Reclaiming Lost History

The Mustang Band started in Houston in the late 1970's, as an offshoot of the social organization,
The Mustang Club. They played all of the club's functions and then started working at other clubs
and bars in Texas. From that point they began shows outside of the state, including playing the
Mardi Gras for six years, and a regular route of bars in San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, Oklahoma City,
Denver, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. They played the Reno Gay Rodeo (3 years), and
even got as far as Cincinnati and Boston.

All told, they played together for about seven years...by that time the AIDS epidemic decimated the
band and their audiences, and they stopped playing in the early 1980's. I took this information from
emails sent to me by founding member Larry Hodge, who said he believes he is the only surviving
member. He now lives in central Illinois.

Like a lot of bar bands they played mostly cover songs, and while they did no professional recording,
Larry was able to send me a CD made from a cassette tape recorded at a show. I am pleased to share
with you some lost history. From the recording I picked two with the best sound...

"I Don't Wanna Cry" and "Drivin' My Life Away"

"Heart Over Mind" and "Rose-Colored Glasses"

Larry Hodge is second from the right. Below is a scan of the large
patches Mustang Club members wore on the back of their jackets.

I don't have all the names of the members, but I could gleen from articles the following:
(of course, there were the usual personnel changes, and remember in these
years people were more careful getting their full names in public)

Larry Hodge
Joseph Siegler, fiddler
Robin Le Normand, drummer (aka TC LeNormand )
Ron
Tom Groves, manager
Robert Badalato, vocals
Terry LeMont, bass
Russ Lewindowski, keyboard

Above and Below at 1979 Reno Gay Rodeo, courtesy Lon Johnson

Clippings

   

  

  

  

above from Midnight Rider

below from Midnite Rider

the Drummer, Robin Le Normand, on the cover of TWT

below, for the club rather than the band

and where can I get a copy of this elusive 45???

  

Letters

(addresses have been sanitized)

May 2022, got a message from Joseph Siegel, the band's fiddler, who commented on Larry's note:

In Larry Hodge's note, (in Sept. 2008) he wrote that he might be the only surviving member. Well, not so.
The fiddler, Joseph Siegel, has had some radical changes of locale, and ups and downs - but I'm
still alive and still making music. Some years back, I learned that bassist/singer
Robert Badolato had died, but now I grieve for my other long-ago music partners.
If Larry Hodge is still alive and in contact with you, please send him my thanks for the kind regard
and musical support that he extended to me all those crazy years ago.