The story of our first ‘Club Caller’

Ichabods’ first graduation dance was October 21, 1965 and Marvin Lindner was our “club” caller. This biography is from www.ceder.net.  

Originally from Advance, MO, Marv Lindner moved to Southern California in 1957. Calling started off as a hobby in 1962, but with his exceptional showmanship, good danceable material and enthusiasm, it quickly grew into a full-time profession. Marv would make three cross-country tours a year 30 days at a time. A common sight at a Lindner dance would be Marv calling while standing on his head, either bracing himself on a chair or holding himself up against a wall on the floor. He would often enlist a child or two from the audience to hold his microphone for him. He would also impersonate Elvis Presley, Gomer Pyle, and even a small girl with a soprano voice.

Marv was the featured caller at various festivals such as the Yellow Rock Festival in Houston, TX (1972); the Harvest Hoedown in Sacramento, CA (1974); the New Orleans Festival (1974); the Page, AZ Festival (1972-73-74-75). Marv also ran callers schools to teach other callers his trade.

Marv’s love of western music stemmed from early childhood when he listened to the Grand Old Opry on a battery radio, and his attire and calling harken back to that favorite show. Marv recorded on Windsor, Wild West, Riverboat and 4-Bar-B, and even made square dance albums. His recording of “It’s A No, No” was in the top 5 in the nation for over six months.

Marv was teaching a new class in a place called Sleepy Hollow in Carbon Canyon during approximately 1966. No club was involved but when the class finished, the class members formed a new club and named it Ichabod Squares. I was a member of the class but did not join the club. As I recall, the dancing in Sleepy Hollow was outdoors and when the weather became cold they moved to Fullerton, CA. (Written by Ralph Housman).

To hear Marv sing click HERE (this video is at a Wallmart in San Diego, April 6, 2019).

The record jacket is for a 12” record, 33 rpm.