For Jim, the years following the breakup of the original Fendermen were still productive, even if he never attained the same level of success as when he was partnered with Phil Humphrey.

After their full-length album did not yield another hit, The Fendermen split into two different identities. Phil kept the name The Fendermen and Jim started Jimmy Sundquist and his Mule Skinners and Jimmy Sunn and The Radiance, which became The Mule Skinners in '64. The Muleskinners recorded some great music which was released in small quantities - including 'Wolfman" (now available again on Greenville Trestle High) with "Everglades" on the flip side — and went through many members. In the summer of 1965, at a county fair gig in Iowa, Jim met for the first time his current musical partner, Jim Chuesberg, who was backing up Red Foley on bass that year. The ensuing years were hard on Sundquist, who fell into booze and drugs as he unsuccessfully attempted to recapture the old flame. According to an article in the Feb. 30, 1995 The Capital Times/Wisconsin State Journal, the same was true for Phil, who moved to Canada and eventually found God. Little did he know his old partner Jim — after hooking up with Jim Chuesberg in 1980 and reforming the band as Jim Sundquist and his Fendermen — had also found God. Despite their similar conversions, a reunion never materialized, as the old friends' ideas of playing in the band were drastically different. Jim still wanted to play in bars, spreading the word when people wanted to listen. Phil, on the other hand supposedly wanted to keep the bars and his wild ways behind him, and wants nothing to do with anything resembling the old days. Since reforming the band with a re-vamped line-up, Jim has found balance by using his time to help others with their addictions, and by sharing his gifts of music and art with the elderly. (For more about Jim's Christian and Gospel recordings, click here.)

With his wife Sharrie, Jim has written over 100 Christian-themed songs and credits her for saving his life and giving it meaning by helping him focus his talent on a higher purpose.

Sources: Tom Tourville: History of Midwest Rock n Roll.
Dave Wolfe, Greg Huff: Liner notes, The Big Requests.

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