A Winner band has been chosen to be inducted into the South Dakota Rock and Roll Music Hall of Fame.
The Fabulous Unknowns of Winner will be inducted on April 22 at the Ramkota Exhibit Hall in Sioux Falls.
Originally called the Fabulous Unknown, this Winner band began rehearsing in the summer of 1972 and the initial band members were: Dave Hosek on trumpet, keyboards and vocals; Curt Hoffer on keyboards, guitar and vocals; Jim Nelson on bass guitar and vocals; Rob Taylor on guitar, trumpet, tenor sax and vocals; Tim Obert on trap set, guitar and vocals; Terry Pospisil replaced Nelson in the autumn of 1972.
Taylor and Obert were from Colorado Springs, Colo., and the rest were from Winner.
Many of their fans called them the Unknowns, so they soon added the “s” to their name. They played a variety of music styles from pop songs of the 1940s through the Tijuana Brass, Everly Brothers, Chicago and the Doobie Brothers.
They learned songs their parents liked.
The Fabulous Unknowns were managed by S. P. O’Malley, who had moved to Winner from Yankton. He crafted their clean image, never allowing them any smoking or drinking from the stage. They always tuned their instruments before going on stage. This was more of a show band than a dance band.
The band members wore tailored suits and were known for their colorful clothes. Their first gig was in the summer of 1972 in Dallas. That is Dallas, S.D., not Dallas, Texas. At their second stop at the Purple Turtle in Sioux Falls they were billed as “direct from Dallas.”
The Fabulous Unknowns performed outside of South Dakota but the Holiday Inns of Sioux Falls, Mitchell, Pierre and Spearfish were their repeat venues.
The Kochi Inn in Yankton was also a favorite spot for the band.
In April of 1974 their finals shows were at the Crest Show Lounge in Spencer, Iowa.
Fun always was their priority and it showed through their appearances. Many of the members still are active musicians.
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