About Us
Our Story
The Senders began in 1962 in Newell, Iowa and were originally called Johnny and the Sting Rays. They began their musical career by renting Legion Buildings and Community Centers throughout NW Iowa. They were too young to drive, so their parents drove them to the teen hops. The band memebers were ages 12 through 16. As time went by they got hired to play in ballrooms around NW and North Central Iowa. Two of their favorite ballrooms were the Cobblestone in Storm Lake, Iowa and the Roof Garden in Spirit Lake, Iowa.
In 1964, the band began searching for a different name. Elivis Presley's recording of "Return to Sender" sounded like a name that would work. Thus, the name "The Senders" was born. The band members stayed the same, just the name was changed.
As 60+ years of playing rock-n-roll music have gone by, there have been 26 different members. A few members played only 4 or 5 months, some played 4 or 5 years, and some have played for 4 or 5 decades. The Senders have made appearances in Iowa, South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Colorado.
Come and join in on the fun at an appearance of The Senders when they play at a location near you. The Senders play dance music from the 50's, 60's, and 70's. Their motto is "if you can't dance to it, we don't play it".
Current members are: Kal Kohler, Dave Schossow, Bob Harrison, and Don Schossow.