Died On This Date (January 21, 1989) Steve Wahrer / The Trashmen
themusicsover Steve Wahrer
DOB Unkown – January 21, 1989
Steve Wahrer was the original drummer of the Trashmen, a garage surf band one-hit-wonder. Wahrer’s main contribution to the band, “Surfin’ Bird” became a Top 10 hit in 1964. An exceptional band who was unjustly seen as a novelty act due to that song, established a substantial teen audience in and around their home town of Minneapolis. The band split up in the late ’60s and reformed in the mid ’80s, performing until Wahrer’s death from esophageal cancer in 1989.
What You Should Own
Amos Heilicher was a Minneapolis music industry icon whose impact was felt well beyond the Twin Cities. Heilicher was still in high school when jumped into the record business by purchasing five jukeboxes. Mercury Records soon came and asked him for help getting their latest singles into other area jukeboxes as well. After that, he brought on RCA and Columbia along with other labels, and quickly became one of the country’s leading jukebox record suppliers. Heilicher soon expanded his distribution, or “rack-jobbing,” to include drug stores, department stores, and eventually, such chains as Discount Records and Musicland. He also had his own label, Soma Records for many years, and has been credited for breaking such hits as the Trashmen’s “Surfin’ Bird” and