Common Grounds of Longville

I was 10 years old when I got my first guitar, an acoustic that I traded for my first electric guitar a solid body Supro and a Silvertone amp from Sears. I learned to play along with a Dwayne Eddy record called Rebel Rouser. He was vastly influential, perhaps the most successful instrumental electric guitar rocker of his time. Soon The Beatles, Rolling Stones, and the other British bands came on to the scene, I formed a band with some friends of mine called “The Outcasts.” Another neighborhood band that we competed against for a chance to perform at the Friday night dances called me up after we lost and asked me to join them. We became “Mozart’s Mafia” and stayed together until graduation playing at Southwest High school sock hops and even playing at rival Washburn high school dances. We auditioned for an agent who then took over our bookings getting us into local bars like George’s in the Park and bigger dances at the U of M. This led to some outrageous fraternity parties where we went over big. Over a 4 year period we went from a four piece group to a horn band complete with saxophone, trumpet and Hammond B3 keyboard. After a 2 year trip to Germany provided by Uncle Sam and 4 years of college, I played briefly in a blue grass band called “35W Blues”. we competed at the Minnesota state fair amateur band contest. After a long period of retirement I answered an ad in City Pages for a singer guitarist to join a blues band. We called ourselves “Blues Deluxe” and played around the twin cities area at small biker bars.  After 3 years of that things broke up and I moved up north to Longville. My wife Margie and I started singing at the local coffee house in Longville and entertained folks at Maycreek Lodge and Grandma Joe’s in Walker. One afternoon I was invited to come to an afternoon practice with a group playing that same night for the “Wild Game Feed”. The group took me in and we became known as “Cabin Fever”. My main influences are Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Buddy Guy, Robert Cray and of course the people who influenced them, BB King, Albert King and the mojo man himself John Lee Hooker.

Tim and Jan Marr retired to the Longville area 5 years ago from Maple Plain, MN where Tim was District Engineer for Three Rivers Park District and Jan was a Special Education Paraprofessional for the Orono School district. They raised 3 children and really enjoy their 8 grandchildren who are all showing musical interests.

Tim and Jan have always enjoyed singing together and since their retirement have been able to spend more time at it. Accompanied by Tim’s vintage Gibson guitar “Larry”, they have sung many times at The Common Grounds in Longville, entertained for the YAH Club and the Knights of Columbus, performed for the Taste of Longville, and have been the opening act at the Woodtick Theater in Akeley. They have appeared in two Iznette productions presenting the fun loving adventures of Ma and Pa. Tim and Jan also sing in the Salem Lutheran Church choir and the Longville Area Community Choir where Jan is secretary and Tim serves as Choir manager. They enjoy performing their repertoire of folk music, old and new, and feel fortunate to be able to share their hobby of music with others.

  ~ Frank Prout~

Frank started his own band in 1958 called

The Exotics.

He then played with

Gregory Dee & The Avanties

from 1963 to 1966. They opened for The Beatles, Dave Clark Five, The Everly Brothers, Sonny & Cher, Chubby Checker, and The Beach Boys!

 He left Minnesota to live in California, living there for 12 years. He met many friends in the Music industry, Even selling a song to Lou Rawls - "Hallelujah for a Friend". In 1978, Frank came back to Minnesota. He played and his wife Debbie sang, calling themselves "Separate Ways" ~ Their picture hangs at the Common Grounds! Frank & Debbie settled in Hackensack - a hometown - where they live now and still love to play around the area. As Frank say "It's a good place to live!"