fierce, even mob-like, at the time.[34] Through law school, Reardon continued to participate in the music industry by working primarily as a promotor. Reardon took some groups on tour, including the Burgandy Street Singers, and was involved in the first hard rock concert at Century 2 in Wichita, performed by Steppenwolf.[35] His final promotion effort was the Evel Knieval Canyon Jump on closed circuit TV in 1975.[36] Promoting work allowed Reardon to pay his way through law school.[37]

Reardon had ended his involvement in the music industry by 1975, Reardon explained that multiple reasons led to his exit from the industry, especially changes to the advertising industry, as localized radio channels began to rise in popularity channels such as KOMA Radio lost their status as powerhouse advertisers, and the increase in drug use among band members, which Reardon associated with a decline in reliability among performers.[38]

Part of Reardon’s time outside of the music industry included a large research project on John R. Brinkley, a doctor, radio entrepreneur, and politician during the middle of the 20^th century. Reardon first learned of Dr. Brinkley while attending Kansas State University and reading a previous account of Brinkley’s work. In 1973, Reardon decided to write a biography on Brinkley.[39] Reardon’s research on Dr. Brinkley included conducting oral interviews with individuals that worked for Brinkley’s radio station and members of the Brinkley family.[40]While his manuscript, “All is Forgiven, Dr. Brinkley, The True Story of Dr. John R. Brinkley, the 20^th Century’s Greatest Medical Showman,” was never fully published, portions of Reardon’s work were featured in the STAR The Weekly Magazine, from the Kansas City Star, in the Sunday, November 7, 1982 issue as an article titled “The year the election was stolen.” [41]

After graduating from Washburn Law School, Reardon continued to live in Topeka, Kansas. Hislater careers included working as a lawyer, a lobbyist, and even a Topeka city council member.[42] In 2018, Jim Reardon was inducted into the Kansas Music Hall of Fame as a Bob Hapgood award recipient.[43]

3 SCOPE AND CONTENTS

This collection documents Jim's management and promotion of numerous rock bands with Mid-Continent Entertainment (Lawrence, Kansas) and Reardon & Associates (Hays, Kansas and Denver, Colorado) between 1964-1975. The collection includes recordings, photos, promotional materials, correspondence and other records documenting bands such as The Blue Things, The Jerms, The Red Dogs, The Rising Suns, Spider and the Crabs, and others. Other material includes a 2018 Kansas Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony program, information on Jim's induction into the Kansas Music Hall of Fame, a scrapbook on The Blue Things, a history of the Red Dog Inn, and newspaper articles and clippings regarding Reardon and his businesses. Also included is "Rock and Roll Memories" by Tom Tourville featured in the Pipestone County Star, February 2025.

The Jim Reardon Collection also includes electrostatic and photocopies of newspaper articles, notes, copies of memoranda and correspondence, transcript and notes of interviews, copies of radio scripts, oral interviews, and other such materials gathered and created by Jim Reardon while conducting research on Dr. John R. Brinkley. The collection also includes Reardon's manuscript, "All Is Forgiven, Dr. Brinkley, The True Story of Dr. John R. Brinkley The 20th Century's Greatest Medical Showman," permission to copy and quote from manuscript must be obtained from donor.

4 CONTENTS LIST

• 015-03-05-03: Jim Reardon Material on John R. Brinkley Collection
  • Electrostatic copy of an unidentified thesis on John R. Brinkley.
  • Two folders of newspaper articles on Dr. John R. Brinkley. Folders contain both original newspaper material and copies.
  • Two folders of photocopies and electrostatic copies of research materials related to Dr. John R. Brinkley.
• 015-03-05-04: Jim Reardon Material on John R. Brinkley Collection
  • Two folders containing drafts of a manuscript on Dr. John R. Brinkley.
  • One folder containing research materials related to Dr. John R. Brinkley. Materials include photocopies of photographs, news articles, and other publications.
• 019-12-06-02
  • Scrapbook of the Blue Things. This scrapbook contains photos, news clippings and other materials related to the Blue Things, a band represented by Mid-Continent Entertainment and the first musical group Jim Reardon worked with.
• 039-04-04-04
  • “Just Jammin” by Mike Doyle and Jim McCurry. UID 532313.
    • This is a compact disc recording of music by Mike Doyle and Jim McMurry.
  • Voices by Mike Doyle & Terri and Nancy Anderson. UID 532332.
    • This is a compact disc recorded by Mike Doyle & Terri and Nancy Anderson.
  • Lookin’ for a Way by Beast from Kansas. UID 532325.
    • This is a collectors edition compact disc recording by Beast from Kansas. It was recorded at Norman Petty Recording Studios in Clovis, New Mexico, Produced by BFK. The tracks include Lookin' for a Way, Berkeley Lady, Entrance, Nica's Dream, When You Say You're Sorry, Illusions R, Lease On Life, Leavin', Keep It All To Yourself, and Yri.
  • Love to Love to Love by Lee Wright. UID 532326.
  • Hold On I’m Strummin by Dano-mite. UID 532329.
    • This is a compact disc produced by Amber Waves recordings and Beaver Madness Records. There are 20 tracks performed by a combination of or solo artists listed as: Dano, Lee, Tim, and "Fat Head Ralph."
  • Best of the Elders Volume 1. UID 532330.
    • This compact disc, produced by Big Time Productions with Pubtone Records, contains 14 tracks performed by The Elders.
  • Submytion Finally. UID 532331.
    • This compact disc contains 10 tracks performed by various artists, listed as: Anthony, Barton, Calvery, Hansen, Schuster, Wiz, and Jeffery.
  • Look Homeward Angel. UID 532333.
    • This compact disc is addressed to Jim from Richard. It is titled "Look Homeward Angel (w. Gold)" was produced by the Radio Corporation of America.
• 073-03-02-01
  • Materials related to Shangri-Las, Blue boys, Beautiful People, and Blue things bands. Materials include Shangri-Las posters; a Blue boys photograph with a written "Remembrances" by Richard Scott; correspondence from Jim Reardon (2002 & 1982); The Beautiful People history; copies of newspaper articles about Nebraska Hall of Fame Inductees; and photocopies of posters from Spider and the Crabs, The Blue Things, and Blue Boys.
• 109-01-03-19: Jim Reardon Material on John R. Brinkley Collection
  • 2025-084. A photograph of Dr. John R. Brinkley. The photo is behind and has partially adhered to glass.
  • Five folders containing Jim Reardon’s manuscript of “All is Forgiven, Dr. Brinkley, The True Story of Dr. John R. Brinkley, the 20^th Century’s Greatest Medical Showman.” Permission to copy and quote from manuscript must be obtained from donor.
  • A copy of a letter from Burt Comer to Dr. John R. Brinkley. The letter dated December 17, 1932. Comer was a counselor and attorney at law in Wichita, Kansas.
  • Copies of correspondence and news articles related to Dr. John R. Brinkley. Materials dated to 1937 and 1938.
  • Copies of correspondence and news articles related to Dr. John R. Brinkley. Materials dated to 1940.
  • Copies of correspondence related to Dr. John R. Brinkley. Materials dated to 1941.
  • Copies of correspondence and other research materials related to Dr. John R. Brinkley. Materials dated to 1942.
  • Two folders containing copies of radio scripts.
  • Articles, notes, and correspondence related to Jim Reardon’s research on Dr. John R. Brinkley. Some materials are related to Dr. Brinkley, and some are related to Reardon’s research.
  • Copies of articles and clippings related to Dr. John R. Brinkley.
  • Notes from Jim Reardon’s research on Dr. John R. Brinkley. Also includes interview transcripts from Reardon’s oral interviews conducted as part of his research.
  • A drawing of Dr. John R. Brinkley, drawing may be a copy.
  • STAR: The Weekly Magazine, from the Kansas City Star, Sunday, November 7, 1982. Includes an article by Jim Reardon, titled “The year the election was stolen.” Article is on pages 22-24, 26, 28, 33-34.
  • Set of photographic slides titled “Coyote’s Howl from the Rio Grand.” Set contains 199 slides.
  •  Set of photographic slides titled “The People’s Candidate Part 2.” Set contains 69 slides.
  • Set of photographic slides titled “No Ordinary Doctor Part 1.” Set contains 120 slides.
  • 2011-077.02. A letter from John Brinkley to Jim Reardon, dated August 9, 1974, and a report titled “Dr. John R. Brinkley: A Case Study In Collective Behavior” by Carroll D. Clark of the University of Kansas and Noel P. Gist of the University of Missouri. The case study includes copies from a publication containing documents from Brinkley v. Hassig et al. No. 1344. Circuit Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit, April 7, 1936.
• 122-11-07-14: Jim Reardon Material on John R. Brinkley Collection – AV Material, fourteen compact cassette audio tapes containing seventeen interviews conducted by Jim Reardon (UID 515064).
  • Tape 1: Maudie Carlson Interview (UID 515085) and Roy Faulkner Interview (1) (UID 515084). Carlson was one of the entertainers employed by Dr. Brinkley. She worked for Brinkley at KFBI in Abilene, Kansas, and later worked for WIBW radio in Topeka, Kansas. Faulkner was one of the entertainers employed by Dr. Brinkley. Faulkner worked for a number of stations after KFKB, one being WIBW 580, Topeka, Kansas.
  • Tape 2: Eddie Patrick Interview (1) (UID 515065) and Olaf Sword Interview (UID 515086). Patrick, also known as the Rolling Stone, was one of the entertainers employed by Dr. Brinkley. His show was titled "Just the Rolling Stone Show."
  • Tape 3: Eddie Patrick Interview (UID 530409) and Alf Landon Interview (UID 515088). Patrick, also known as the Rolling Stone, was one of the entertainers employed by Dr. Brinkley. His show was titled "Just the Rolling Stone Show." Alf Landon became governor of Kansas following a closely contested election including against independent candidate Dr. John R. Brinkley.
  • Tapes 4 and 5: Minnie Brinkley Interview (UID 515080). Minnie Brinkley discussed: her life and medical career with Dr. John R. Brinkley; running of the Brinkley Hospital and Clinics in Milford, Kan., Del Rio, Tex., Little Rock, Ark.; running of radio stations KFKB in Milford, XER/XERA in Villa Accuna, Mexico, and the Kansas gubernatorial campaigns of 1930, 1932, 1934.
  • Tape 6: Ms. Stewart Interview (UID 515096) and Roy Faulkner Interview (2) (UID 515093). Faulkner was one of the entertainers employed by Dr. Brinkley. Faulkner worked for a number of stations after KFKB, one being WIBW 580, Topeka, Kansas.
  • Tape7 and 8: John R Brinkley III & Minnie Brinkley: House Tour & Interview (UID 515098).
  • Tape 9: Paul Kallinger Interview (UID 515100) and John R. Brinkley III & Minnie Brinkley Interview (2).
  • Tape 10: Carrie Blake Interview (UID 515102).
  • Tape 11: Brinkley Slide Show (UID 515128).
  • Tape 12: Billy Stittsworth Interview (UID 515104).
  • Tape 13: Floyd Printz Interview (UID 515103).
  • Tape 14: Compiled Interview Tape (UID 515129). Compiled tape of other interviews in collection conducted by Mr. Reardon.
• 143-04-04-20
  • 2020-178. Four double sided 45 RPM single phonograph discs. Discs contain music performed by The Blue Things. Songs include Your Turn To Cry, Mary Lou, The Orange Rooftop Of Your Mind, One Hour Cleaners, Yes, My Friend, Somebody Help Me, La Do Da Da, and I Must Be Doing Something Wrong.
  • 2024-130. Two compact discs and one digital video disc containing “Jimmy Dee and the Fabulous Destinations Biography by Leon Frank Productions.
    • One compact disc is titled Sound 70 w/ Lee Barnett and contains tracks titled: Beginnings, Feel Alright, Wake Up Sunshine, an unknown title, Tell Mama, Instrumental lead in to “Everybody’s Talking,” Everybody’s Talking, Heavy Jazz Rockin Blues Instrumental, Jesus Christ Superstar, Riot Goin On, A Little Deviztion & a Lot of Concentration, Back Stage Girl, the Theme from Shaft, and I Can’t Hear You Talkin.
    • The second compact disc is titled Monstors of the Midwest KFMC Radio 7-11-1982.
  •  2025-016. Photocopies of correspondence, photographs and promotional material from Mid-Continent Entertainment and James N. Reardon & Associates, and a copy of the Kansas Music Hall of Fame 2018 Induction Ceremony program.
  • 2025-043, Folder 1. Photographs and news stories related to the Kansas Music Hall of Fame and their inductees.
  • 2025-043, Folder 2. A history of the Red Dog Inn by Zachary Mitchell Schneiderman. A paper written by a University of Kansas Student relating to the history of the Red Dog Inn nightclub located at Liberty Hall in Lawrence, Kansas in the 1960s and 1970s.
  • 2025-043 Folder 3. Promotional material, correspondence, and other business records related to James N. Reardon & Associates.
  • 2025-084, Folder 1. Informational material and photographs related to the Jerms a band represented by James N. Reardon & Associates.
  • 2025-084, Folder 2. Correspondence between Terry Moore and Jim Reardon regarding Spider and the Crabs, a band represented by Mid-Continent Entertainment.
  • 2025-084, Folder 3. Promotional materials and news articles regarding the Fabulous Flippers, the lead act of Mid-Continent Entertainment.
  •  2025-084, Folder 4. News articles and correspondence regarding the Red Dogs, a band represented by Mid-Continent Entertainment and house band of the Red Dog Inn.
  • 2025-084, Folder 5. Photographs, Promotional materials, news articles, and correspondences regarding the Blue Things, a band represented by Mid-Continent Entertainment and the first musical group Jim Reardon worked with.
  • 2025-084 Folder 6. Kansas Music Hall of Fame informational material and a news clipping photocopy related to Jim Reardon and his early careers.
  • 2025-084 Folder 7. Business materials from the Dark Horse Inn and James N. Reardon & Associates. Folder includes photocopies of promotional materials and band photographs.
  • 2025-084 Folder 8. Documents related to the Sensational Showman, a band represented by James N. Reardon & Associates. Materials include an interview transcript with bandmember Phil Pfister, correspondences, news articles and promotional items.
  • 2025-084 Folder 9. Seven compact discs in plastic cases.
    • A case containing two discs, labeled “Bristlecone Orchestra Disk 2 Mike Chapman Sound Engineer Mary Chapman” and “Bristlecone Orchestra Disk 3 Mike Chapman Sound Engineer Mary Chapman.”
    • Midwest Showtime Volume 2, contains 21 tracks, including: I Must Be Doing Domething Wrong by the Blue Things, Woman Blues by the Flippers, Who’s by the Jerms, Rambling Man by the Border Band, Penny A Teardrop by the Dinks, Doll House by the Blue Things, She’s Not There by Fat Head Ralph, Your Not The Only One by Tide, Some People Cheat by Mike Finnigan & Bill Lynch, Peter Rabbitt by TR4, Mercy Mercy Mercy by King Midas & the Muflers, The Loner by the Express, Bop A Lena by Mickey Decker & the Galaxies, Talk To Your Daughter by Original Sin, Show Me About Love by Red Dogs, Reachin For The Feeling by Sanctuary, I’ll Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know by Spider & the Crabs, Belexes by Proto Kaw, Get It On by Eric & the Norsemen, My Generation by the Coachmen, and Desert Wind by Val Stecklein.
    • Crackerbarrel Unreleased Session, contains four tracks, including: I’m Gonna Leave You (3:03), It’s A Cheap Life (2:12), With Or Without You (3:28), and I Love The World (2:15).
    • The second compact disc is titled Monstors of the Midwest KFMC Radio 7-11-1982.
    • Some of the Best of Richard Scott, contains 15 tracks including: It Doesn’t Matter Anymore (2:33), A Teenage Goodbye (3:29), Musn’t Do That (3:01), Sleephead (2:51), Don’t Walk Away (4:39), Carry On (3:09), I Just Can’t Seem To Understand (3:09), Going Home (3:00), A Country Boy (4:18), Softly In The Morning (4:06), She’s A Jezabel (2:42), Cheyenne (2:20), Whiskey Whiskey (2:00), The One That’s Gone (2:01), Your Love Is Gone Forever (4:11).
    • Been Down This Road Before Richard Scott, contains 14 tracks, including: The Orange Rooftop Of Your Mind (2:58), With Or Without You (3:09), Desert Wind (3:14), I Can’t Have Yesterday (2:29), Just Two Days Ago (2:45), One Hour Cleaners (2:33), Reasons And Remedies (4:01), Moonlight Surf (instrumental) (3:34), The Man On The Street (2:31), Now’s The Time (2:20), So You Say (2:46), I Must Be Doing Something Wrong (3:48), Six Days On The Road (3:30), Come The Dawn (3:15).
  • 2025-087. Photographs, correspondence, and other material relating to the induction of the Fabulous Apostles into the Kansas Music Hall of Fame in 2016. Includes original and photocopies of photograph of the Fabulous Apostles during their third year.
  • “ Rock and Roll Memories” by Tom Tourville. A draft of an article for the Pipestone County Star. The article discusses the history of the Jerms, a band from Topeka represented by James N. Reardon & Associates.

5 RELATED MATERIALS

• John Owen Brown papers (UID 531297)
• Steve Clark papers (UID 532645)
• Evan Johnson collection (UID 531890)
• Chris Cruz collection (UID 531891)
• Steve Alter collection (UID 531109)
• Roger Lewis collection (UID 530825)
• Kansas music history collection (UID 532588)
• Allan Miller music materials (UID 532589)
• The Tyme Peace CD (UID 530974)
• Larry Dimmitt collection (UID 531603)
• Mike Doyle collection (UID 530087)
• Lester Dennis Higgins Collection (UID 530938)
• The Fabulous Flippers “Then” cassette tape (UID 531806)
• The Fabulous Flippers posters and newspaper articles (UID 531807)

6 BIBLIOGRAPHY

James N. Reardon, interview by Michael Church, recording, Kansas Music History Program, Kansas Historical Society, Topeka, Kansas, 3 September, 2024, Kansas Historical Society, State Archives Division.

Jim Reardon Collection, UID 474484, Kansas Historical Society, State Archives Division, Topeka, Ks.

Bisel, Debra Goodrich. Kansas Music: Stories of a Rich Tradition. Charleston, SC: The History Press, 2014.

Lee, Bill.Kansas Rockers: The First Generation. Lawrence, KS: Sunflower Roots Publishing, 1999.

Tourville, Tom. “Outstanding And They Were Wild”: The Kansas / Oklahoma 60s Rock Discography, Vol. 2. Fairmont, Mn: Midwest Publications, 1995.

7 INDEX TERMS/SUBJECT HEADINGS/ACCESS POINTS

• Kansas Music
• Rock and Roll
• Rhythm and Blues
• Mid-Continent Entertainment
• James N. Reardon & Associates
• The Fabulous Flippers
• The Red Dogs
• The Blue Things
• The Rising Suns
• Spider and the Crabs
• The Young Raiders
• The Jerms
• The Shangri-Las
• The Soul Express
• The Red Dog Inn (Liberty Hall, Lawrence, KS)
• The Dark Horse Inn (Hays, KS)
• 1960s
• 1970s
• KOMA Radio
• Kansas Music Hall of Fame
• Dr. John R. Brinkley

8 ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

8.1 Restrictions on access

None

8.2 Restrictions on use

Permission to copy and quote from manuscript, "All Is Forgiven, Dr. Brinkley, The True Story of Dr. John R. Brinkley The 20th Century's Greatest Medical Showman," must be obtained from donor

8.3 Custodial History/ Provenance

The Jim Reardon Collection compromises the personal collections of James N. “Jim” Reardon. A portion of the collection is comprised of original documents and audio-visual materials related to Reardon’s career in the music industry during the 1960s and 1970s. Another portion of the collection includes research materials collected and created by Reardon related to Dr. John R. Brinkley. Reardon has donated portions of the collection to the Kansas Historical Society State Archives Division in 1990, 2011, 2020, 2024, and 2025.

8.4 Alternate forms

KSHS has created digital copies of all oral interviews Reardon recorded for his research on Dr. John R. Brinkley.

8.5 Preferred citation

Note: [document and/or series description, date], Jim Reardon Collection, Kansas State Historical Society.

Bibliography: Jim Reardon Collection, Kansas State Historical Society.

8.6 Acquisition information (Accession #)

Accession # 1990MS044, 2011-077.01, 2011-077.02, 2020-178, 2024-130, 2024-151, 2025-016, 2025-043, 2025-084, 2025-087.

UID # 474484

8.7 Processing information (Processor name)

Cordell Moats, digital archivist, 2025.

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