Rock and Roll with Charlie Stendebach
Charlie Stendebach, a Saint Joseph, Missouri native, has been playing music since the 1970s. His longest stint was as lead singer for Charlie and the Stingrays, a group dedicated to ‘60s and ‘70s hit dance music that eventually embraced hit music from the ‘80s and ‘90s. The band parted ways after 30 years, but he stays active with new projects, bands, and touring.
Q: Where has your career taken you?
A: I Sang in a couple of bands with friends that no one would have heard of until… Myth from 1978 to 1982, a Saint Joseph, Missouri band, and the first band I was on the road with. All the members but one are still out playing music. Other bands included the Kidd Band from 1982 to 1984 and Charlie and the Stingrays from 1985 to 2015.
Charlie also worked at United Entertainment from 1984 to 1985.
Q: What is your best famous person story?
A: We opened for many national acts, some were super nice, and some were not. Some of those were Peter Frampton, The Doobie Brothers, Blood Sweat & Tears (at the Trails West Festival), The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Sweet, Badfinger, Atlanta Rhythm Section, The Romantics, Mitch Ryder, The Guess Who, The Edger Winter Group, Firefall, Commander Cody, The Producers, Three Dog Night, The Tubes, Rick Derringer, The Rainmakers, The Ventures, Head East and a few others.
We received two unexpected phone calls that turned into highlights for the Stingrays. One from a representative for Dick Clark, who spent some time in Kansas City looking for a band that they felt would be a good fit to be inducted into the “Walk of Fame” of his American Bandstand Kansas City franchise, and they chose us. We were inducted on June 7, 1999, by Dick Clark himself and played at his venue with Dick introducing the band and its members.
The second was receiving a call from a representative from the Kansas Music Hall of Fame letting us know we had been elected to join in 2016. We were thrilled. And we played at that event also.
Q: Where are you playing in Northwest Missouri?
A: Since 2017, I have been with the ‘60s hits band called The Instamatics, which plays throughout the Kansas City and St. Joe area. Though most of our dates are in K.C., we will be playing the Jesse James Festival in Kearney, Mo., on Saturday, September 16. And at the Eagles Lodge in Saint Joseph on Saturday, November 18, for the Friends of the Animal Shelter.
In 2022 the band Surfin USA, a Beach Boys Tribute band, was launched and has been going strong this year. I’m in this group with fellow Stingray Chris Moore on drums. We’re a regional band and just got back from playing in Chicago last weekend and will be in Iowa this weekend. We played the Missouri Theater last year for Veterans Day but have no dates coming up in St. Joe currently.
Q: How can folks follow you?
A: The Instamatics are on Facebook and that’s where dates are posted. Surfin USA can be found at www.surfinusashow.com or on Facebook @SurfinUSA.
