Chicago Blizzard Benefits Local Rock Band

Hey, it’s John Calhoun. Having grown up in Minnesota, I’m familiar with blizzards. Of course, if you’re a snow plow operator, a big snowfall can be a financial windfall. For most people however, blizzards are not a good thing.

But there are always exceptions. On January 26, 1967, the president of ATCA records was stuck in Chicago. The blizzard of ’67 was about to dump almost 2 feet of snow on Chicagoland. While stranded there, he saw a band from Cicero perform. He was impressed and signed the American Breed to a recording contract.

In June, the band made their national debut with Step Out Of Your Mind. Six months later, Bend Me, Shape Me hit the charts and became the American Breed’s biggest hit, peaking at #5 in 1968.