The members of Mirage were recently inducted into the Iowa Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. They are Roger Parshall, Jim Chambers, Wes Graham, and Scott Deatz. (Michelle Deatz photo)

Iowa Rock ‘N’ Roll Music Association recently inducted several musicians and bands into the 2025 Iowa Rock & Roll Hall of Fame at Arnolds Park, Iowa, August 29-31. One of the bands inducted was Mirage.

Mirage was formed in the spring of 1982 with Scott Deatz (Rock Port, Missouri) on drums, Jim Chambers (Thurman, Iowa) on rhythm/bass guitar and vocals, Bev Gilpin Bowman (Rock Port) on keyboards/vocals, Wes Graham (Auburn, Nebraska) on lead guitar/vocals, Bob Svobda (Maitland, Missouri) on bass guitar/vocals, and Roger Parshall (Tarkio, Missouri) on lead/rhythm guitar/vocals.

They played Southwest Iowa, in places like the Elks Club, Shenandoah, The Office Lounge, Emerson, and TK’s in Clarinda. Northwest Missouri included J&M Lounge, Rock Port. Southeast Nebraska had them at TJ’s Tavern in Brownville, The Elms Ballroom in Syracuse, and The Horny Bull in Omaha. In 1986, Mirage won the True Value Show Down at the Knox County Fair. They were then asked to perform at the county fair in Springfield, Nebraska, opening for John Conlee. They won again in 1987 and opened at the fair for John Anderson, playing a song Chambers wrote called, “I can’t Explain It.”

A few years later, they were asked to perform with a couple of Broadway performers, Zygo and the Deuce, while they were off tour. The duo was composing new songs and asked Mirage to be their band for a show in Auburn, Nebraska.

Mirage built a strong fan base and were highly sought-after. Some of their followers were members of the Pony Express Riders of Iowa who worked with the “We ride so crippled children can walk” events. Mirage donated their time and played three shows a year. After years of donating their time, Mirage was invited to play for the Rider’s big show at the Val-Air ballroom in Des Moines, Iowa, which drew close to 2,000 people.

Mirage also rented and sold out the Spirit of Brownville and the Belle of Brownville for shows on the Missouri River. The band also chartered a bus to carry their fans to a gig in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Over the past 20 years or so, Mirage has kept the music going with Deatz on drums, Chambers on bass guitar/vocals, and Graham and Parshall on guitars/vocals.