Lonely Rangers is fronted by Ross Johnson and Johnny Sundby, who started playing together in 1998, and have played over 480 gigs, large and small, and continue to have a blast doing it. Ross is the owner of Ross Johnson Design Co., Inc., and part owner of Rushmore Cave, and Johnny is the owner of Johnny Sundby Photography, Inc., and an ex Rapid City Journal photographer. They both work with their wives and each have one son and one daughter.
On lead guitar and mandolin is Scott Grote, who has been “instrumental” (pardon the pun) in coordinating the Dahl’s Emerging Artist program. Scott owns and manages motels and hotels in several states, and is often on the road, but grew up working in a music store East River and there honed his incredible musical skills! Playing bass is full-time music teacher Dave Kramer, who also managed the downtown Haggerty’s Musicworks for many years. Playing second fiddle for the band tonight, and all the nights that Kenny cannot make it is the talented, intelligent and beautiful Elizabeth Knowles, of the infamous Knowles clan of orchestra teachers and performers in Rapid City. Elizabeth is a full-time orchestra teacher at South Middle School, Grandview, and Robbinsdale Elementary, and also plays several nights per week in the summer with the Fort Hays chuck wagon supper act. Playing drums and percussion for the band are: Realtor Bobby Sundby, with an equally long list of credentials including pro-musica scholarship winner and first chair at Augustana College
Special Guest: Kenny Putnam
Kenny Putnam is South Dakota’s most acclaimed fiddle player. He toured with Roy Clark for nine years, and prior to that was fiddling for the popular Red Willow Band. He was also a founder of the South Dakota Acoustic Christmas concerts held each year raising tens of thousands of dollars for Black Hills Area Habitat for Humanity. These days, Kenny plays in a variety of bands with smaller traveling tours and runs his graphic design/photo restoration business Image Up in the Creamery Mall in Rapid City
