Music of North Dakota - Notable North Dakota Musicians

Notable North Dakota Musicians

• Lawrence Welk – Welk, born in rural Strasburg, became one of the most popular band leaders in American history. His long-running weekly television show brought his style of "Champagne Music" into millions of homes. His low-key on-air manner and faint rural German accent mixed with a shrewd sense of business and showmanship to create a franchise that lasted over thirty years.
• Jason Joyce - Joyce, a Denver, Colorado native, moved to Minot, North Dakota to focus steadily on writing electro-pop music for his return back to his home state.
• Peggy Lee - Pop torch singer Lee was born Norma Delores Egstrom in Jamestown in 1920. She left North Dakota in her late teens, and joined the Benny Goodman band. For the next two decades, she was one of the United States' most popular pop singers.
• Bobby Vee - Vee, born Robert Velline and a native of Enderlin, North Dakota, got his break when Buddy Holly was killed in the 1959 plane crash known in popular culture as "The Day the Music Died", en route to a concert in Moorhead, Minnesota. The 16-year-old Velline and his band, "Bobby Vee and the Shadows" replaced Holly at the concert. Vee went on to over forty years of popular music stardom.
• Lynn Anderson - Anderson, a Grand Forks native, went on to stardom in country/western music. Her biggest hit was 1971's "Rose Garden".
• Jonny Lang - Jonny Lang was born in Fargo and became a nationally acclaimed breakout blues guitarist and singer in 1997.
• Shannon Curfman - blues guitarist and singer
• Richard Torrance – Rock guitarist, singer, songwriter. Born in Bismarck, N.D., he relocated to Southern California soon after graduating from high school, to pursue his dream of becoming a recording artist. He signed his first recording contract with Shelter Records, Leon Russell's label, in 1972. He recorded three albums for them before moving on to his second contract with Capitol Records in 1975. His first of four albums for Capitol, Bareback, produced his song "Rio de Janeiro Blue". "Rio" has achieved international acclaim and has been recorded by several other artists, as well. Through the 1970s, he put together a band of Los Angeles-based musicians and did three national tours. Richard and his band opened for some of the most famous rock groups in the world, such as Little Feat, Kansas, Taj Mahal, Billy Joel, Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, Linda Ronstadt, Bob Seger, Chicago, The Beach Boys, REO Speedwagon, Loggins and Messina, The Kinks, Average White Band, Pablo Cruise, and Aerosmith, to name a few. After leaving Capitol records in 1979, Richard moved north to Ojai, California and focused on building a home recording studio, producing local talent and continuing to write music. He stayed there for over ten years, raising a family and touring the west coast.
• Danny Mangold – Rock guitarist, songwriter and producer. Founding member of Silver, and The Metro All Stars (later changed to "the Metros".) Moved from Fargo, ND to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where the band won several "Best Rock Band" awards in the Minnesota Music Awards. Mangold moved to Seattle where he played guitar and toured with Ann Wilson/Heart, Charles Neville of the Neville Brothers and recorded "Songcatchers-Dreaming in Color A&M Records" with Neville. Mangold also toured with Chris Barron of the Spin Doctors and produced the "Heart of the City" record.
• Jody Hanks – Rock singer, songwriter. Born in Mandan, N.D., performed in local bands for years, then moving to Minneapolis. Member of "Raggs" then later, "The Metro All Stars", recording two albums, one on MTM Records, and performing twice on "Star Search". "The Metro All Stars" performed all over The Midwest and Canada. Jody Hanks released a solo album in 2009 "Side of the Road" with fellow songwriter Danny Mangold.
• Mark Knoll-Rock guitarist, singer, songwriter. Born in Mandan N.D.,A passionate and immediately recognizable stylist, Mark has performed all over the United States in a rich and diverse career that spans over 30 years. He has performed with and shared the stage with many national acts including Bonnie Raitt, Little Feat, Edgar Winter's White Trash, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, the Drifters, the Platters, the Coasters, and the Marvelettes. He has appeared as a session guitarist and songwriter on many regional releases including the Lamont Cranston Band, Scottie Miller, and George Faber. Mark Knoll released his first album "High Time" in 2008.

Mark has been a member of the Doug Maynard Band, Lamont Cranston, T. C. Jammers, Northcoast, and many others,

• Dean Weisser – Rock drummer, singer, songwriter. Born in Bismarck N.D., Dean played music with a number of local bands such as "Spice" and "Champ" opening for "Head East" and "Chubby Checker". He moved to Minneapolis in 1986 and started working of KARE-11 TV, where he has won two regional Emmy's for live audio production. Dean works with Grammy winning, national and local artists that perform on the show. Dean has recorded three albums, "Give it a Shot",(Solo-1992), the second, "Boppin' the Blues",(2000), getting airplay all over the country as well as Europe, and third, "Back in the Day" released in 2010. "The Dean Weisser Band" was formed in 1996 and performs all over the midwest opening for acts such as Jonny Lang, Little Feat, Cory Stevens and Susan Tedeshi .
• Kelly Cordahl*- Born in Northwood, N.D., Kelly has played with Pure Country & currently Identity 5 (One of the biggest drawing rock bands in the state). In his career Kelly has opened for or played with Uriah Heep, Foghat, Faith Hill, Charlie Daniels, Brooks & Dunn, Blackhawk, Little Texas, and many more.