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 the Blue Haze / Big Z and the Blue Haze


Sidney, 1967-9

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Lets start with Big Z who was Marion Zimpher. He was a 1961 Graduate of Sidney High School. He started out being a DJ at record hops in the area which led to him having the first rock and roll show on WMVR. Around 1963 Big Z decided to form a band to start playing all the dances. Enter Big Z and the Sting Rays. The Sting Rays were Joe Modia Guitar, Cork Beckenroth Guitar, Dan Stewart Drums, Kirby Hibbard Bass, Vaughn Gates Sax, Big Z Vocals. Sting Rays Came to an end around 1967 when most of the members graduated and went to college.

Big Z wanted to continue, so he held some auditions and formed Blue Haze in the fall of 1967. The band would consist of Rick Rediske Lead Guitar, Louis Ivey Bass, Bruce Musser Drums, Chuck Rousseau Keys, Big Z Vocals on the slow songs. Big Z had a strict rule that they would alternate fast and slow songs, with him singing the slow songs.

Big Z was the manager and booked them around Ohio, Michigan and Indiana. While playing some shows in Michigan, they were approached by someone about doing some recording and pressing up a record. They set the date and went to a recording studio in basement of a house in a residential area of Coldwater Michigan.

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July 29, 1969 story

One side was a cover of He the religious pop song, but the other side was a band original, Blue Haze Blues. A fantastic fuzzed out instro complete with band members yelling in the background. Northland records was one of the many shady tentacles of Brite Star Promotions and Tex Clark. They were told that for the package they would get 500 records and promotion from Brite Star to include sending 300 or so of the records out to radio stations across the country. This most certainly never happened. They were in the same boat as a lot of other bands and artists like The Hazards, Mixed Emotions who got hoodwinked by the Brite Star group. The band did receive an unconfirmed amount of the 45’s, but doubt there were ever 500 pressed. The record is pretty scarce. After the bad deal with Northland, some of the parents thought Big Z may have been involved in the scam, but the band members did not themselves. After a few of the members graduated in 1969 the band called it quits. Rick went on to play with the Glass Hammer before he called it quits and went off to college.

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Marion Zimpher passed away in 1994, about a year after the lead story posted above was published

Discography:
He / Blue Haze Blues - Northland 60 G 2041, July 1969

Thanks to Rick Rediske. Story by Matt Baker