The Performers
BAPTIST BOYS
The Baptist Boys have been singing and playing together for a number of years. They originated from the First Baptist Church in Tioga, ND. The members are:
Jim Booth, David Rust, Jon Wisthoff, and Larry Nelson. Both Jim and David play acoustic guitars; Jon plays the mandolin; Larry plays the bass. All four sing solos and harmony.
The Baptist Boys mainly sing classic gospel songs emphasizing the greatest news in the world, The Gospel of Jesus Christ. They have performed for church groups, community events, and gospel festivals including the Frozen Fingers Festival in Minot, the Missouri River Bluegrass and Old Time Music Festival at the Cross Ranch State Park, the Country Gospel Fest at the International Peace Gardens, the ND State Fair, and the Praise on the Prairie Festival near Hazen. In 2008 the group recorded a CD entitled “Just a Little While.”
DAKOTA DRIFTERS
This quartet is made up of Dick and Brenda Johnson from the Turtle Mountains, Carl Kannianen from Stanley and Kevin Ternes from Minot. Dick plays guitar and handles most of the vocals, Brenda is on the standup bass, Carl Kannianen on lead guitar and Kevin Ternes on the drums and keyboard. All 4 are members of the Dakota Musicians Hall of Fame. They have performed at many venues around the area such as the Hostfest, Music in The Park, car shows and other events. They will be performing classic country songs from the likes of Merle Haggard and Johnny Cash and other greats and even some early rock and roll. So, if you like classic country and Chet Atkins style of guitar, you’ll enjoy hearing this group perform.
DANIEL STARKS
Daniel Starks is a fun and energetic musician from Ryder, ND. Together with his dad, this father-son duo brings to life a wide variety of music from across the years. Along with his own blend of soul-stirring gospel, Starks captivates concertgoers with his dynamic vocal range and his exceptional guitar play. Daniel enjoys sharing his voice with audiences and has an entertaining stage presence that will be sure to have you laughing, singing, or dancing along!
DARRELL & BRIAN MICHALENKO
Darrell plays accordion, guitar, key board and also does vocals. Darrell entertains at numerous retirement residences and other events. Over the years he has won a number of awards. He has accompanied Brian at many fiddle contests. Darrell was inducted into the International Peace Gardens Old Time Fiddlers Hall of Fame in 2017 for emceeing the contest a number of years.
Brian plays fiddle, guitar and does some vocals. Brian is a champion fiddler, and has competed in contests in ND, SD, MN and at Nationals in Weiser, ID. Brian has played with local country bands including Red Horizon, which have opened for Country Acts such as Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Montgomery Gentry, Chris LeDoux, and a few others at the ND State Fair. Darrell and Brian have entertained at the Drake Threshing Show several years. At one time they played for dances as a family band called “The Michalenkos”
GORDY "CRAZYFINGERS" LINDQUIST
Performer Gordy “Crazyfingers” Lindquist has studied music since an early age. Born at Max ND in 1937 he has taught music in ND at Max and Westhope; in CA at Santa Cruz and Aptos; and was a music professor at Dakota College in Bottineau for 34 years. Lindquist’s stage name of “Crazyfingers” came about after Gordy was booked at the Ramada Inn in 1963.
His music career began when he was five years old when he began playing piano and became fascinated with the keyboard. He joined the Joe Alme Band in 1984. The band backed up performers such as George Burns, Bob Hope, Red Skeleton, Myron Floren and many Lawrence Welk stars. Gordy was also a member of the Canadian band “Country Blend” that toured Canada from the NW territories to the Arctic Ocean. He holds the record for performing at the Norsk Hostfest for over 36 consecutive years. He is truly one of the great musicians and entertainers.
GRACE NOTES
Grace Notes is just 3 friends who love to play music together. Sisters Tori and Lydia Overton and Kamryn Morrison have been writing and playing music since they were little. Tori plays fiddle, Lydia mandolin and Kamryn on the guitar. You’ll enjoy their music. They love sharing their music with others.
HEART OF DAKOTA CLOGGERS
Karen Hamilton and Jacque Harvey fell in love with clogging after taking classes through the Minot Community Learning Center. In 2019, Jacque and Karen opened “The Clogging Place” in Minot where they have been blessed to introduce the love of clogging to others, including Sheri Cormier, Amanda Olson, Susan Renfandt and Christine Roberts. Together, these six dancers make up the Heart of Dakota Cloggers. The art of “making music with your feet” brings the group great joy, and it is their goal to share that joy with others.
JERRY SCHLAG
Jerry Schlag is an accordionist and started playing at the age of ten. He has been playing for dances and shows since the late 1950s when he started with his father’s orchestra. He is a chartered member of the Norsk Hostfest Accordion Club and has played in 6 accordion competitions and judged in three of the accordion competitions at the Hostfest. He has performed at thrashing shows, Arts in the Parks, Frozen Fingers Festivals, Norsk Hostfest, German Festival in Fargo, Wells County Fair, ND State Fair, SRT Annual Meetings, Sakura’s Japanese Restaurant in Minot and more. He plays about 100 performances a year at local and out of town nursing and retirement homes. For the past 10 years, Jerry has performed on Amtrak and played twice a month for 16 years at Four Bears Casino. Karen Stevens and Marla Rose will accompany Jerry in his performance today. In 2006, Jerry was inducted into the Dakota Music Association Hall of Fame in Aberdeen, South Dakota.
LARRY NELSON
Larry Nelson was born and raised on a farm south of Kenmare, ND. He started playing guitar at 14, and accompanied his piano playing mom in church.
After serving a 1969-70 tour in the Army Infantry in Vietnam, he played in several different bands for many years.
Larry retired from the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway with 32 years of service. Retirement has given him the opportunity to develop his “Man Cave” and record his own instrumental and vocal backgrounds to sing for many different occasions.
Presently, he plays for the area assisted living facilities, senior events, social events and Sunday church. His passion for classic traditional music is actively promoted with the Frozen Fingers Music Association that helps provides scholarships for the International Music Camp.
MIKE PANKOW
Mike was born and raised in Minot. He graduated from Minot High in 1970, and Utah State in 1974 with a bachelor’s in forestry management.
He served as a houseparent for 1 year at the Dakota Boys Ranch. Then worked 6 years at Minot Sash and Door. After that he opened his own custom woodworking shop in 1982, which he still runs, 42 years later.
As a youth he was active in sports, choir and Boy Scouts, where he became an Eagle Scout. In 1973 he married his high school sweetheart Cheri Walter. Mike and Cheri have 3 daughters: Sarah (Joseph) Mujule, Emily (Joey) Nesdahl and Kati (Marrick) Reed. They have 4 grandsons: Jack and Henry Nesdahl, and Levi and Micah Mjule. Currently Mike also stays active with church and Heritage Singers.
THE REPLACEMENTS
The Replacements are a welcome site to area audiences with their upbeat personalities. This group has a large variety of music that they do including 50s – 60s music, country, country gospel and Christmas music. The group consists of Marlene Grabow singing soprano or alto wherever it fits best, Jim Mayfield singing bass, Jerry Martin singing tenor, and playing and singing are Karen Rath Martin on the piano and Larry Nelson singing and on the guitar. The Replacements are a group
that just sings for enjoyment. Everywhere they go, the goal is to make people smile and this they do accomplish because they all enjoy what they are doing. They perform all around the area for different churches, assisted living homes and nursing homes.