My brother, Carl David Holm, played bass guitar in a Upper Peninsula band called the Excels. He started off playing an instrument that dad made for him until he earned enough to buy a Fender bass. I think he and his bandmates initially were influenced by the Ventures. They started off playing bars in the area, but eventually were well known enough to get gigs in southern Michigan, playing in cities like Grosse Point and Saginaw, and to make a few records. Carl dropped out when he started college, but the band went on for a few more years. In 2017, they were inducted into the Michigan Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. There are more photos of the band on the Hall of Fame website.

Click on the links below to hear two of the band’s original songs he performed on. Use the back arrow on your browser to get back to this page when the song is done.

Carl Holm practicing on the bass his dad made.
Brother Wayne plays along. 		Two of the Excels
Carl Holm rehearsing with Clark Sullivan