Minnesota Rock Country Hall

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HISTORY AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON MINNESOTA ROCK COUNTRY HALL OF FAME
The Minnesota Rock Country Hall of Fame began as an idea in 1999 to host a reunion for members of a band, “The Embers” that Doug Spartz played in back in the 1960’s. He thought that it would be fun to get everyone together on a Sunday afternoon to relive old memories and reacquaint old friends. Another former member of the Embers, Gene Jurek, helped to organize the event which was held at the El Paso Club in St. Josephs, MN.Spartz recalls, “The first couple of years, we held the event on a Sunday afternoon because it was usually the only time that musicians had open if they were still out there playing. The original event didn’t cater to the public, just the musicians and their family and friends.” Several hundred people came out and had a great time remembering the old days and the following year it was decided to honor some of the long-time artists with Lifetime Achievement awards. The response was overwhelming and Spartz quickly realized that someone had to step up and put together a Hall of Fame soon, as each year more and more of the music veterans were passing away.Iowa had been doing a successful Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for several years and Spartz called up their director John Senn and told him that Minnesota needed to get something going. Along with Senn’s guidance and help from other advisors including Bobby Vee and Dave Dudley; the Minnesota Rock Country Hall of Fame was organized. The first three years, the event continued to be held in St. Josephs, but by the time the fourth year was coming around, it was obvious that the event had outgrown the venue so the next logical choice was the centrally located Medina Entertainment Center in Medina, MN. In 2003 the reunion show was hosted at the Medina by Bob Raskob and his staff and that was held on a Saturday and featured over 30 bands playing all afternoon and into the evening. Again, one of the highlights of the event was the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement awards.Now Spartz was ready to start the next phase which was the inception of the Hall of Fame Induction showt. Thus, the 1st Minnesota Rock Country Hall of Fame was held in May 2004. Inductees at the first show included the Trashmen, Dave Dudley, the Underbeats, Dee Jay and the Runaways, the Unbelieveable Uglies, Sherwin Linton, the Tornados, the Orbits, Big John Voit, Bobby Vee, Marilyn Sellars, Marvin Rainwater, the Titans, KSTP Barndance, and the Greenmen, The following year the Fendermen, Mojo Buford, Ardis Wells and the Ranch Pals, Charlie Ryan, Red Johnson, Augie Garcia, Ione Tomasseti & the Renowns, Slim Jim Iverson, Joe Sun, the Sky Blue Water Boys, Bob Dylan, the DeZurik Sisters, the Dakota Round Up, the Epicureans, Crow, The Hill-Dillies, Chuck Carson, Canoise Band, the North Sisters, the Marvelous Mauraders, the Castaways, and the Shadows were inducted into the Hall. Then in 2006, Big Walter Smith, Jo Jo Williams, Jonathan Edwards, the Andrews Sisters, Stagebrush, the Suicide Commandos, Amos Heilicher, Jan Stark, Betty Rydell, Barb Huber, the Hot Half Dozen, Johnny Western, Gregory Dee and the Avanties, the Parrish Brothers, Daisy Dillman Band, Shaw Allen Shaw, the Shaw Band, Larry Verne, High Spirits, Billy Folger, the Houle Brothers, Baby Doo Caston, Shotgun Red and Steve Hall, the Del-Counts, the Mystics, Texas Bill Strength, and Eddie Cochran were inducted. The 2007 inductees included the Big M’s, the Magpies, Eddie Berger, Sonny Rogers, Jim Lopezio, Killer Hayseeds, Litter, Gypsy, Blackwood Apology, Gestures, City Mouse, Joey Molland of Badfinger, Platte Valley Boys, Danny Hargrove, Mary Jane Alm, Art Essery, Rockin’ Hollywoods, Northern Light, Lipps, Inc., Big John Dickerson, Passage, Dave Brady & the Stars, Denny Morgan, Maury Finney, Middle Spunk Creek Boys, Alex Parenteau and the Silver Wings Band, Danny’s Reasons, the Ladies of Country (Kim Martin, Cleo Bee, and Phyllis Jones), Tim Sparks and Rio Nido and the Flamin’ O’s. Lifet ime Achievement awards have been presented to over 170 individuals by virtue of their long term commitment and dedication to Minnesota music. Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty has been a supporter of the Hall of Fame and all the plaques and certificates bear his signature. The Hall of Fame is currently housed in the Albert Lea “Eddie Cochran” museum.The event has expanded to two days of inductions, along with a large silent auction of music memorabilia and other donated items. Every year there is an autograph session for all fans to be able to line up and get to meet the inductees and get their autographs.“It’s an incredible feeling to be standing in the middle of the ballroom, watching a group that hasn’t performed together in 40 years, get up on stage and play their songs again and know that you are witnessing history and that in so many cases, it will never happen again”, Spartz notes. “Many of these bands parted ways years ago and went on about their lives, but we bring them back together again and the same magic happens all over again. It’s something that just can’t ever be reproduced”. The event has become a “not to be missed” weekend, as attendance in 2006 topped all previous years and it is predicted that this year’s event will be a sell out.The Minnesota Rock Country Hall of Fame has arrived, it might have taken eight years to get here, but the end result has been worth it. Spartz wouldn’t change a thing, even those first few years when he had to dig deep to fund the event and the incredible amount of work involved year round to prepare, “it’s all worthwhile when someone comes up with tears in their eyes and they say ‘thank you for what you’re doing’. That’s what this is all about”.CONTACT INFORMATION
Cindy Grant
218-820-8302
[email protected]
Minnesota Rock Country Hall
www.rockcountryhall.com
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