TWIN CITIES MUSIC HIGHLIGHTS
Featuring St. Louis Park Bands and Musicians

An important aspect of life in St. Louis Park was music and, in fact, Park was home to at least two radio stations during its history. The following is a chronological history of some of the musical events that spiced up life in the 20th Century. Following that are some lists that try to capture the flavor of the music scene in the 1950’s and ‘60’s. Many thanks to the Pavek Museum of Broadcasting, Timothy D. Kehr, Scott Stevens, John Pratt, and all the websites this information came from, Bird Dance Beat, in particular.  A list of concerts at the Met is included in the book Minnesota North Stars by Bob Showers.  As long as this is, none of it is necessarily correct or complete, so please contact us with any corrections, clarifications, additions, rebuttals, etc.  

TC MUSIC TIMELINE

TEENAGE DANCE SHOWS OF THE '50s AND '60s

TWIN CITIES ROCK ANTHOLOGIES

PUBLICATIONS

DANCE VENUES

LOCAL DISK JOCKEYS OF THE '50s AND '60s

LOCAL ROCK 'N' ROLL STATIONS

MID-AMERICA MUSIC HALL OF FAME


TC MUSIC TIMELINE

We start in 1947 with the Ravens. This New York based R&B vocal group included one Leonard Puzey, whose career began when he won an amateur talent contest at the Apollo Theater in 1946. The group was most famous for their song “Old Man River,” and recorded several classic songs until they broke up in 1955. Puzey joined other groups, but eventually found himself stranded in St. Paul. Incredibly, he decided he liked Minnesota and started driving a bus for Talmud Torah. He and fellow Raven Maithe Marshall lived at Menorah Plaza (Marshall died in 1989). The Ravens were inducted into the R&B Hall of Fame in 1991. Leonard Puzey passed away on October 2, 2007 at the age of 83.  

There was some excitement in July 1952, when Johnnie Ray, the “Prince of Wails,” came to town for a week at the Radio City Theater. It seems Ray, his opening comic Gary Morton (Lucy’s husband?), and a “couple of thirsty local well wishers” were drinking heavily in his room on the 17th floor of the Radisson Hotel. According to his biographer, Jonny Whiteside, “Johnnie was inspired to pay a call at the gift shop in their hotel’s lobby. Naturally, he was drawn to the kiddies’ toy section – alcohol not only stimulated, it also seemed to regress him to his childhood. He obtained the perfect summer fun accoutrement: roller skates and water pistols for everyone in the party.” They proceeded to roller skate through the lobby and into the restaurant. Minneapolis detective/house dick Ray Williamson brought them to the station when they “squared off” when being asked to pipe down. They were charged with disorderly conduct, but his road manager bailed him out and they were released after about an hour.

The place to go for records in St. Louis Park, as early as 1954, was Don Leary "Drive In" Appliances at Miracle Mile. In 1956, Variety rated Leary one of the top 20 record dealers in the country. In 1958, E.F. Sandberg bought Don Leary’s store for his son Don to operate, and it became Don’s Records and Hi-Fi. The Grand Opening, held on April 24-26, 1958, featured 12,000 records and offered orchids to the ladies and candy for the kids. (Men apparently never got anything at these Grand Openings.) Appearances were made by Disk Jockeys Roy Carr (WTCN), Jim Boysen (WLOL), and Stanley Mack (WDGY). Beverly Reinicke, who had worked for Don Leary for the last 3 years, was announced as an employee of the new store.

May 13, 1956: Elvis, at the top of his form, performed two shows in the Cities and bombed. The 2:00 show at the St. Paul Auditorium drew only 800 fans, and the 8:00 show at the Minneapolis Auditorium drew a paltry 1,300. Mothers Day and tornado warnings kept the crowds away, and local booking agent T.B. Skarning lost his shirt. But three young reporters for the St. Louis Park H.S. Echo had nothing but good things to say about their hero, whom they got to hang out with before the concert. Sample interview: “He said he didn’t mind girls wearing jeans – ‘Ah just like girls.’” The set was only a half hour long, with nary a word to be heard above the screams, but according to our teenage reporters, everyone went away happy.  Elvis came back again in 1971 and 1976.

1957

On January 17, 1957, Alan Freed and the "musical" "Rock Rock Rock" appeared at the Tower Theater in St. Paul.  The show included the Moonglows, the Flamingos, Chuck Berry, Laverne Baker, and Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers.  The show was on the same bill as the movie "Naked Gun." 
 

At the Boulevard Beauty Shop at Minnetonka and Dakota, one could get an “Elvis Presley Haircut” for a mere $1.50. Described as “carefree, short, and brief – just like you. See it in Life Magazine.”

It was pandemonium when Ricky Nelson played the Minnesota State Fair.  He played to approximately 25,000 fans from a stage erected "a zip code away in the center of an enormous racetrack,." according to biographer Philip Basche. Also appearing were the Four Preps, who dressed in silver lame jackets in order to be seen, but all eyes were on Nelson, who wore a cream colored jacket, white and burgundy polka dot shirt, and a white tie.  With a limited repertoire, he also sang numbers by Elvis and the Everly Brothers. 

1958

On April  25, 1958, Alan Freed's Big Beat show rolled into Minneapolis.  On the bill that night at the Minneapolis Municipal Auditorium were 17 acts, including Buddy Holly and the Crickets, Chuck Berry, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, the Diamonds, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Frankie Lymon.  Tickets were $2.75.  In 2006, local musician Sherwin Linton sold a poster of the event to a collector for $20,000. 

Percy Mayfield performed at the Labor Temple on July 3.

In the fall of 1958, Pastime Arena manager Larry Tobin came before the City Council to request permission to hold a public dance at the Arena on October 3 from 10-11:30. Only Councilman Jorvig voted nay. Subsequent dances were approved as well.

1959

On January 28, 1959, the ill-fated "Winter Dance Party" came to the Prom Ballroom in St. Paul.  In addition to Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper, who died in a plane crash six days later, the show featured Dion and the Belmonts and Frankie Sardo.

In October 1959, one Rick London appeared before the City Council to request a permit to promote a dance for young people in the area. The request was tabled.

Rollie Williams was a presence in St. Louis Park for many years. From November 1959 to November 1960, Northwest Guitar and Organ Studio (aka Northwest Guitar and Accordion) was located at 3699 Joppa “under personal supervision of Rollie Williams.” The company's Minneapolis office was located at 6436 Penn Avenue South. On November 18-26, 1960 the store had an open house at its new location at 4520 Excelsior Blvd., this time called Rollie Williams Music Company. It became R.W. Music Co., and was at that location until about 1974.

1960

"Muleskinner Blues," recorded here at SOMA, was released in May 1960.  On May 15, the Fendermen appeared at the Minneapolis Auditorium with the Johnny Cash Show.  Other performers were Johnny Horton and Kitty Wells.  The Fendermen were booked at the last minute because of their skyrocketing popularity in the Twin Cities.  On June 11, they appeared on American Bandstand.  The Fendermen consisted of Phil Humphrey and Jim Sundquist, from Madison, Wisconsin.  Amos Heilicher was their agent.

The "Biggest Show of Stars" came through the Cities, with 10-12 acts including Frankie Avalon, the Paris Sisters, and Cliff Richard.

1961

Record Lane was the house record store at Knollwood in 1961-62, M. Swaetz, prop.

1962

In February 1962, Ray Colihan booked the Beach Boys at Big Reggie’s Danceland for $400, before anyone had ever heard of them. Between the time they were booked and the time they arrived, however, they had a big record out that was #1 on WDGY. Thousands of kids showed up, and Colihan was afraid they would tear down the roller coaster.

1963

In 1963, WDGY DJ Bill Diehl was the mc at a Halloween dance at the St. Louis Park Roller Rink featuring The Trashmen, who had released their national smash hit, “Surfin’ Bird” earlier that month. Expecting about 800 kids, an estimated 2,100 showed up. The enthusiastic crowd shattered the building’s glass front wall, and reinforcements were sent for from the local constabulary. Even at only $2 a head, money was made in bucketfuls, and presumably St. Louis Park teens enjoyed its night with their favorite local surf band. Notes on the Trashmen:

· Despite their landlocked situation, three of the four band members actually did go to California the year before, where they absorbed the Dick Dale sound and rode the waves.

· The famous album cover in front of the trash truck was taken at Lindahl Olds at 494 and 35W. The dealership was later Wally McCarthy Olds, where scenes from “Fargo" were shot. It’s now a Best Buy.

On August 2, 1963, the Beach Boys played at the Prom Ballroom.
 

1964

Beatlemania hit big when the Fab Four crossed the pond and appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show.  Local reviewers in the TV Times could hardly think of enough synonyms for "trash."  But some got on the bandwagon; in the February 22, 1964 edition of the TV Times there were extensive ads for Beatle wigs at two drug stores and a Ben Franklin in Wayzata.  Plus there was a coupon for 50 cents off on said Beatle wig. 

1964 was the breakout year for the Chancellors, which included two members from St. Louis Park:  David Rivkin and John Hughes. (the other members were Mike Judge and Dan Holm)In October 1964 the band recorded their famous version of "Little Latin Lupe Lu" and also YoYo at Kay Bank Studios.  Rivkin was associated with three major Twin Cities bands, starting with four years with the Chancellors.  In 1965 David left the Chancellors to join the High Spiritss In late 1968, David moved to join Stillroven. Now known as David Z, he had two brothers.  Born Robert Rivkin, Bobby Z is a musician and producer, most famous for being Prince's drummer as a member of the Revolution. Steven E. Rivkin is a film editor and producer. 

On April 10, 1964, the Parkettes hosted the River City Talent Tournament at the Minneapolis Auditorium. Professional acts included Jimmie Rodgers and the Big Three, a group from Greenwich Village featuring Cass Elliot. The Castaways (pictured right) placed first in the rock and roll category, beating out the Blazemen from North High. The band consisted of Richard Robey, Robert Folschau, Roy Hensley, Jim Donna, and Denny “Ludwig” Craswell. They won the $50 prize with “(Turn On Your) Love Light.” This big win led to professional jobs, press interviews, and more, essentially launching their career. The band went on to have one huge monster national hit (“Liar Liar,” #12, produced by Timothy D. Kehr), and one bubbling under (“Goodbye Babe,” #101), both in 1965. The momentum of “Liar Liar” was huge, and in 1967 they were even in a beach movie called “It’s a Bikini World.” Only afterwards did the Beach Boys advise them never to do a beach movie. The group performed on many rock 'n' roll shows - when they played on "Hollywood a Go Go," Roy Hensley ruptured a tonsil. 

In the Spring of 1964, Dove Recording Studio was opened by Don Peterson and Darold "Arv" Arvidson.  This was strictly a recording studio, not a record label.  At first it was located in St. Louis Park, on Lake Street, diagonal from the High School in a small office building (where exactly?).  The Novas recorded "The Crusher" there.  Another band that recorded there was the Surfers (although Robb Henry of the Surfers remembers recording in a small house south of Minnetonka Blvd. between Texas and Louisiana in 1966-67.)  The facility proved to be too small, and in early 1965 it was moved to 98th and James Ave. in Bloomington.  Rival studios were Candy Floss and Kay Bank.  Dove closed its doors in 1970, selling the equipment to Warren Kendrick, who started Audio City studio.  A compilation of unreleased Dove recordings called "Free Flight" was issued by Get Hip Records in 1998.. 

Supposedly the Beach Boys played at Mr. Lucky's early in the year and were booed off the stage?

June 12, 1964: The Rolling Stones played to 283 unimpressed Minnesotans at Danceland, capacity 2,000. Although they made radio appearances earlier in the day, Danceland owner Ray Colihan deliberately didn’t advertise the concert for fear that too many kids would show up and he’d lose his license.  But word of mouth failed to bring in the fans, and he lost money on the $2,000 he paid the Stones. In an interview Colihan says that he booked the Stones about a month too early, before they were popular in the Cities. 

Memories of the night vary: Bill Wyman remembers the audience reacted with “curiosity and disbelief” but that they warmed up to them toward the end. The accepted legendary account, however, is that things were so bad that they were pelted with eggs and tomatoes, booed off the stage, and Keith Richards mixed it up with some local tough guys. Most of them escaped in promoter Timothy D. Kehr's car, and he will verify that eggs and tomatoes flew.  Larry LaPole, writer for the Trashmen, thinks it was because the band came on wearing makeup in the English theatrical tradition, and this didn’t sit well with 1960s Minnesotans. The un-fab five were taken to Friar Tuck's in St. Paul, a drive-in that was close to the motel they were staying at by the airport.  They had never seen a drive-in before, and ended up staying for 2 hours. 

Reports vary on the other act that night. One version has it that Mike Waggoner and the Bops, a local group, either opened or closed the show, and that the Stones borrowed the Bops' sound system (and drums from B Sharp Music).. Another is that Danny's Reasons opened.  And another is that the Trashmen was the opening act. Anyhow, the next night, the Trashmen reportedly packed the place. The Stones vowed never to come back, and indeed stayed away from the Cities until the ‘70s.

1965

1965 saw the High Spirits become major players in the local music scene. Over the lifespan of the band, it included up to six residents from St. Louis Park. Click for detailed information about this (mostly) St. Louis Park band.

January 9, 1965: The Novas debuted their seminal recording, “The Crusher.” 230 lb. lead singer Bobby Nolan lived on 44th Street, just over the St. Louis Park line in Edina. The band had been previously known as the Avons. The record was distributed on the Parrot Label (same as Tom Jones) and reached number 88 on the charts, appearing on the radar for three weeks. Apparently some in-fighting resulted in this genuine masterpiece not reaching #1.  The real Crusher was wrestler Reggie “The Crusher” Lisowski, who hailed from Milwaukee and performed on "All Star Wrestling," straight from the Calhoun Beach Hotel on Channel 11.

The Beatles came to town on August 21, 1965 and had a terrible time, starting when they were attacked at the airport by 3,000 crazed fans when they got off the plane. They lounged in the Twins’ locker room before the show at the Met Stadium, and Ray Crump (worked at the Met) later sold the sheets to an ad agency for $800. The sheets were eventually cut up and given away in drawings at Dayton’s.

Before the concert, the Fab Four held a press conference in the Minnesota Room of the stadium. Apparently Bill Diehl of WDGY knew George's sister, Louis Harrison Caldwell, and got exclusive coverage, as well as WDGY flags on their microphones.  KDWB retaliated by prefacing their questions with "KDWB wants to know..."  At the press conference,  Ron Butwin of B-Sharp Music presented George with a Rickenbacker 360-12 guitar on behalf of the musicians of Minnesota. George used the guitar during the show, but it disappeared a year later after their last concert in Candlestick Park in San Francisco.

Opening acts on the tour were King Curtis, Cannibal and the Headhunters, Brenda Holloway, and the Sounds Incorporated. Local groups the Accents and Gregory Dee and the Avanties played in the concourses.

The Beatles played to only about 28,500 people at the 40,000 seat Met Stadium (the only show in the tour that wasn’t sold out), due to underpromotion for fear of pandemonium. Tickets ranged from $3.50 to $5.50, and the group was paid $50,000. Enduring terrible acoustics, the lads sang 12 songs in 30 minutes. There is a plaque at the Mall of America at the spot near second base where the mop-tops played. The 150 security guards and ushers were armed with smelling salts for fainting fans. Regardless of the less-than-stellar numbers, the concert still had to be cut short when fans rushed the field. A typical Beatles escape was made in a Falconers’ laundry cart (they sat on folding chairs).

Their not-so-luxurious accommodations were at the Leamington Motor Lodge (not the hotel), while decoys were set up at much better digs. The coup de grace was when Police Inspector Donald R. Dwyer found a girl in Paul’s room and charged him with making a “false hotel reservation.” Fortunately, the girl was able to prove that she was 21 (and from Cleveland). Dwyer told the Minneapolis Star that “Those people are the worst I have ever seen visit this city.” Needless to say, the Fab Four couldn’t wait to get out of town and vowed that they “would never come back to Minneapolis.” (McCartney did return, though, on June 4, 1976, with his band Wings. The show at the St. Paul Civic Center did sell out.)

Meanwhile, out here in the suburbs, Archie Walker had a Beatle wig (made by Hoigaard’s out of dyed mops) placed on the revolving Beetle at his Volkswagen dealership in homage to the visiting moptops.

The appearance of the Beatles created a huge market for guitars at local music stores, as every guy suddenly wanted to become a rock ‘n’ roll star, mostly for the chicks. At B-Sharp, guitar sales quintupled, jump starting the local music renaissance here in the mid 1960s.

We also have an August 1965 edition of Twin Cities A-Go-Go, edited by David Jass and Bruce Goldstein.  How long did this last?

Horror producer William Castle made an unlikely appearance at a party at the Cascade 9 to celebrate the premier of an unnamed movie at the State Theater, according to Nancy Nelson's column in the Twin City a-Go-Go magazine, August 1965.

On Sunday, August 1, 1965, Ike and Tina Turner turned it on at the Minneapolis Auditorium.  The concert, apparently attended by mostly black teenagers, was sponsored by KUXL.

Little Stevie Wonder appeared at Carleton College in August.

Think of Wolfman Jack and you may think Mexico, but Bob Smith as the Wolfman had several ties in Minnesota.  In January 1965, the Wolfman made his first appearance in the Twin Cities when he and record store owner/record label owner George Garrett bought radio station KUXL AM  1570.  The Wolfman did not appear on the air, but he managed the station and from there he recorded his oldies shows he broadcast from border radio station XERF in Mexico.  He didn't own his share of the station for long, leaving the next year.  But in 1974, with newfound fame, he came back and bought a house in Minnetonka.  He made a deal with KDWB to broadcast live shows and also do a syndicated radio show.  That arrangement ended in January 1975.  He was back in 1980-82 to do occasional oldies shows on  station WWTC.  The Wolfman died in July 1995.

1966

The National Ballroom Operators Association awarded citations to the Castaways, the Hot Half Dozen, Michael's Mystics, and the Underbeats for being outstanding, neat and danceable bands. 

1967

Acts at the WDGY Spectacular (in or before April) included Paul Revere and the Raiders, Roy Head, Tina Mason, Steve Alaimo, and Keith Allison - most from the show "Where the Action Is."  Emcees were Johnny Canton and Scott Burton.

The Raiders may have returned to the Cities during the weekend of March 24-26.

James Brown - "Mr. One-Man Riot" - played the Minneapolis Auditorium on April 25.

WDGY sponsored a show by Aretha Franklin at the Minneapolis Auditorium on July 19.  Johnny Canton introduced her.

The Turtles played the Prom on May 3 and August 16.

Vice President and Mrs. Humphrey attended a Minneapolis Symphony Ball on May 6 in Southdale's Garden Court.  "For the swinging ball-goers there was more lively dancing to the Underbeats in a separate room," reports The Music Scene.

An article in the Music Scene commented on how Twin Cities audience don't applaud performers.  One guess is that the Scandinavians don't want to bring attention to themselves.

May 22, 1967 was the date of the first Connie Awards, thought up, organized by, and named after Connie Hechter, jazz drummer and editor of the Insider. 325 industry insiders attended the formal ceremony at the Sheraton-Ritz Hotel in Minneapolis, emceed by Charlie Boone. The nominees for best band were Danny’s Reasons, T.C. Atlantic, the Underbeats, the Hot Half Dozen, and the Del Counts. Winners were determined by the Midwest Academy of Contemporary Music. The Del Counts won best band that first year.

On May 20, 1967, Dayton's Department Store sponsored a second "Sensations '67" show Local heroes the High Spirits appeared with the likes of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band (which included Elvin Bishop on guitar and Mark Naftalin - son of Mpls. Mayor Naftalin - on keyboards). Music Scene promised that the psychedelic show would transform Dayton's 8th Floor Auditorium into an "'environmental envelope' of another time, space, and place."  Shows were at 12, 2, and 4.

In May, the “Psychedelic Sound-Burst” took place at Aldrich Arena. The show, emceed by KDWB’s Charlee Brown and Earl L. Trout, featured the Grasshoppers, the Del-Counts, Danny’s Reasons, the Chancellors, the Hot Half Dozen, the Litter, the High Spirits, the Youngsters, and the Happy Days.

Tommy James and the Shondells played the Prom Ballroom in June.

A third "Sensations '67 was scheduled for June 17. This may be the show Rich Hanson planned as “School’s Out Book Burning Blast.”

On June 25, the Beatles appeared on a BBC program "Our World," which was broadcast to 31 countries and an estimated 500 million people.

Ike and Tina Turner hit the stage (where?) on July 11.

WDGY persuaded Sonny and Cher to perform as an Aquatennial event at the Minneapolis Convention Hall on July 14.  From Johnny Canton:

Frankly, It was I who convinced Sonny to appear sans Cher at WDGY's Mpls. Aud. concert July 14th. Cher had just suffered a miscarriage a few days prior to our concert and Sonny was reluctant to appear without her, much less leave her. The night before he was to fly to MN, I was on the phone with Sonny at their home. The doctor was with Cher and both Cher and the doctor convinced Sonny it would be O K for him to do the show. I applied some pressure and he acquiesced and came to MN. In order to cover for Cher, I put Sonny on the air and we appealed to our female listeners to "audition" to sing with Sonny at the concert. We had several viable singing candidates and it turned out to be one heckuva show with that twist. It was the first time Sonny had ever appeared without Cher. I nearly experienced suffering from an ulcer considering it was a well-promoted WDGY show and had Sonny not appeared we would have had much egg on our faces.

KDWB and the Aquatennial sponsored "Happening '67" at the Minneapolis Auditorium. It was a "three day psychedelic feast," held on July 19-21.  Sheets of brilliant silver mylar and colorful fabrics decorated the auditorium.  Performers were Jefferson Airplane, Buffalo Springfield, the Electric Prunes, and the Shadows of Knight. 

Trestman Music Center's 2nd Annual Battle of the Bands drew 64 bands.

Race riots in Milwaukee brought the Monkees to Minneapolis a day early, so KDWB arranged for them to take over the airways on the afternoon before their concert at the St. Paul Auditorium.  Mike Nesmith had fun making fun of all the ads, including sacred Dayton's.  Peter Tork played some groovy tunes and B-sides.  Davy Jones was on for a nanosecond, and Mickey Dolenz was MIA.  It is now 15 Monkee Minutes past the hour.

A huge Battle of the Bands took place at the Mower County Fair, August 7-13.

KDWB presented "Super Sunday," starting with their third annual Drag Race Festival at Minnesota Dragways on August 20.  That night, they presented Herman's Hermits, the Blues Magoos, and the Who.  Ticket prices ranged from $3.25 to $5.25.  Also featured was a grudge match between Jimmy Reed and Tac Hammer.

"The world's best light show - the Fillmore Light Show - will be at Aldrich Arena this Friday.  Six top bands will play at this exclusive showing."

The Young America Center at the State Fair was the place to be, with performances by the Fabulous Flippers, the Kingsmen, the Sandpipers, and the Jade Set - an Oriental pop-variety group.  Performances ran from August 26 to September 4.

The Byrds performed at the Marigold Ballroom in Minneapolis (and also in Mankato), some time between September 10 and November 10, 1967.

Spanky and Our Gang performed in August at Dayton's 8th Floor Auditorium, and returned on September 21 to perform at the U of M.

The Everly Brothers played the Prom on October 6.  Also Chicago's The Mob, and the Cities' System.

Nancy Sinatra and the Fifth Dimension participated in a Rat-Pack-type show with Frank Sinatra at the St. Paul Auditorium on October 8.

Simon and Garfunkel appeared at Augsburg College on November 10.

Dionne Warwick appeared at the Dayton's Skyroom on November 20.

The Young Rascals played the Minneapolis Auditorium on November 24.

The Shadows of Knight came to the New City Opera House on December 9.

Sergio Mendes and the Brazil '66 and Glen Campbell came to the new Metropolitan Sports Center on December 16.   Mendez had been here previously in the spring of 1966.

Don't know if this is true, but supposedly the Stillroven, Castaways, and the Litter played a show at the Mayo Auditorium in Rochester, and it was filmed. 

1968

Ravi Shankar performed at the Guthrie on January 11, 1968.  The next day, the Lemon Pipers came to the New City Opera House and Magoos's. 

On March 8, 1968, WDGY sponsored "Super Scene '68."  The show was at the Metropolitan Sports center and was mc'd by WDGY DJs JJ Bowman, Jerry Brooke, Scott Burton, and Johnny Canton.  The list of performers was impressive:  Wilson Pickett, the Hollies, Strawberry Alarm Clock, and local acts the Del Counts and Michael's Mystics.

An Easter Fair took place in April 1968 at the Minneapolis Auditorium, and featured the Electric Prunes and Blue Cheer, two of the noisiest national bands running.  Also there were the gentler Buffalo Springfield -- and Pat Paulson.

Cream performed at the New City Opera House on May 5, 1968. The show was fraught with problems – the band was late, the equipment didn’t work, the show was less than an hour, and one report was that the musicians made out like they were doing the audience a big favor – but the music was superb. Our reviewer said the show was “worth the agony: the ecstasy was delicious.”  They may have jammed at Magoo's after the show.

Other May 1968 shows were the First Edition at the Carleton and Peter Paul and Mary at the Minneapolis Auditorium.

May 27 was the date of the 1968 Connie Awards, emceed by Bill Carlson of WCCO TV. Best band nominees were the Underbeats, Grasshoppers, Stillroven, Del Counts, Litter, TC Atlantic, and South 40. If you've never heard of the Grasshoppers, it's because they never really recorded.  The group was fronted by Jiggs Lee. 
 

Local musician and man-about-town Arne Fogel recorded a song back in ’68, kind of a Simon and Garfunkel/Chad and Jeremy type ditty called “I Once Had a Dream“ (aka “December Song”), recorded at Dove Studios with fellow singer/songwriter Steven Longman. The record never made it to the big time, but is available from Get Hip Records on a Dove Records compilation called Free Flight. Arne started his singing career when he was 17, and made his mark singing over 1,500 commercials and jingles. He owns every Bing Crosby record ever released, and shares his record collection on various radio shows around town.

The Beach Boys played the St. Paul Auditorium on July 9, 1968.

Aretha Franklin appeared at the Minneapolis Auditorium on July 19, 1968 as part of the Aquatennial Teen Spectacular, sponsored by WDGY. Also on the bill were the Mystics, the Blues Cube, and Things to Come.

In 1968, Timothy D. Kehr wrote a music column for the local TV Digest. He also edited the Insider for 9 months.  After that, sponsor Trestman bowed out, and Connie Hecter ran it independently. 

Tiny Tim played the Metropolitan Sports Center on October 18, 1968.

Andy Williams and Roger Miller played the Met Center on December 6.  Johnny Canton remembers:  "One of WDGY's largest concerts/shows starred then-popular Andy Williams along with Roger Miller at Met Center. It was our Christmas Concert and we filled Met Center. Of course, Andy was the pride of network TV at the time with his weekly show. Miller was no slouch either having had several hit songs. The entire WDGY air staff had a chance to take the stage and emcee. Great evening!"

Jimi Hendrix played at the Minneapolis Auditorium in December.

1969

Local Rock 'n' Roll Disk Jockey Barry McKinna started his career in radio in 1969 at KDWB.  His real name is Barry Siewert, and he is a 1965 graduate of Park High.

The Grateful Dead played at the Labor temple on February 2, 1969. Other big concerts that year were the Mothers of Invention and Johnny Winter, both at the Guthrie, and Jimi Hendrix at the Minneapolis Auditorium.

’69 was also the year that Dale Menten and Frederick Gaines wrote and produced the rock musical “House of Leather.” It was a big hit here in Minneapolis, but closed after its only night in New York: March 18, 1970 at the Ellen Stewart Theater (off-Broadway).

The Mystics were crowned Best Band at the 1969 Connie Awards. Their song “Pain” made it up to 116 on the national Billboard charts.

Vanilla Fudge played the Metropolitan Sports Center on April 11, 1969.

Steppenwolf played the Minneapolis Armory on August 8. 

Something must have gone wrong, because in the next Connie's Insider, it was announced that KDWB was refusing to accept advertising for Danny's Reasons.

Sound 80 was founded; it became the first multi-track digital recording studio.

1970

Much music in 1970: The New Christy Minstrels played at Northrup, the Grateful Dead and the Band at the Guthrie, the Mothers of Invention at the Cedar Village Theater and the Labor Temple, Johnny Winter (with Edgar) at the Labor Temple, Doug Kershaw at the Cedar Village Theater, Glenn Yarborough at Augsburg College, Jimi Hendrix at the St. Paul Auditorium, and Rod McKuen, Blood Sweat & Tears, and Peter, Paul and Mary at the Minneapolis Auditorium.

A rock festival was held at the Met Sports Center on March 20, 1970. Featured acts included Canned Heat, Grand Funk Railroad, Buddy Miles, the Amboy Dukes (Ted Nugent), the Litter, Brownsville Station, and the Stooges (Iggy Pop). In all, there were 12 groups that went on for 8 hours, despite decidedly bad acoustics.

Concerts at the Met Center in 1970 included the Four Tops (February 6), Led Zeppelin (April 12), Crosby, Stills, and Nash (July 9), Tom Jones (July 19), Iron Butterfly ( November 13), and Grand Funk Railroad (November 22).

The Depot opened on April 3 and 4, 1970 (see below under venues). An estimated 2300 people came to the club over the first two days to see the Mad Dogs and Englishman tour. Johnny Canton was the emcee, and appeared in the "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" film that was made of the event.  That same month, the club hosted the Butterfield Blues Band and Poco.

The Sound Storm Rock Festival took place on April 24-26, 1970, featuring the Grateful Dead, Crow, and author Ken Kesey.

The Connie Awards presented the only non-musician award to producer and promoter Timothy D. Kehr.

In 1970, records could be found at the Musicland store at Knollwood. The Musicland chain, now trading as Sam Goody, opened in Minneapolis in 1956.

Jefferson Airplane played at the Minneapolis Auditorium on May 15, with local – now national - band Crow playing warmup.

An Open Air Rock Festival was held on July 19, 1970, attended by 6,000 people. Despite a cold, foggy day, the participants enjoyed performances by White Lightning (a local group), Sly and the Family Stone (who supposedly called Minneapolis “worthless”), Illinois Speed Press (subbing for the Amboy Dukes), and Johnny Winter. 150 cops made 20 arrests for gate crashing, etc.

The Judd Group formed in Rochester.  Lead singer Steve McLoone has lived in St. Louis Park since 1981.
 

1971

“Hair” played sold-out performances at the St. Paul Civic Center Theater in February 1971, then the same cast returned for another engagement in May – the first show ever to be brought back to the Twin Cities for a second run in the same season. The February engagement broke box office records at the venue.

Two of three planned open air concerts were held in the summer of 1971.  The first featured It’s a Beautiful Day, the Allman Brothers, Little Richard, Richie Furay and Poco, and John Baldry. The M.C. was Dave Ray.
 

The Jefferson Airplane was scheduled to perform at the Met Center on August 22, 1971, a show that was originally supposed to be the third Open Air Concert. But the concert was cancelled  - by some accounts because the Mayor came out against it and the Bloomington Police refused to work it. There had been two previous shows at Midway Stadium in St. Paul, which were marred by gate crashers.  One of the promoters reports that it was cancelled because someone jumped off a high pole at the second concert.  The three promoters:  Timothy D. Kehr, Harry Beacom, and Walter Bush, had all their money tied up in the third concert and lost "tons of money." 

Elton John played the Minneapolis Auditorium on August 31, 1971.  That year, DJ Barry McKinna was the first person to play a song not on a record in the Twin Cities - a tape cartridge of Elton John's "Crocodile Rock."

On September 21, 1971 there was a Blues and Folk Marathon held at Memorial Stadium at the U of M. Featured performers were Leo Kottke, John Lee Hooker, Fred McDowell, Doc Watson and Son, and Charlie Musselwhite.

Concerts held in September – November 1971 featured John Baldry, the Allman Brothers, Roberta Flack, John Sebastian, Jeff Beck, and BB King. Still another concert in September 1971 featured Chase and Howlin’ Wolf.

Johnny Rivers and Fanny appeared at the Guthrie on October 16, 1971. Fanny, four girls featuring sisters Jean and June Millington, were known for their hit “Charity Ball.”

On September 9, 1971, a concert by the Doobie Brothers was performed in the Sound 80 studio and broadcast on WWTC-AM.

Howlin’ Wolf appeared with Chase on September 18, 1971 at the Minneapolis Auditorium.

Concerts held at the Met Center in 1971 include Three Dog Night (January 8), Savoy Brown & Grease Band & Small Faces (February 20), the Guess Who ( March 18), the Grass Roots (April 23), Tom Jones (June 3), the Who (August 15), the Jackson Five (September 8), the BeeGees (September 24), Three Dog Night ( October 15), Jesus Christ Superstar ( October 19), Grand Funk Railroad (October 27), Johnny Cash (October 29), and Elvis (see below).

Wolfman Jack was working with Three Dog Night, and Johnny Canton introduced him, presumably the night of the Met Center concert. 

Gate crashers surged every entrance at the Who concert at the Met (above), and the Bloomington Police Department used teargas for the first time.  Most of it blew in the cops' faces.

An ad indicated that Elvis was scheduled to appear at the Met Center November 5-8, 1971. That was probably a typo.  The book The King on the Road:  Elvis Live on Tour 1954 to 1977 indicates that he performed on November 5 at the Met Sports Center, and that the other dates were spent in Cleveland, Louisville, and Philadelphia.  The book was written by Robert Gordon (1996), St. Martin's Press, NY.  The only other times he came were in 1956 and 1976.

The Beach Boys (without Brian Wilson, of course) appeared at the Guthrie on November 21, 1971.

1972

Entertainers at the 1972 State Fair included: Sonny and Cher, Neil Diamond, John Denver, Bobby Goldsboro, Anne Murray, and Up With People.

Concerts held in 1972 at the Met Center include Deep Purple (January 21), Sly and the Family Stone (February 4), Joe Cocker (April 3), Ten Years After (April 19), James Brown (April 28), Credence Clearwater Revival (May 5), Jethro Tull (June 5), Rolling Stones (June 18), Three Dog Night (July 15), Osmond Brothers (August 19), Grand Funk Railroad (October 13), Moody Blues (October 29), Chicago (November 17), and Deep Purple (December 3). The Rolling Stones concert was marred by gate crashers and teargas, but the Stones were gentlemen. 

B.B. King entertained at the Minneapolis Auditorium on August 6.

Leon Russell appeared at the St. Paul Civic Center in September.

The Beach Boys appeared at the Minneapolis Armory on November 8, 1972. 

1973

In 1973, St. Louis Park resident Jack Volinkaty, 29, wrote the song “Satin Sheets,” which country singer Jeanne Pruett brought to #1 on the country charts for three weeks. The song was also recorded by Bill Anderson and Jan Howard. Volinkaty was an accountant for Univac and lived at 27th and Florida.

“Dueling Banjos,” a song that first hit the charts in the Metro area, was performed by New York musician Eric Weissberg and the group Deliverance at O’Shaunessy Audtorium on May 4, 1973. 31 years later he would recreate the moment, this time with Peter Oshtrushko at the Pantages Theater on February 3, 2004.

The Grateful Dead appeared at the St. Paul Auditorium on February 17, and at the State Fairgrounds on May 13, 1973.

Johnny Winter appeared at the St. Paul Civic Center on December 27, 1973.

Concerts held at the Met Center in 1973 include:  Neil Young (January 7), Sha Na Na (February 3), the Guess Who (February 16), Santana (March 19), Grateful Dead (October 23), Allman Brothers Band (November 11), Loggins and Messina (November 16), Doobie Brothers (November 28), Emerson, Lake and Palmer (December 1), and the Guess Who and Poco (December 7).

1974

Frank Zappa came to the St. Paul Auditorium in January.

A reportedly off-key Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young performed in St. Paul on July 22.

Bob Dylan, unsuccessfully incognito, was spotted at a Ry Cooder/Ben Sidran concert at the Marigold Ballroom.

Joni Mitchell performed on July 28 at the St. Paul Civic Center.

The Jackson 5 performed on August 16 at the St. Paul Civic Center.  A review  indicates that they were not yet superstars.

On August 17, Santana and Leon Russell shared the bill at the St. Paul Civic Center.
 

In September 1974, Bob Dylan recorded the tracks for his album "Blood on the Tracks" in New York.  During a visit home to Minneapolis, he was convinced that some of them needed to be redone, so his brother David assembled a group of local musicians.  That December, the Minneapolis musicians re-recorded several of the tracks, which were ultimately included on the album, albeit without any credit on the record jacket.  Those musicians were:  Kevin Odegard (now a St. Louis Park resident), Chris Weber, Billy Peterson, Gregg Inhofer, Bill Berg, Peter Ostroushko, and Jim Tardoff.  In 2005, this group, known collectively as the "Blood on the Tracks Studio Band," was inducted into the Minnesota Rock/Country Hall of Fame.  Also in 2005, British journalist Andy Gill and Kevin Odegard co-authored a successful book  A Simple Twist of Fate: Bob Dylan and The Making of Blood On The Tracks, distributed worldwide by HarperCollins, published by DaCapo Press/Perseus Books, Cambridge, MA. The book is available in local libraries or on websites such as Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

The Band came to the St. Paul Civic Center on September 1.

Concerts held at the Met Center in 1974 include Yes (March 5), Seals and Crofts (March 20), Bachman Turner Overdrive (May 11), Ten Years After (May 31), Cat Stevens (July 6), Uriah Heep (July 28), Mac Davis (2 shows August 4), Steppenwolf (September 29), and Deep Purple (December 9).

1975

On October 3-5, 1975, radio station U-100 sponsored “Fantasy Park,” billed as the ultimate rock concert featuring over 40 “super rock stars.” Ads did not elaborate.

1976
 

According to the book The King on the Road (see 1971), Elvis performed at the Met Sports Center on October 17, 1976.  He came two other times, in 1956 and 1971.

1979 was a big year for the Sussman Lawrence band. Members were Parkite Peter Himmelman (lead vocals, guitar), Andy Kamman (drums), Eric Moen (sax, keyboards, guitar, vocals), Jeff Victor (keyboards and vocals) and Al Wolovitch (bass, vocals). The band was known for playing a taped educational message before each performance…just as a joke. Peter Himmelman went on to make a name for himself in the music industry.

In 1980, Eric Clapton was confined to a Minneapolis hospital for several weeks for ulcers.  His manager and his wife, Pattie Boyd, were "stuck in a hotel in Minneapolis with ten feet of snow outside.  Minneapolis in winter is not the most exciting place.  The lake (sic) is frozen and the locals' idea of fun is to drive a car into the middle and place bets when it will sink."  (from Pattie's autobiography) So what's wrong with that, Pattie? 

1983 was a bad year for Danny Stevens, late of Danny’s Reasons. His attempt at a liquor license so he could buy Bunny’s was rebuffed by the City Council, who proceeded to shove his rap sheet in his face. One thing held against him was that he was an owner of the Depot back in the early 70’s, and clippings were presented to show what an unruly place that was.

In the 1980's, Cliff Siegel of the High Spirits worked for Warner Brothers, and at some point Prince stayed at his house in St. Louis Park near Cobble Crest.  Bandmate Owen Husney was Prince's manager, and Cliff got him his first big record deal. 

The Minneapolis Auditorium was demolished in 1989.

1990 marked the debut of singer, songwriter, and St. Louis Park resident. Dan Israel.

In 1998, Minneapolis band Semisonic has a #1 hit with "Closing Time."

TEENAGE DANCE TV SHOWS OF THE '50s AND 60's

The following is a list of TV shows that featured rock 'n' roll music.   If you have any more specific information, please contact us.  The list does not include shows such as Ed Sullivan, Hollywood Palace, and the many variety shows hosted by big stars. Thanks to the Pavek Museum of Broadcasting for the use of their TV Guide collection.  Also see www.thevideobeat.com.

"American Bandstand" premiered in the Twin Cities on August 5, 1957, Channel 11.  The first song played was "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" by Jerry Lee Lewis.  In the early days, it could be seen daily at 4pm.  From October through December 1957, there was also a prime time version, airing on Mondays at 6:30.  From February 1958 to September 1960, the prime time "Dick Clark Saturday Night Beechnut Show" aired with the same format as "Bandstand."  "Bandstand" started as a local show in Philadelphia in 1952.  Dick Clark began hosting in 1956.  In 1963 it went to once a week on Saturdays.  In 1964 it moved to Los Angeles.  It ran until 1989.

"B-Sharp Beat" was sponsored by the B-Sharp Music Store.  It started sometime between July 1966 and April 1, 1967 (resources are limited).  It was broadcast on Saturday at 1:30, hosted by WDGY DJ Jimmy Reed.  Bands that performed on the show included the Still Roven, Hot Half Dozen, the Sir Raleighs, the System, the Underbeats and the Del Counts.  The Del Counts performed in April and on the last show, which was broadcast on June 10, 1967.

"Dance Show" was hosted by Brad Johnson and featured 20 teen age couples who danced at the Calhoun Beach Hotel.  The only proof of it we have so far is in the May 29, 1961 volume of TV Guide.  It aired on Saturday at 2:00 on Channel 11.

"A Date With Dino" was a local rock 'n' roll show that was broadcast on Channel 9 at 4pm.  It started twice weekly in December 1964, and on January 25, 1965, the show went daily.  It ran the school year to June 7, 1965.  (See Upbeat #1 below.)  Day, nee George Murphy, had been a radio DJ.
 

The ad reads:  "Dino Day hosts television's swingest Dance Show...'live' from Channel 9 Studios... exciting top record stars perform their hit records... keep informed with Teen News International and Sports All-American."  Dino couldn't have been too "swingest:"  that's a Ray Conniff record behind him.

A teenage Nancy Nelson was in the cast. And someone with a very sad "Date With Dino" story remembered that Dino wore makeup and was not at all fond of his teenage costars.

"Happening '68" was a nationally syndicated show hosted by Mark Lindsay and Paul Revere of the Raiders.  It ran here from January 6 to September 14, 1968, airing at Saturdays at 12:30 on Channel 9.

"Hi-Five Time" shows up on December 31, 1959 at 4:30 Saturday on Channel 5.  On that episode, the teens were visited by George Montgomery, who was in town for the Winter Carnival - not exactly a rock 'n' roller. Resources are scarce, but we do not see the show in January 1960.

"Hollywood a-Go-Go" was a syndicated show based in Los Angeles and hosted by L.A. DJ Sam Riddle.  It featured the Gazzarri Dancers, from the nearby Gazzarri discotheque on the Sunset Strip.  The show ran in the Twin Cities from May 16, 1965 to June 4, 1966.  At first it was shown on Sunday at 7:30 pm, but then moved to Saturday at 3:30 pm, always on Channel 11.

"Hootenanny" was a folk music show from April 6, 1963 to September 12, 1964.  It was broadcast on Saturday nights on ABC.  Somewhere it says that the show honored the blacklist of the 1950's, so most of the big names (including the Kingston Trio, Peter, Paul and Mary, and Joan Baez) refused to appear, but the TV Guide doesn't exactly bear that out.  The host was Art Linkletter.

"Hullaballoo" was a big time rock 'n' roll show that mixed adult schmaltz with great rock performers.  It was widely known for its frenetic dancers, including go-go dancer extraordinaire, Lada Edmund, Jr.  The show went on the air on January 12, 1965 on NBC (Channel 5).  It was on Tuesday nights until September 1965 when it moved to Monday nights.  The last show was August 29, 1966.

One of the first shows aired by WTCN was "Jack's Corner Drug Store," hosted by Jack Thayer at 4:00 pm.. It started just days after WTCN-TV went on the air: September 7, 1953. From the TV Guide: “Jack Thayer, emcee. The scene is the replica of a drug store. High School and college students are invited to the show.” Another description went: “jivey teen-age dance get-together. Dance contest $180. Tangos, rhumbas, and other South American Favorites.” Thayer had been a DJ at WLOL and WTCN radio. During the summers of 1954 and 1955, the show was alternately called “Jack Thayer’s Beach Party” and “Jack Thayer’s Sun Fest.” TV Guide again: “Broadcast from the veranda of the Calhoun Beach Hotel, overlooking beautiful Lake Calhoun.” After the 1955 Sun Fest, the show was renamed “Record Hop.” This is probably different from the "Record Hop" that started in 1957 (see below). It went off the air (partly because of the Mickey Mouse Club) on October 28, 1955. Jack Thayer also had a Saturday night show, just called the Jack Thayer Show. It was broadcast at 10pm on Saturday nights on Channel 11. It ran from February 13, 1954 to June 25, 1955.

"Lloyd Thaxton's Record Shop" was a local show in Los Angeles that started in 1959.  In 1964 it went into national syndication via video tape.  It debuted here on September 7, 1964 and featured Frankie Avalon.  It was seen on Channel 5 at 4:30 daily.  At least at first, the show ran 55 minutes, with the last 5 minutes for "Doctor's House Call" before the evening news.  The last show locally was on December 30, 1965, replaced by "Cheyenne."  Thaxton can be heard on the LP "Lloyd Thaxton Goes Surfing With the Challengers," released in 1963.

"Midnight Discotheque" was aired at the strike of midnight, December 31, 1964.  It promised the latest in dancing, with hostess Mary Davies (aka Carmen the Nurse).

"Music Scene" was broadcast by ABC for 17 episodes, from September 1969 to January 12, 1970.  It was hosted by David Steinberg, with guest hosts.  It aired on Mondays at 6:30 pm on Channel 9 - curiously for 45 minutes.

Shortly after Bandstand went national, there was a local show called “Record Hop,” that appears to be a local teen show. Our records are spotty, but we see "Record Hop" with Jim Eddy listed in the local listings at 4:30 on Saturday on Channel 9, starting in October or November 1957. Jump to May 1958, and the host is Jere Smith. And in January 1959, Dan Anderson is the host. We assume this is local but it's unclear.

"Shindig" was broadcast from September 16, 1964 to January 8, 1966 on Channel 9.  In the beginning it was broadcast at 7:30 on Wednesdays.

"Shivaree" began as a local Los Angeles-based program on KABC-LA. It became syndicated in April 1965 and aired in more than 150 markets in the U.S. and seven countries internationally. Shivaree was created and hosted by LA's top all-night DJ, Gene Weed, once a president of the Academy of Country Music.  As a senior VP at Dick Clark Productions, he produced many awards shows.  The show made its Twin Cities debut on Saturday, April 17, 1965, on Channel 11 at 9 pm.  At some point it moved to Sundays at 2:30 pm, still on Channel 11.  As far as we can tell, the last show was broadcast locally on May 15, 1966.

For one week in August/September 1964, there is a TV listing (presumably local) for "Teen Shindig," a special starring Jerry Smith. The live, one-hour show featured teenage instrumental and folksinging groups - and five contestants for Miss Teen Northwest. By the end of the week, all the contestants were there, and one wonders whose shindig this is..

"Upbeat (#1)" came on in October 1965, hosted by Dino Day from "A Date With Dino."  It aired at 1:00/1:30 on Saturdays on Channel 9.  Some of the groups that appeared on the show at the end of 1965 were Cannibal and the Headhunters, Bobby Sherman, the Castaways, the Echomen, the Trolls, the Luvs. Also listed was Scott Burton, WDGY DJ.  The last broadcast was on February 19, 1966.

"Upbeat (#2)" was likely a nationally syndicated show, hosted by Don Webster.  It went on the air here in the Twin Cities on June 11, 1966, on Channel 11, Saturday afternoons.  It ended on January 27, 1968. 

"Where the Action Is" was a Dick Clark spinoff that aired daily after school.   It debuted on June 28, 1965, and ran til March 31, 1967.  Locally it was aired at 3:30 on Channel 9.  It was advertised as a show that "goes where the action is - on location to film big-beat performers."  On the first show they went to the beach (for the Beach Boys) and the Whiskey a Go-Go (for DeeDee Sharp-except she's from Philadelphia). Regulars on the show were Linda Scott, Steve Alaimo, Paul Revere and the Raiders, and the Action Dancers. 

There were many local teen shows around the country, with names like "Shebang" (originated from Los Angeles and was hosted by Casey Kasem); Swingin' Time; and Steamroller.  We don't know if they were shown in the Twin Cities.


TWIN CITIES ROCK ANTHOLOGIES

Best of Metrobeat - Sundazed - 1990
Big Hits of Mid-America, Vol.1 and 2 (Soma)
Big Hits of Mid-America: The Soma Records Story 1963-67 (CD)
Bloodshot! Gaity Records Story, Vol. 1 and 2 - 1994
Changes - Import - 1980
Duluth Rocked – 60’s Smash Hits. Vol. 1 – 2004
Duluth Rocked – ‘60’s Smash Hits Vol. 2 – 2005
Free Flight – Unreleased Dove Recording Studio Cuts 1964-69 (Get Hip) - 1998
Gathering at the Depot - 1970
Hipsville, Vol. 3: The Return of the Frozen Few - 1984
Hodad Hootenany
IGL Rock Story, Part 1 (1965-67) - Iowa
IGL Rock Story, Part 2 (1967-68)
IGL Roof Garden Dance Jamboree - 1966
KDWB 21 All Time Dream Hits, Vol. 1
KDWB Disc/Coveries - @1961
KDWB – Solid Gold - 1972
Let’s Have a Ball: Early Rock ‘n’ Roll From the Midwest

Minnesota Rock-A-Billy-Rock

Money Music – August Records - 1967 - probably the most collectible of the bunch
1968 Minnesota Rockers, Vol. 1

Minnesota Rock-A-Billy Rock, Vol. 1-5 - White Label
Minnesota Rockers, Vol. 1 - Holland - 1995
Midwest vs. The Rest Midwest vs. Canada
Monsters of the Midwest Vol. 1-4 [When Time Ran Out (Italy) Minnesota vs. Michigan Raw Cuts From 1965-67, Vol. 1]
Rockin’ Your Socks Off! Volumes 1 - 12
Root 66: The Frozen Few - 1982
The Scotty Story – Minnesota’s Legendary ‘60’s Rock Label! - 1993
Soma Records Story Vol. 1: Shake it For Me - 1998
Soma Records Story Vol. 2: Bright Lights, Big City - 1998
Soma Records Story Vol. 3: A Man’s Gotta Be a Man - 1998
Surfin’ in the Midwest, Vol. 1-3
Top Teen Bands, Vol. 1 - Bud-Jet Records - 1965
Top Teen Bands, Vol. 2 - Bud-Jet Records - 1965
Top Teen Bands, Vol. 3 - Bud-Jet Records - 1966
WDGY Yesterhits from Yesterday, Vol. 1 and 2

From Johnny Canton:  It was my job to secure songs for these [WDGY] LPs. To get the good hits we had to agree we would not sell the albums. Since we were going to use them as a promo tool to give to our listeners, that was an easy concession. However, ABC Paramount/Dunhill records still sent me a 20 page contract to sign. They were an important label since one of the songs we wanted was by The Mamas & Papas - huge act at the time.

PUBLICATIONS
 

Here is a list of some of the local rock 'n' roll magazines and books of the 1960s.  Are there more?  Let us know!

Flip Side:  Southern Minnesota Bands, 1955-1970; Jim Oldsberg

In Beat Magazine, around 1965

Insider:  The Insider began in about April 1966 as a mimeographed newsletter put out by Trestman Music Center, strictly a trade sheet for the burgeoning teenage musicians in the Twin Cities (one estimate was 4,000 of them).  It had news about the groups, ads for TMC and band instruments, and featured an instructional column called "Drummers' Beat."  TMC issued the sheet until at least December 1967.  It was taken over by Colman “Connie” Hechter, a former publicist for Mercury Records. Connie's Insider published music industry trade news, and music, arts and lifestyle features for and about the people of Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin and the Dakotas.

Lost and Found: a '50s/'60s Rock & Roll 'Zine; Jim Oldsberg; 1993

     Volume 1:  Minnesota/Iowa
     Volume 2:  Minnesota/Wisconsin
     Volume 3:  Illinois/Minnesota
     Volume 4:  North and South Dakota
     Volume 5:  Northern Minnesota
    
Minnesota Rocked!  The 1960s; Tom W. Tourville, 1966 (at least four subsequent editions). This is an amazing list of Minnesota bands and their recordings.

Music Legends: a Rewind on the Minnesota Music Scene; Martin Keller, D Media, Inc. 2007

In 1967, B Sharp Music published Music Scene, a competitor to the Insider. It had a wider audience than the first issues of the Insider, with bios of local and national musicians. The ninth issue was dated June, 1967; no information on how long it lasted after that. The newsletter was written by Timothy D. Kehr, who sharply criticized Connie Hechter for putting his name on the local Connie Awards. Kehr went on to publish the Insider that same year.

A Simple Twist of Fate:  Bob Dylan and the Making of Blood on the Tracks; Andy Gill and Kevin Odegard;  Da Capo Press, 2004.

Twin Cities a-GoGo:  David Jass, Bruce Goldstein, editors; 1965.  This was a small but jam-packed publication.  There were at least two editions, the second in August 1965.  It included a column by teen phenom Nancy Nelson. 

DANCE VENUES

This is an admittedly uneven list of places that (St. Louis Park) kids could go to dance.  Please contact us if you have any additional/more correct information.

Dance venues in St. Louis Park include:

The Roller Garden, located at 5622 West Lake Street in St. Louis Park, started life in 1930 as an arena built for horse shows.In mid-1943, Arthur Eaton installed a wooden floor and added roller skating to the offerings at the arena. In 1946, the facility was called the Pastime Arena Roller Rink – “One of the world’s largest rinks” – Music by Tommy Arsenault. Eaton sold the arena in 1957. The 1964 directory referred to it as just the Roller Garden, and the facility became a part time rock ‘n’ roll dance to venue. In 1969, the building was purchased by current owner, Bill Sahly.

A groovy place in 1967 was the Hullaballoo Scene.  We see in the 1967 City Council minutes that a woman named Mrs. Barbara Jacoby of Wayzata asked for a dance hall permit to operate a teenage night club. She said she held a $17,000 franchise from Teen Clubs International, and was negotiating a lease at 6520 Cambridge Ave. to open a club called “TV’s Hullabaloo Teen Scene,” one of 70 such clubs across the country. It was a tight vote, but the Park Council is always pretty ready to say yes, and it was approved. She said her goal was to be open on May 12, 1967. It must have happened, as the July 2, 1967 TMC Insider announced that "Bob Goffstein of Marsh Productions reports The Sparklers were voted by the Hullabaloo Scene as the Twin Cities most promising band, and that the group will act as a house band for the new St. Louis Park Club." She was approved to operate on a month-to-month basis, at least through October.

Other evidence: there is an ad for a place with just such a name at 6514 Cambridge in the Robin Hood Days Program in August 1967. Still more evidence is in a tape of the day the Monkees took over KDWB for four hours the day of their concert at the St. Paul Auditorium, August 4, 1967. During the show it was announced that on the following day, admission to the Hullabaloo Scene in St. Louis Park was only 97 cents (plus tax) - and an empty carton of Fresca. City council minutes don't mention the place in 1968 except to say that Mrs. Jacoby owed them money.

And then there was the Purple Cigar, which was apparently at the same location as the Teen Scene (6514 Cambridge).   The club was owned by Arnie Sagarski, hence the name. We know that a teen dance (ages 16-20) was held at the "purple playground" as a part of Robin Hood Days in August 1967. For $1.50 you could dance to the Stillroven, and free records were offered for “the first 200 swingers.” Permission to hold "dances" had to be obtained from the City Council, which granted them on a month-to-month basis.  Neighbors from along Cambridge came to protest. The first mention in the City Council minutes comes in January 1968.  In March they were approved through June, but they had to have at least five Hennepin County Sheriffs on duty.  Sagarski was looking for an alternate site.  Renewal of the permit may have been due to the testimony of Victor Olson, Youth Director of Westwood Hills Lutheran Church, who said that Sagarski was doing a good job of operating the club.

From Johnny Canton:  Arnie Sagarsky asked Scott Burton and myself if we could obtain some record talent for a show at Purple Cigar. I came up with Strawberry Alarm Clock ("Incense & Peppermints") and, if memory serves me, 5 Americans ("Western Union"). Even though it was heavily promoted on-air, the show bombed! Scott and I emceed.

Today, the closest thing to 6520 or 6514 Cambridge is 6530 Cambridge, an industrial and commercial building it the heart of Skunk Hollow, at the end of the street at Edgewood.  The building was built in 1959.  Here's what it looked like in 1960, courtesy of the City Tax Assessor:



NB: Morton Kaufman and Leo Fine, owners of Park Music Center at 7200 Minnetonka Blvd., voiced their disappointment that a permit was issued to an “outsider,” as they had tried without success to find a place to launch their own teen club.

Probably not a dance venue, the Royal Court at the King's Inn offered live entertainment.  A duo called the Quasi Kinship performed there in August 1969.

Owen Husney of the High Spirits remembers that "St. Louis Park High School also had music. I first saw Koerner, Ray, and Glover there in '63 in the auditorium.. The Chancellors, High Spirits, Novas, etc. all played dances there on Friday nights. It was the place to play."

In the liner notes of the Soma anthology, Ira Heilicher recalls hanging out at the 15 Club in St. Louis Park, but as far as anyone can tell, it was not a place but a group of people (men?) who got together.
 

Dance venues in the Twin Cities and local area include:

Bamboo

The Barn:  494 and County Rd. 19, Eden Prairie.

Bashland: St. Paul dancehall owned by WLOL DJ Throck Morton. House band the String Kings.

The Bel-Rae Ballroom was located at 5394 Edgewood Drive NW in New Brighton.

Bimbo’s was located at 243 Cedar Ave. - Seven Corners on the West Bank. It’s now the Theater in the Round.

Bloomington Roller Rink

Bobby's:  Lexington and Highway 55 in St. Paul

The Bullpen in Hopkins

The Cabooze, located at 917 Cedar Ave. on the West Bank

The Cascade 9, located at 829 Hennepin, hosted the Del Counts.

Chubb’s Ballroom was located in Eagle Lake, Minnesota. Advertised in 1959 were “Teen Age Hops” at the Spring Lake Ballroom (west of Prior Lake on Highway 13), featuring the Jolly Musicians.

The Coliseum Ballroom was located at 2708 E. Lake Street.

Crystal Coliseum

Dania Hall may have been at the U of M.

Danceland. Excelsior Amusement Park, the site of many a Brookside School picnic and provider of Free Rides for Good Grades, opened on May 30, 1925, the brainchild of Fred W. Pearce, Sr., of Detroit. The streetcar that ran down 44th Street just south of Brookside took passengers from Minneapolis to the Park until 1932, when it was replaced by a bus from Hopkins. Danceland was the former casino from the Tonka Bay Hotel; it was acquired by Excelsior Park in 1928. Starting in 1961 it was run by Ray Colihan, aka "Big Reggie” and featured Big Reggie’s Dance Band.  (The then-rotund Colihan was named after a Reginald Van Gleason skit.) That gave way to “stomp” bands like the Trashmen. Legend has it that one night the kids stomped so hard that the floor gave way and the kids dropped 11 ft. into the basement, but Big Reggie insisted that the band keep playing. Danceland’s license was temporarily suspended from time to time for rowdy behavior: in 1966 the Minneapolis gang the “Suprees” mixed it up with a local with a baseball bat. The pavilion closed for good in 1968, and burned to the ground on July 8, 1973. The Park, still in the Pearce family, closed the weekend after Labor Day, 1973, and the carousel was sold to Valleyfair, which opened on May 25, 1976. The rickety rollercoaster was torn down.

“Dayton’s Top 10 Club” took place on Saturday afternoons at the 8th floor downtown. DJ Bill Diehl was the host. Bands may have played at Dayton's fashion shows on the 5th floor as well.

The former Greyhound Bus Station at 29 North 7th Street downtown opened as the Depot, a new rock venue, on April 3 and 4, 1970. An estimated 2300 people came to the club over the first two days to see the Mad Dogs and Englishman tour, featuring Joe Cocker, 30 Englishmen, 2 kids, and a dog. The club featured a wrap-around screen and light show. There was a nominal cost to get in, but there was a $10 charge to sit down, with much poaching of seats going on. The owner was Allan Fingerhut, who had the money, and Danny Stevens of Danny’s Reasons, who had the liquor license. Both "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" and "Purple Rain" were filmed in the facility.  

Perhaps the club was a little too popular, and got a reputation of being kind of rough. In 1972 it was franchised out to the American Events Company (AEC) from Cincinnati. In November AEC opened another of its Uncle Sam’s chain of discos. The enormous facility featured “famous movies and slides” for people to watch when the dancing got too dull. It had to be big to accommodate the newly-enfranchised 18-year old drinkers and the advent of Disco in 1976. In 1979 AEC returned the club to Fingerhut, and at this point it may have been called Sam’s Danceteria. Club Manager Steve McClellan started booking live acts in a smaller part of the building that used to be the bus station’s restaurant – this was known as Seventh Street Entry. As the punk era approached in 1980, the live music moved to the big hall and on New Year's Eve 1981, the club became First Avenue.

Eaton's Ranch

Fifth Dimension:  Mankato

Flamingo Club:  University Ave., St. Paul

The Gables was located at Franklyn and Lyndale – now Rudolph’s.

Gibbon Ballroom

The Grotto Ballroom was located in Winona. Was this the Ghora Kahn Grotto?

Herb's, Lyndale Ave.

Interlaken Ballroom, Farimount

Jewett's Point Ballroom, Faribault

Jordan Teen Town

The Kato Ballroom was a traditional Midwestern ballroom, located in Mankato.

King Solomon's Mines was located in the Foshay Tower.

The Labor Temple was known for booking national psychedelic acts.

The Lakeside Ballroom was in Glenwood, Minnesota.

The Lion's Den in St. Paul was home to the Deacons. 

The LoKates teen club in North St. Paul was run by Lowell Reiks.

Marian Ballroom

The Marigold Ballroom was at 1336 Nicollet.

The Marquee Lounge, located in Spirit Lake, Iowa, was run by Tom Brown, late of the band the Gas Company.

The Meadowbrook Roadhouse was in New Brighton.

The Medina Ballroom was built in 1956 by brothers Bob, Cliff, and Joe Raskob (along with friend Norm Vansion) near their home. The Raskobs saw a need for a place to dance in Western Hennepin County. The entertainment complex also included a bowling alley. In 1959 it was advertised as the “new Medina Ballroom” featuring a Teen Age Dance. Also playing was Whoopie John. In 1961, the Rock-o-Tones played at the Teen Age Dance. On June 17, 1974, the facility burned to the ground, killing two including the daughter of an owner. It was rebuilt, and remains in the family to this day.

Mr. Lucky’s:  Lake and Nicollet

Magoo’s Pizza: next door to Mr. Lucky's

Maple Lake Pavillion – Menor(?), Minnesota. Owned and operated by Kay Schue

The Marian Ballroom in Bloomington showcased the High Spirits, Chancellors, Underbeats, Accents, and Gregory Dee and the Avanties, among others.

Mr. Nib’s was at 2609 – 26th Ave. So. in Minneapolis.

More Down Stairs, located at Fifth and Hennepin, was the showcase for Danny’s Reasons in 1968.

The Monterrey Ballroom was in Faribault.

The New City Opera House was located at 29th and Nicollet, next door to Magoo’s Pizza Parlor. In 1968, New City was advertised as “The Upper Midwest’s only Psychedelic House of Rock!” and “Minnesota’s Own Electric Circus.”

The New Munich Ballroom was one of many small town venues, this one located 30 miles north of St. Cloud.

Pappa Joe's A-Go-Go was in Minneapolis in 1966.

Pink Pussycat:  1331 Hennepin Ave.

The Pla-Mor Ballroom was in Glencoe.

Playmore Ballroom was in Rochester.

The Prison was located in Burnsville.

The Prom Center, at 1190 University in St. Paul, was more known for its Big Band music, but there were rock ‘n’ roll shows there from the time there was rock 'n' roll.

Pudge’s was located at 2155 Ford Parkway in St. Paul.

River Road Club:  Mendota

The Rusty Nail was in Crystal.

Ryan's Ballroom

St. Paul Civic Center had both a theater and an auditorium.

The Safari Club was on West 7th Street in St. Paul.

Schlief's, Little City

Seventh Street Rec was located in St. Paul.

Showboat – Lake Benton – owned by Jimmy Thomas

Someplace Else was located … aha! In Robbinsdale.

Coffeehouses and other folkie hangouts were prolific as well, the most famous of which was the Ten O’ Clock Scholar in Dinkeytown, where Bob Dylan played for awhile early in his career. In a shrewd business move, the place was torn down to be replaced with a Red Barn burger joint, but they probably didn't make any money because the folkies boycotted and picketed. It is now a Burger King.

Terp Ballroom was located in Austin.

Tower Ballroom, Austin.

Tri-Angle Bar was on the West Bank.

Uncle Sam’s: see Depot

Wacota Arena in South St. Paul was the venue for the 1967 dance featuring nominees of the first annual Connie Awards.

Windom Armory

YES Club in White Bear Lake (teen club)
 
LOCAL DISK JOCKEYS OF THE 1950s AND 60s

Herb Oscar Anderson - WDGY
Mark Anderson – KDWB
Preacher Paul Anthony (Ralph Hull) - KUXL, KDWB
Bill Armstrong - WDGY
Prime Minister Billy G. - KUXL
Sam Babcock - WDGY
Catman Tom Barnard - WDGY
Art Blaske – news – KDWB, WDGY
True Don Bleu – KDWB
Jerry Brooke - KDWB Charlee Brown - KDWB
Chuck Buell – KDWB
Scott Burton - WDGY
Johnny Canton – WDGY from 1966-77
 Scott Carpenter - WWTC
Bob Chase - WYOO
Bob Christie (Jim Larkin) - KRSI
Randy Cook – KDWB
B.J. Crocker - WWTC
Dan Daniel – WDGY
Jim Dandy (Jim Everts) – WDGY
Bobby Davis - KDWB
Bill Diehl – WDGY, WCCO - owned Central Booking with Dick Shapiro
Michael J. Douglas - KDWB
Dick Driscoll – WDGY, WWTC, KLBB
Don Duchene - KDWB
Paul Evans (Curt Lundgren) - KUXL
Arne Fogel –WWTC
Bob Friend – KDWB
Tony Glover - KDWB
Sammy Hale - WDGY
Robert Hall - WYOO
Dick Halvorson - KDWB
Lance “Tac” Hammer – KDWB, KRSI, KQRS
Dick Harris - KDWB
Paul Hedberg – KDWB
Dean Johnson - KDWB
Red Jones - WDGY
T. Michael Jordan - KDWB
Don Kelly – WLOL, WDGY
“Bullet” Bob Lange - KDWB
Jim Larkin – KRSI
Gene Leader - WDGY
Denny Long – KRSI, music director at WCCO
Curt Lundgren -
Mike McCormick - WDGY
Barry McKinna (Seward) – KDWB
Stanley Mack – WDGY
Doug MacKinnon - WYOO
Donald K. Martin – WDGY, KDWB
Peter Huntington “Hookshot” May – WDGY, KDWB, WCCO-FM - also produced
        and managed Stillroven)
King Michael – WDGY
Throck Morton – WLOL
Hal Murray – KDWB
Adam North - KDWB, KRSI
James Francil Patrick “Professor” O’Neill – KDWB
“Sweet Michael” O’Shea - WYOO
Rod Person – KRSI
Carl Peterson - WLOL
Brad Piras - WWTC
Ted Randal - KDWB
Hal Raymond - WDGY

Jimmy Reed – KRSI, WDGY Jimmy Rud was from St. Louis Park and went to Brookside School. He got his inspiration to pursue broadcasting when Bud Kraehling came for career day. He got the idea for his double entendres from Laugh-In; it was so successful he was hired from KRSI to WDGY.

“Ugly” Del Roberts - KDWB, WWTC
Chris Roberts – KDWB aka Harley Worthit, Lord Douglas
Ron the Rajah of R&B (Ron Samuels) - KUXL
"Loveable" Lou Riegert - KDWB
Nancy Rosen - WWTC
Jackson Ross – KDWB
Mike “Records” Ross - WWTC
Perry St. John – WDGY
Harry Scarbourough - WDGY, KQRS
Mike Segal - KDWB
Bob Shannon - KDWB
Rob Sherwood - KDWB, WDGY, WYOO
Sam Sherwood – KDWB
Bob Smith - KUXL
Art Snow - WYOO
Scott Stevens – KDWB, WWTC
Earl Trout - KDWB
“Cheerful Charlie” Van Dyke – WDGY
Fat Daddy Washington (Art Hoehn) - KUXL
Lou Waters (nee Riegert) – KDWB
Art Way - KDWB
Bobby Wayne – KDWB
Wolfman Jack (Bob Smith) - KUXL
Tom Wynn – WLOL, WDGY, KRSI
George Young - WDGY
 

LOCAL ROCK 'N' ROLL STATIONS

This is just a summary - see Radio Highlights for more info:

WLOL

WLOL was the Rock 'n' Roll station in the mid '50's.  They were out of the market by the mid '60's. Located at 1330 AM

KUXL

In the 1960's and 70s, KUXL, 1570 am, played gospel and Rhythm and Blues music.  In the mid-1960s, the station was operated by Marvin Kosofsky, who hired Bob Smith (a.k.a. Wolfman Jack), who relocated from Del Rio, Texas, to run the station. Also at KUXL at this time were Art Hoehn (a.k.a. Fat Daddy Washington) and former KDWB personality Ralph Hull (a.k.a. Preacher Paul Anthony and The Nazz). It was this trio of broadcasters who took control of "border blaster" station XERB 1090, in Baja California, in 1965. They operated the "Big X" from Minneapolis initially, then relocated to Southern California in 1966.  The station went to all religious programming in the 1970s.  The call letters of KUXL changed to KYCR in 1988.  (From Wikipedia)

WMIN

WMIN played rock 'n' roll in the 1950s, but adopted an all news format in mid-July 1962. In November, call letters were changed to KWTN. They were changed back the following August.  In 1967 it took on the country music format it had dabbled with since 1964. In 1972, WMIN changed its call letters to KEEY, discontinued its country format, and began playing “Beautiful Music." In 1982 the call letters were changed once again, to KLBB.

WDGY

Optometrist George W. Young started a radio station in 1923.  In August 1927, WDGY’s transmitter was moved to Superior Blvd. and Falvey Cross Road [Wayzata Blvd. and Louisiana] in St. Louis Park. This was on the grounds of the U.S. Silver Fox Farm, at the very northern border of the Village. In late 1935 a new non-directional 226 Truscan Steel Vertical Radiator (tower) was erected at the site. In 1949, the station moved its transmitter to a new multi-tower array at 103rd and Lyndale Ave. So. in Bloomington.

Todd Storz (Mid-Continent) purchased WDGY on Feburary 6, 1956. It was at this point that the station adopted the “Top 40” format that characterized Storz stations. Storz died in 1964 at age 39. “Wonderful WeeGee” hit its stride in the ‘60s, competing neck and neck with KDWB. WeeGee tended to be a little more conservative than KD – reportedly even their staff wore suits and ties, but that has been disputed. In the fall of 1977 the station changed its format to country, announcing the end of an era.

KDWB

The precursor to KDWB was founded in 1949 by the three Tedesco brothers in South St. Paul. One brother wanted to call it WPIG, another protested the barnyard connotation, but the third prevailed with WCOW. This was appropriate, since they played hillbilly music. The station was renamed WISK in 1957, and in 1958 it was moved to 630 kc (“Channel 63”). But the station was not exactly viable, and was sold to Crowell-Collier, owner of the legendary KFWB in Los Angeles. In 1961, when the KFWB was having labor trouble, the owner shipped some Minnesota DJ’s to LA to cover. Chuck Blore was Crowell-Collier’s national program director, and ran a disc jockey school that the DJ’s at KDWB attended.

KDWB, “the Good Guys,” went on the air on October 1, 1959 as a top 40 station. Don French was the first Program Director. John McCrae was the first General Manager, and original DJ Sam Sherwood held that position throughout the '60’s. The FCC required that the station identify itself as “KDWB – Lake Elmo, also occasionally serving Minneapolis and St. Paul.”

Congress amended the FCC Act in September 1960 to provide penalties short of license revocation for violations of FCC rules. The first station in the country to receive disciplinary action was KDWB. The Twin Cities rock’n’roll station was fined in March 1961 for exceeding its authorized power in nighttime operations. Although authorized for only 500 watts from midnight to 4am, it had been broadcasting at full 5,000 watt strength since it went on the air in 1959.

In the July 2, 1967 edition of the TMC Insider, we learn that "KDWB went off the air last Friday when a 50-foot tower was blown down and fell on top of the station's studios.  As the tower hit, a light fixture fell and narrowly missed Bob Morgan, who was on the air talking about the weather." 

On November 30, 1969, fire spread through the KDWB studio, shutting it down for two days. See the Twin Cities Radio Timeline.

KRSI

KRSI Radio (“Request Station Inc.”) was located at 4500 Excelsior Blvd. in St. Louis Park from 1957 to October 1972. Its two towers were located in Eden prairie. It was owned by Radio Suburbia. (Some say it was owned by Red Owl Stores Incorporated.) The request line was started in February 1968, with oldies – and not just the same old ones - being their mainstay. Every sixth song was current. This station was pretty freewheeling and one could hear Jimmy Dean in the same breath as the Supremes. In 1971 they moved away from the oldies and more toward the current music. In March 1973 the station became the first affiliate of Drake-Chenault’s automated “Great American Country” format and the studio moved out to Eden Prairie. The FM station changed its call letters to KFMX. Now it appears that the call letters KRSI belong to an Iranian station headquartered in Beverly Hills. Go figure.

LOL wins Mustang, 1966

 

KQRS

KQ didn’t start out to be a rock station- more like beautiful music, but in 1967 it made its first foray with its “Night Watch” program, broadcasting R&B, jazz, and psychedelic sounds from midnight to 5 am. John Tollefson was at the controls in 1968.  By the end of the year, the entire station went over to free-form/progressive rock.

 

MID-AMERICA MUSIC HALL OF FAME

Doug Spartz and his group have created the Mid-America Music Hall of Fame (formerly the Minnesota Rock/Country Hall of Fame) to recognize local artists and national artists with Minnesota ties. In addition to the annual induction ceremonies, which feature live reunion performances of the honorees, the Hall of Fame has put out eight volumes of local music called “Rockin’ Your Socks Off!” The following is a listing of the acts and industry pioneers so honored:

Adris Wells Ranch Pals - 2005
Amazers - 2008
Casey Anderson - 2008
Liz Anderson - 2008

Lynn Anderson - 2008
Andrews Sisters – 2006
Blood on the Tracks Studio Band - 2005
Mojo Buford - 2005
C.A. Quintet - 2008
Canoise - 2005
Chuck Carson - 2005
Castaways – 2005
Baby Doo Caston – 2006
Chancellors - 2008
Eddie Cochran - 2006
Crow – 2005
Curtis A - 2008
Daisy Dillman Band - 2006
Jimmy Wells and the Dakota Roundup - 2005
DeZurik Sisters
Dave Dudley - 2004
Dee Jay and the Runaways - 2004
Del Counts - 2006
Doc Holliday Band - 2008
Dr. Mamb's Combo -2008
Bob Dylan
Jonathan Edwards – 2006
Epicurians - 2005
Fendermen - 2005
Arne Fogel- 2008
Billy Folger - 2006
Don Robert Formanek - 2008
Free and Easy - 2008
Augie Garcia - 2005
Jordan Gish - 2008
Mike Gleiden and the Rhythm Kings - 2008
Barry Thomas Goldberg - 2008
Jim Greenwell - 2008
Gregory Dee and the Avanties – 2006
Steve Hall and Shotgun Red - 2006
Amos Heilicher – 2006
High Noon - 2008
High Spirits - 2006
Hill-Dillies - 2005
Ken Horst - 2008
Hot Half Dozen – 2006
Houle Brothers - 2006
Barb Huber – 2006
Ipso Facto - 2008
Slim Jim Iverson - 2005
Johnny Green and the Greenmen - 2004
Michael Johnson - 2008
Red Johnson - 2005
The Judd Group - 2008
Kan Dells - 2008
KSTP Barndance - 2004
Peter Lang - 2008
Jerry Lemire - 2008
Sherwin Linton - 2004
Mary Macgregor - 2008
Carole Martin - 2008
Marvelous Marauders - 2005
Dale Menten - 2008
More-Tishians - 2008
Willie Murphy - 1008
Mystics - 2006
North Sisters - 2005
Parrish Brothers – 2006
Gary Paulak - 2008
Peterson Family - 2008
Marvin Rainwater - 2004
Renowns - 2005
Charlie Ryan - 2005
Betty Rydell – 2006
Marilyn Sellars - 2004
Shadows - 2005
Kenny Schossow - 2008
Dick Shapiro - 2008
Shaw Allen Shaw - 2006
Showtime I and II - 2008
Sky Blue Water Boys - 2005
Big Walter Smith – 2006
Stagebrush – 2006
Jan Stark – 2006
Peter Steinberg - 2008
Bob and Dale Strength - 2008
Texas Bill Strength - 2006
Suicide Commandos – 2006
Joe Sun - 2005
Titans - 2004
Tommy Lee and the Orbits – 2004
Tornados - 2004
Trashmen - 2004
Unbelievable Uglies - 2004
Underbeats - 2004
Bobby Vee - 2004
Larry Verne - 2006
John Voit - 2004
Mike Waggoner and the Bops - 2008
Willie Walker - 20008
Westbound - 2008
Johnny Western - 2006
Whiskey River - 2008
Irv Williams - 2008
Jo Jo Williams - 2006

Steve Wroe and the Furys
David Z - 2008
Keith Zeller - 2008

 

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This information comes from a variety of sources: newspapers, books, yearbooks, phone directories, interviews, etc. Given the varied sources, we cannot guarantee that all of this information is correct, and welcome any additions and corrections. Please contact us with your contributions and comments.