MN Music Hall of Fame All Stars
A wonderful MN-centric concept, exclusive to MN Presenters' Network and MN Music Hall of Fame.
Premise: To foster awareness and encourage collaboration to the mutual and successful benefit of all parties in the areas of production, presentation and performance.
MN Hall of Fame is willing. Their board may be amenable to encouraging its sponsors to provide a degree of financial backing in exchange for promotional visibility.
Performances will be scheduled for Fall 2025. Examples of Artists listed below.
The All-Stars:
Mary Jane Alm
Vocalist and songwriter, 2008 Inductee.
Mary Jane Alm is an award winning vocalist and songwriter from Mankato, MN. She began her musical career on piano at the tender age 4, adding flute at age 9, and majoring in flute at the U of MN. Mary Jane is a lover of all kinds of music and it shows up in her wide diversity of song choices. Notable ensembles have been City Mouse, The Mary Jane Alm Band, Women Who Cook! And Synergy, along with her current ensemble, Me and the Wild Blue, whose repertoire includes many of Mary Jane’s compositions. She has performed to enthusiastic acclaim throughout the United States, and has been showered with accolades over the years for Best Female Vocalist, Artist of the Year, Best Country Band and Song of The Year (Prisoner of the Heart). Ms Alm is also involved in several tribute bands, among them “Rumors and Dreams” (Fleetwood Mac) and A Tribute to Emmy Lou Harris, among many others. She currently is an instructor of music theory and vocal techniques at IPR in Minneapolis.
Gary Rue
Musician and composer, 2010 Inductee
A performer and composer, Gary has been playing music for audiences throughout the western hemisphere since the mid-sixties, beginning with various town halls in the upper Midwest and graduating to East Coast ‘tent’ tours that included the Big Apple (Carnegie Hall as music director and duet partner for Gene Pitney) and on to far flung points in Canada and the Caribbean. Early along the way, Mr. Rue began writing music of his own, and was rewarded with some of his songs being recorded by (among others) Nick Lowe and Helen Reddy, as well as many prominent regional artists.
He is the author of nearly 90 scores for music theater (including The Stinky Cheese Man, which toured the US and China with Dallas Children’s Theater), is a 2010 Minnesota Music Hall of Fame Inductee and an active touring musician and educator.
Dennis Spears
Actor, featured vocalist with Moore by Four, 2008 Inductee
Dennis W. Spears is a longtime Penumbra Theatre company member and has performed roles at Penumbra, The Guthrie Theater, Illusion Theater, Syracuse Stage, Indiana Repertory Theater, Hartford Stage, Ten Thousand Things, Minneapolis Children’s Theatre, Actor’s Theater of Louisville, Chanhassen Dinner Theater and The Kennedy Center. For his portrayal of Nat Cole in I Wish You Love, he received the Ivey Award for Excellence in Acting. Mr. Spears has performed nationally and internationally as a featured vocalist with the vocal jazz ensemble Moore By Four, and serves as Artistic Director for Legends Music Series at the Capri Theater, where he has contributed greatly to the Capri being named Best Venue for Live Jazz in the Twin Cities. Dennis is a 2013 inductee into the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame!
Arne Fogel
Vocalist, radio personality, "All Things Bing (Crosby)", 2018 Inductee
Arne appears frequently as a singer at the top jazz venues in the Twin Cities, and served as the opening act for Rosemary Clooney during her December 2001 appearance at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis.
Arne Fogel is familiar to many people as the host of “Arne Fogel Presents” on Minnesota Public Radio, and for over 40 years has entertained audiences with his programs on SiriusXM, WWTC-AM, KLBB-AM, KTWN-FM, NETRADIO .COM, and currently, KBEM-FM. Arne has also has written, produced and appeared in over two dozen concert presentations in such venues as Orchestra Hall, Bloomington Center For the Arts, Hopkins Center for the Arts, the Capri Theater and many other venues throughout the Midwest. The Nancy Harms show “Ellington At Night”, which he co-wrote, co-created, and co-produced with Harms, has been presented at Lincoln Center (NYC), Albert Hall (London), and New Morning (Paris). Arne has appeared frequently in singing appearances with Kathryn (Mrs. Bing) Crosby and has participated in countless “live” radio concerts, including three years as a regular performer on Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion”.
The Quartet
Dan Chouinard
Music Director: Rose Ensemble, MN Public Radio, A Prairie Home Companion and Theatre Late Da. For nearly four decades Dan Chouinard has been pianist and accordionist of choice for a who’s who of Twin Cities performers, an enabler of community singalongs and a writer of hit shows for public radio, concert hall and theatrical stage.
Peter Johnson
Drums: Peter Johnson had a seven year stint with the Guy’s All-Star Shoe Band. He started his career with a group that performed daily at L.A.'s Magic Mountain theme park. From there he hit the road, touring the U.S., Europe, Australia, and New Zealand with The Manhattan Transfer vocal group, and later with pop singer Gene Pitney. He’s had the opportunity to play with a broad spectrum of artists, including Chuck Berry, Reba McEntire, Trisha Yearwood, and Dave Brubeck. In addition to his work as a drummer, Peter has written hundreds of jingles and underscores for commercials, and he composed and produced the music for two Sesame Street Live shows.
Dave Mendenhall
Bass: The Synergy Band, the Sevilles, Bruce Henry Band, Marquis Band.
Kent Saunders
Guitar: Kent Saunders
Kent has been playing professional guitar, bass and banjo for over 32 years. Kent has performed on soundtracks for records, commercials and industrial films in his career, and has backed national acts here and throughout the country. The list is too long to include, but some of the artists are Oscar Peterson, George Shearing, Pearl Bailey, Louis Bellson, Nancy Wilson, Benny Goodman, Jerry Lewis and Bob Hope. Kent has also performed with the Minnesota Orchestra, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and in numerous Broadway show orchestras.