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| Jam Factory at Limestone Community High School, 1969 |
Advertisements from the summer of 1968 described Peoria's own Jam Factory as "the Newest, Hottest 6-Piece Band in Central Illinois." The group at that time consisted of:
- Dick Bush, vocals
- John Miller, guitar
- John McFarlane, bass
- George McCullough, drums
- Rodger Himmel, saxophone
- John Middleton, trumpet
Years before, Dick Bush had performed locally with Jerry Milam and the Stan'Dels. Together they had recorded a single for Hit Records back in 1963. John "Pops" McFarlane and Rodger Himmel had previously been in the Peoria group, the Soulmates. McFarlane, whose sister is Elaine "Spanky" McFarlane of Spanky and Our Gang, had also previously played with local legend Wild Child Gipson. Trumpeter John Middleton was a student at Bradley University at the time. Middleton and Himmel were both from nearby Manito, Illinois.
Jam Factory recorded a single at Jerry Milam's Golden Voice Recording Co. in South Pekin in 1968. Both sides were written and produced by Eddie Howard. The record was released by October of that year.
"Give Me The Right (To Love You Baby)" b/w "Good Lovin' Woman"
The single was also released on Stereo Village Records, a label owned by Bill Curtis that promoted his chain of electronics stores found throughout central Illinois.
Jam Factory performed at night clubs and dances around the Peoria area for about two years. They had regular gigs at Club Peorian, Mike's Lounge, The Elbow Room, the Flame Steak House in Pekin and the Town House in Havana.
By 1970, a Syracuse, NY band also called Jam Factory released an album on Epic Records. The group was briefly promoted across the country by Youth Beat, a syndicated newspaper column, that gave away posters of the band to anyone that wrote in. The Peoria-based Jam Factory however seems to have called it quits by this point.
A new group, Dick Bush & The Sack, was performing regularly at King Henry VIII in Peoria by April 1970.
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