I first became interested in music at about the age of six or seven listening to '50s rock-n-roll, then at the age from 10 to 15 I studied classical piano. After that I got bit hard, bought a drum set, learned how to play and joined The Rogues.
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| The Rogues: Ed Hoke, Jim Churchill, Joe DeRozza, Mike Hoke and Mike Chapman (kneeling). |
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Jim Churchill Recalls The Rogues
October 2011
The Rogues was formed about 1963 by Ed and Mike Hoke, lead and bass players for the band. The members were: Ed Hoke, lead guitar; Mike Hoke, bass guitar; Joe DeRozza, lead singer; Mike Chapman, rhythm guitar; and Jim Churchill, drummer.
The band's sound was our own, I'm sure, but we strived to sound like whatever cover song we were doing. The Omaha rock scene in the '60s was very good. There were so many good bands. I doubt there has ever been that many good bands in this town since then. It was a great time if you were in a band. My best memories are those of my life in the Sixties playing in the band.
The Rogues played mostly in teen clubs. We didn't do very many private parties. Our touring territory was Lincoln, Nebraska and The Saber Club. In Storm Lake, Iowa we played at The Cobblestone Ballroom. We also played at a place called The Boondocks in Grand Island, Nebraska. We played in Minnessota at a military base several times. We played at the Air Force base in Omaha that was on 72nd and McKinnley then in the NCO Club. We played at Sandy's Escape, Mickey's on 15th and Farnam, The Side Door, Millard Ballroom and North High sock hops at the YMCA on North 30th St. We also played frequently at a teen club called The Cave Under the Hill; it was in the basement of the old Hill Hotel and was called The Peppermint Cave in the '50s. We played a battle of the bands at the KOIL Fun Fair and although the band was very popular we did not win. I can't remember all the bands but The Flippers and the Pete Klint Quintet (also played). Our "manager" supposedly then was Ed and Mike Hoke's dad, but we got more gigs just from word of mouth. He wasn't the best manager.
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| The Rogues at the Radar Base NCO Club: Mike Hoke, Jim Churchill, Joe DeRozza, Ed Hoke and Mike Chapman. |
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A couple of us wrote the song 'Anything You Say' and we paid for the recording session ourselves. The flip side was 'Summertime', a George Gershwin song from the opera Porgy and Bess (our own version, of course. In those days you could be on any label you wanted if you had enough money. Action Records (100) was our own label and we sold the 1,000 copies ourselves.
We recorded at Don Sears Recording Studio, of course. I think it was the only place (to record) in those days. It was a unique experience and although technology has gone far beyond what was available then, the quality was very good. I listen to that recording today and am awed at how good the quality is considering.
I wrote most of 'Anything You Say' with Joe Derozza. We had another song we were going to record called 'Lonely Walter Stodard' but the band disolved before this could happen. Unfortunately, there are no other recordings and we all have commented, "Why didn't we record some of the songs we did?" I think we thought this would last forever, you know? We were only about 18 years old.
The band broke up in 1967 after Ed Hoke started going to night school for electronics and couldn't practice. We thought the band wouldn't be the same with a different lead player. My experience with The Rogues I would say was the best time of my life so far. I have been playing in bands all my life but none as enjoyable as the time we spent playing together in the Sixties.
Two of the original members have passed away--Ed Hoke in 2009 and my life long friend and fellow musician Mike Chapman died in December 2010. Joe DeRozza still lives in Omaha and we are still in contact with each other, along with Mike Hoke, who lives in Colorado.
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| The Rogues: Mike Chapman, Ed Hoke (standing on wing), Joe DeRozza, Jim Churchill and Mike Hoke. |
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| The Rogues, 2010: Joe DeRozza, Jim Churchill, Mike Hoke and Mike Chapman. |
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