Hank Harris and Kenny Putnam are two of the most well-known names in Black Hills music.

Guitarist and songwriter Harris has released three solo albums and performs frequently in the area with several musical combinations. Most recently, he has been supporting two popular "Deadwood Songbook" compilations.

Renowned fiddler Putnam also performs widely and has played with South Dakota Acoustic Christmas for the past 12 years.

But people familiar with Harris' and Putnam's current music may not know that both got an early taste of success in the Red Willow Band.

The country-swing group's heyday was from 1974 to 1982, but the members still get back together a few times a year when they are asked.

"We played college towns, and we had a lot of people that would come hear us. Now all those people are older but still kicking around, in their 50s. We still have a good fan base," Putnam said.

That long-standing fan base will be pleased to know that the Red Willow Band will reunite for a performance at the Central States Fair on Sunday, Aug. 17.

When the band started out in Vermillion, it toured colleges and began to pick up an audience. Soon, the Red Willow Band was doing warm-up shows for major acts of the day, including Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Elvin Bishop, Delbert McClinton and Charlie Daniels.

"It was a real active time for bands at that time," Putnam said. "That took us to

most of the states."

The group's core members were Harris, Putnam, Chris Gage, Marley Forman and Barry Carpenter.

The band recorded its first, self-titled album in Sioux Falls and went to Nashville for the followup, "Note for Note," which led to a brief Billboard charting. The single "I Wish You Had Your Arms Around Me" hit No. 97 for seven days.

But Harris said the notion of success was further away than it seemed from the outside.

"We toured and toured and toured and bought all the equipment you need to make it, and never made any money ourselves," he said. "One year, we played over 250-60 dates, and made about $7,200 apiece."

Putnam has basically the same memory: "We looked successful. We were starving, but we looked successful," he said.

Quality writing and creative arrangements were what drove the band's popularity.

"Hank and Chris were good songwriters. We always did kind of an original treatment of even the songs we covered," Putnam said.

Gage went on to a career as a sideman and currently is half of Albert & Gage with his wife, Christine Albert.

Now, the members of the Red Willow Band continue to cross paths in various combinations.

"We do play together quite a bit. I do gigs with Chris and Christine. I play with Hank. … And then Barry is a great drummer. I played with him last weekend," Putnam said.

The band's reunion at the fair will be a rarity for Rapid City. "We haven't done a date out here for a while," Putnam said. "It's a good reminder for people of back before life got complicated."

He wants to see dedicated Red Willow Band fans out for the show.

"The music hasn't suffered," he said. "Everybody is probably a better musician now, with age and experience, and arthritis hasn't set in yet.

"It's a pretty hot group, I would say."

http://www.myspace.com/redwillowband

Contact Eric Lochridge at 394-8321 or e-mail eric.lochridge@rapidcityjournal.com.