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SHERBURN - What began as a simple homecoming contest at Southwest State University has earned a spot in the Mid-America Music Hall of Fame.

"We just did a 1950s-style band, kind of like Sha-Na-Na," said Patrick Rasmussen, a bass vocalist for the band. "This was just when the '50s craze was coming out. We performed Dion's 'I Wonder,' 'Teen Angel,' and 'Great Balls of Fire.' We won the contest and I think the prize was something like $50."

Normally, that would be the end of the story. But there was a local bar owner who liked what he saw and heard.

"We were contacted a few weeks later," Rasmussen said. "I don't know if he saw our performance or just heard about it, but he contacted us and wondered if we could do a three-hour set. So in a few weeks, we had to rehearse and learn more than just three songs ... From there we just blossomed; we were the little band that could."

However, when graduation approached, only two of the seven members were returning to school in the fall.

"We thought that was the end; that we had a good run of it," Rasmussen said.

But again, outside interest kept the band alive. A member who had relocated to the Twin Cities saw an opportunity for the band.

"We ended up getting an exclusive contract with Alpha, and when we were getting booked through them, we started playing gigs that were further away," Rasmussen recalled. "Within a few months, we were the top band in the area."

One of the most memorable gigs for Rasmussen was playing the Roof Garden at Okoboji.

"It was before Memorial Day, so the park wasn't even open yet," he said. "At first I was disappointed, but then I saw we still had a full house. It was just amazing because this is where I saw some great bands. I saw the Turtles perform there, Sonny and Cher and the Fabulous Flippers. And now I was performing there."

The group jokingly says it could have been named "The Border Boys" because all the men in the group were from the southern Minnesota and northern Iowa area. Rasmussen hails from Jackson, while the drummer was Gary Petersen of Fairmont. Another Fairmont resident, Chris Nolte, once filled in for a band member for a summer tour. The group split up in 1976.

"The band members have gone in a lot of different directions," Rasmussen said. "The guy who was Clutch, Joe Keys, is now in L.A. Isiah Whitlock is an actor who's appeared on the 'Chappelle Show' and a few episodes of 'Law and Order.'"

Petersen passed away about five years ago, but another Fairmont drummer, Charlie Draper, will fill in when the group performs at the induction Saturday.

"This nomination really came out of the blue for us," Rasmussen said. "The rehearsal process has been really fun for us."

The remaining members of the group plan to put on a 45-minute performance, and likely will get to jam with other Hall of Fame alumni.

Denny Charnecki of the DC Drifters, Phil Humphrey of the Fendermen, Tony Anderson of the Trashmen, country singer Marilyn Sellars, and Americana performer Doug Spartz are scheduled to perform during the induction. There also will be a special performance by local favorite Sean Benz.

"We've been talking just about the event itself," Rasmussen said. "We're very honored by the whole thing."

This likely will be a one-time reunion of the band, so Rasmussen advises attendants to "put on their dancing shoes."

"It will probably be emotional, to be up there without Gary," he admits. "But I know wherever he is, he's looking down on us and smiling and having a good time too. And the people who love rock 'n' roll, this will be a fun night."