Six added to Music Hall of Fame

By KURT NESBITT

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- More of this area's musical past was feted as the six newest members of the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame were honored late Friday night.

Friends, family members, fellow inductees and music lovers were on hand as classical violinist Clifford Brunzell, New Ulm's Menagerie youth singing group, trombonist Earl Schmidt, the late concertina master Jerry Schuft, saxophonist Jerry Kadlec and country singer Marvin Rainwater were inducted into the hall.

The crowd filled the German Rivers rooms of the New Ulm Holiday Inn as the Hall of Fame held its 16th annual induction ceremony.

The induction touches off a weekend of musical Hall of Famers. An inductee show is scheduled on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame building on Broadway.

The ceremony honored some musicians who were well-known in their day and some whose reputations endure today.

Menagerie director and founder Bob Wirtz paid tribute to all of the teenagers that came through his group's ranks, beginning in 1970.

"It's significant that kids get recognition for doing something positive in a world filled with sensational stories about them doing things they're not very proud of," Wirtz said.

The Menagerie traveled overseas nine times. He spoke about two trips -- one to Germany in 1977 and another to Limerick, Ireland, in 1997. In both instances, he was asked by the priest or the minister to put in some overtime. The Limerick concert drew 2,000 people, 1,500 of whom stayed well into the night to hear the group sing.

The next inducted, Earl Schmidt, drew a few funny anecdotes from his days traveling with the bands he played in during the 1940s and 1950s.

"Many people say that someone who has had lots of bad luck is a victim of circumstance," Schmidt said. "Except I'm a victim of good circumstance."

Schmidt took several jabs at his old boss, the late Jerry Schuft, who died in June.

"Sometimes, we'd do things his way and it was right. Sometimes we'd do things my way and it was wrong," Schmidt joked.

When it came time to honor Schuft, the crowd gave his daughter Colleen Micolichek a standing ovation. Schuft's white concertina sat on a table at the front of the room. Micolichek said many things about her father, including a few of the stories he told shortly before he died.

"I never thought the day would come," she confessed.

Schuft first learned to play the button accordion while he was in therapy during the 1950s, but decided he preferred the sound of a concertina. He grew up listening to Elmer Scheid, the Babe Wagner Band and the Six Fat Dutchmen. After he got his first instrument by train from New Ulm, Schuft stayed up late practicing from sheet music and eventually came to New Ulm, where he met several of the people with whom he later shared stages.

"I'm sorry to say the fire went out," read Micolichek. "But it wasn't fun anymore. I am very proud to play next to these Hall-of-Famers and legends."

Country singer, songwriter, guitarist and piano player Marvin Rainwater, who now lives in Aitkin, was honored for his long career, which brought him some attention from the likes of Ed Sullivan and Dick Clark but was unable to attend the ceremony.

Classical violinist and Minneapolis native Clifford Brunzell was the next honoree for his work in founding the Golden Strings Quartet and his role as first violinist in the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra. Brunzell also played jazz violin and founded the Metropolitan Youth Symphony.

"How come it took you people so long to get to me?," quipped Brunzell. "I don't know what I'm doing here. I've got an Italian violin, a French bow and I'm a little Swedish guy from south Minneapolis!"

Jerry Kadlec received some of the loudest applause of the entire evening. During his long set of remarks, Kadlec took his turn in teasing Schmidt and joking about Schuft; all three men once played together as bandmates.