Beach Boys, musical mysteries, more in Terra State special exhibit at Hayes Presidential

When the Beach Boys and other major 1960s bands came to Northwest Ohio in the 1965, it was the work and tenacity of a Fremont recording studio owner that brought them here.

Bob Brown owned Brownwood Studios and Courier Records on Croghan Street and wanted to see major performers in the area.

“Bob bringing The Beach Boys was a little like somebody bringing Taylor Swift now,” said J. Brennan Willis, director of music, liberal arts and business at Terra State Community College. “They were a big, big artist.”

A musician himself who with his business recorded numerous bands and released their records during the studio’s run, Brown was persistent. He started by trying to bring folk-singing mega stars Peter, Paul and Mary, but moved on to the Beach Boys when that didn’t work out.

While trying to obtain the Beach Boys, he was able to bring the Lettermen, who played a concert in February 1965 at what was then Fremont Ross High School (today the parking lot at Birchard Public Library).

The Lettermen had won Grammys and appeared on major national TV shows, including “Ed Sullivan” and “Dick Clark.” Some of their biggest hits were “When I Fall in Love” and “Put Your Head on My Shoulder.”

While still trying to get the Beach Boys, Brown had an opportunity to have The Kingsmen, whose hit “Louie Louie” was at the height of its popularity at the time, to the area. They played Ole Zim’s Wagon Shed in Gibsonburg to a sold-out crowd.

 “They played ‘Louie Louie’ like four times,” Willis said.

Finally in May 1965, Brown was able to secure The Beach Boys to play at the Toledo Sports Arena. This and other stories are chronicled in the special exhibit “Sounds of Sandusky County” that is on display through May 25 at the Hayes Presidential Library & Museums. Access is included with regular museum admission, and Hayes Presidential members are admitted for free.

The exhibit opened Thursday, Sept. 18, in partnership with Hayes Presidential.

The exhibit includes artifacts and manuscripts from each of these events, as well as photos, records and memorabilia from Brown’s recording studio. Brown’s impact on recording was also very significant, Willis said.

Throughout his and his students’ research, they ran into some mysteries, some of which were solved and some still unsolved.

They found a record with the 1965 version of “So Fine” by the Santells, a female vocal group from Fremont, and information showing that the record was released internationally. But there is no record of who these women were.

A box of undeveloped photos from Brownwood Studios turned out to be a major find. It had pictures that were taken – but never used – for an album cover for the Jack Reidling Trio. Jack Reidling was a jazz pianist. Also pictured was jazz great Cliff Murphy, who earned two Purple Hearts from his Korean War service. A bassist, Murphy owned jazz clubs in Toledo and contributed to that city’s lasting jazz legacy.

Another mystery was a photo of The Heavenly Band, which recorded in the 1970s with Brown. Through their research, the team uncovered that the men in the photo were Clint Harris and David Ford, both from Northeast Ohio, and their album was called “Hello Sunshine.”

Terra student Blake Holmer tracked down Harris, who donated a still-sealed copy of the album for the exhibit. Holmer also found relatives of Ford, who attended the exhibit opening.

About Terra State Community College
Terra State is a leading community college in Northwest Ohio, providing hands-on education and real-world experience in music, technology and beyond. Terra State has a long history of service to the community and providing students with an education that is both accessible and affordable. Terra State offers 25 applied degrees and 38 certificates to students.

About Hayes Presidential Library & Museums
The Hayes Presidential Library & Museums is America’s first presidential library and the forerunner of the federal presidential library system. It is partially funded by the state of Ohio and affiliated with the Ohio History Connection. Hayes Presidential is located at Spiegel Grove on Buckland Avenue. For information, call 419-332-2081, or visit rbhayes.org. Like Hayes Presidential on Facebook and follow on Instagram at rbhayespres and on Bluesky at rbhayespres.bsky.social.