February 7, 2022 – West Bend, WI – There was an outpouring of support and memories as word traveled around the community about the death of Dennis Benn, 65, the longtime manager of The Exclusive Co. in West Bend.
Friend Dale Mathis said Dennis was the drummer in his band, Dale Mathis Group, for 25 years before he joined Back Alley Band.
Dale Mathis Group was active in West Bend, WI from 1965 – 1995. “Dennis Benn was our drummer from about 1973 – 1994. He passed on Feb. 4, 2022. In this video there is a clip of the Dale Mathis Group playing Blue Skirt Waltz at a reunion concert in 1994.”
Video posted at the request of Dale Mathis.
Dale Mathis
Sun City, Arizona
“Dennis always felt himself to be a little bit of an oddball,” said Mathis. “He was happy to have a home at Exclusive and to have a job and I doubt he ever looked anywhere else to find work.”
Patrick Schmidt – Dennis was the best man at my wedding.
I’ll always remember the early years with him at Exclusive, if I wasn’t home I was there. The ZLP radio days were a blast too. Condolences to family and friends. Rest easy Dennis, have fun playing those skins.
Dennis will definitely be missed. I’ve known him my entire life since he was good friends with my brother, Ken Gatzke. Prayers for the Benn family & all of his loved onesÂ
When I went to UWWC (1971-1974), his father Larry was in some of my classes. Certainly, one of the most “senior” students attending at the time. He was an AAL (Lutheran) insurance agent. Of course, I got to know Dennis when he started working at Exclusive. At one point every pay day (every other week) I would go down there and buy 2 albums. At one point my collection was 500+ albums. Not all of my collection came from Exclusive, but most of them did. Looman & Hicken had a record department, as well as Plischonigs (?spelling). When Shopko came to West Bend, they also had a good-sized record department. But Exclusive survived them all, thanks to Dennis. Used to go to Milwaukee to Peaches & Radio Doctors – I think Exclusive survived them too.
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