As the Mod 4 stage show grew, so did their setlist. In a 2004 interview with Mike Markesich for his book TeenBeat Mayhem!, Nellie mentions that at one point they had up to 57 different numbers in their repertoire. Examples include “Hang On Sloopy”, “White Rabbit”, “Good Lovin”, “For What It Is Worth”, “You Keep Me Hangin On”, “Sgt Pepper”, “Purple Haze” and “Respect.” In 1969 the group told the Quad City Times, “We play a lot of Aretha Franklin, Jimi Hendrix and the Beatles.”
The Mod 4’s biggest performance came in early 1969 when they were selected to be on the rock variety show Happening, an ABC-TV program produced by Dick Clark and hosted by Paul Revere and the Raiders. In January, the girls along with Kathy’s parents flew to Los Angeles for the taping. The group lip-synced to a taped version of “Midnight Hour” which they had submitted as part of a “Battle of the Bands” portion of the show.
Because the show did tapings for the whole month in one day, the girls were able to see and meet several famous groups such as Tommy James & The Shondells, Canned Heat, Kenny Rogers & The First Edition, Gary Lewis, Keith Allison, Gary Puckett & The Union Gap as well as the hosts of the show, Mark Lindsay and Paul Revere.“We were thrilled to pieces when Paul Revere recognized our name and said he had heard of us when he was in the Quad-Cities for a performance last year,” Nellie told the Quad-City Times after returning home from the taping. She added, “I only wish we could have stayed in Hollywood a while longer. We would have met so many more groups.”
The show aired in February but unfortunately the Mod 4 did not win the contest. Instead first prize went to a group of young kids, ages seven through 13, known as Paula & The Pipsqueaks. As a consolation prize, the girls each received a Waltham wristwatch. “I still have mine and it still works,” Nellie told Mike Markesich in 2004.
While in California, two talent agents showed interest in the group for a possible U.S. tour during the summer. “We haven’t decided anything definite yet but the possibility is there. If they can line up enough shows to make it financially beneficial for us, we’ll go,” Kathy told the Quad-City Times in January of 1969. Obviously the tour never materialized. The group continued to perform around western Illinois.
During the last year or so of the group’s existence, they were joined by a fifth member, Trisha Meacham. By fall of 1970 however the girls were busy with their senior year of high school and the live performances began to slow down. The group’s last gig was October 30-31,1970 at a club in Kewanee, Illinois.
After graduating high school, the four girls went their separate ways to attend different colleges. Officially, however, the group never broke up. They remain in contact to this day.
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