Iowa Rock 'n' Roll Music Association

05/14/2026

Today we celebrate the life and legacy of rock & roll pioneer **Ritchie Valens** on his birthday. 🎸🎶

We’re honored to share this special museum presentation featuring memorabilia and items connected to Ritchie’s incredible career. A heartfelt thank you to Ritchie’s sister, **Connie Valens**, and our Operations Manager, **Mindy Spinks**, for helping bring this meaningful display together.

Ritchie’s music continues to inspire generations, and we’re proud to help preserve his story here at the Iowa Rock ‘n Roll Music Association Museum.

Happy Birthday, Ritchie — your music lives on. ❤️🎵

05/10/2026

Happy Mother’s Day to all the beautiful and hardworking mothers out there who help make this Association roll, too numerous to name and all greatly appreciated! Biggest thanks to all of you.

🌹🎸🌹🎸🌹🎸🌹🎸

Please feel free to take a moment to give a shoutout to your favorite Mother Who Rocks in the comments below. We are honored to know many. 👏👏👏

05/08/2026

One of the key pillars of the mission of the Iowa Rock ‘n Roll Music Association is to support music education. The Association was very honored to have a table and presence at the May 4th Central Iowa Music Lab Spring Recital and Rock Lab Show at the Val Air Ballroom. Special thanks and hats off to the CIML, James Biehn and the Val Air Ballroom for a great event showcasing a full schedule of impressive musical talent. The CIML is an incredible resource providing top quality music education in Central Iowa.

Thanks also to those in attendance on behalf of the Association: Regional Consultant Timm Pilcher, Board Member Andrea Mulcahy Smith and her daughters Hayden Smith and Kayla Carrington and VP of Finance and Board Member Emeritus Dan Josephson and his wife Marilyn. We very much appreciated the ability to highlight the Association’s Iowa Rocks Talent Contest which will take place during Iowa Rock Hall of Fame induction weekend Sept. 5 in Arnold’s Park. This is a great opportunity for performance and interaction for musicians 21 and under, and offers valuable prizes including recording opportunities. For more information, please see our webpage at: www.iowarocknroll.com/iowarockstalent

We are a nonprofit association of volunteers who believe Iowa music deserves the utmost support. We cannot fulfill our mission of honoring achievements, supporting music education and inspiring artists without your help. Please renew your membership today and contact us about opportunities to sponsor or volunteer for events.
Click here for membership information:

https://www.iowarocknroll.com/membership

Donate here:

https://www.iowarocknroll.com/donate

Keep rockin’ everyone!

Thanks again

04/28/2026

It was a fun morning with 4th graders from Iowa Great Lakes Lutheran School today at the museum! We talked about history, wrote lyrics, contemplated real life decisions, answered music trivia, and toured the facility.

04/27/2026

Congrats Mick Polich! We’re thrilled to have you join us for the Okoboji Writers’ & Songwriters’ Retreat this September 27-30. Thanks to the Okoboji Writers' Retreat, we’ve got FOUR more scholarships to award. See below for more details and sign up soon.

Congrats Mick Polich! We’re thrilled to have you join us for the Okoboji Writers’ & Songwriters’ Retreat this September 27-30. Thanks to the Iowa Rock ‘n Roll Music Association we’ve got FOUR more scholarships to award. See below for more details and sign up soon.

04/12/2026

Presenting the schedule for the 2026 Rock the Roof concert series!

04/03/2026

Thank you Clay County Foundation for the Betterment Grant! We appreciate your support!

04/01/2026

Wil Leacox, drummer for the group ‘America’, was inducted into the Iowa Rock ‘n Roll Music Hall of Fame in 2006. Will was born on March 31, 1947 In Shenandoah, Iowa.

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On March 31, 1947, drummer Wil Leacox was born in Shenandoah. The drummer of the legendary rock group “America,” Leacox, left a legacy of providing the rhythm for hits such as “Sister Golden Hair,” “A Horse with No Name,” and “Ventura Highway” over a 41-year run with the band.

Born into a musical family, Leacox always credited the supportive musical scene of Shenandoah with helping him get a musical start. As a teenager, he performed with bands called “The Echoes” and “Green Giants.” Heading to Washburn University, Leacox drummed for a band called “Jerms.”

After graduating from Washburn, Leacox joined “America” when the band split with original drummer David Atwood. The band, coming off the success of their breakthrough record “Homecoming” in 1972, continued to find success with Leacox behind the kit.

Top 10 hits "Tin Man" (number 4 in 1974), "Lonely People" (number 5 in 1975), "Sister Golden Hair" (number 1 in 1975), and "You Can Do Magic" (number 8 in 1982) all came during Leacox’s time with the band. For over four decades, Leacox performed with “America” before officially ending the run in 2014.

02/10/2026

Saturday in the Park founders are being recognized this year by the Iowa Rock and Roll Association. Over 30 years ago, two people had a dream to make music come to life in Sioux City.

02/04/2026

We remember always. All inductees into the Iowa Rock 'n' Roll Music Association Hall of Fame.