The Northwest Minnesota Arts Council is pleased to announce that Randy Larson of Gatzke is the Northwest Minnesota Artist of the Year for Music. This award was presented on Sunday, April 21 at the Kittson County History Museum in Lake Bronson.

Larson is a talented musician who sings and plays bass guitar, fiddle, mandolin, and lead guitar. In Debbie Dahl Aune’s nomination she shared, “Randy is an artist in every sense of the word. We sometimes forget about the musical artists; the vocal artists; the sound and equipment artists living right under our noses.”

Randy was 17 when his high school quartet created The Back Behind the Barn Boys. The Barn Boys, their abridged title, started out as a vocal group playing county fairs and contests. After a year the band added drums, piano, and guitar and played at weddings, clubs, fairs, country music festivals and dance floors. Then, the Barn Boys hit the road full time touring 23 states and 3 provinces. With one 45 record, 2 albums and a CD, Randy and the band played with or fronted many national acts including, Alabama, Gatlin Brothers, Sawyer Brown, Diamond Rio, Charlie Daniels, Kentucky Headhunters, Restless Heart, Reba McEntire, Southern Pacific, Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Marshall Tucker, and Nitty Gritty Dirt band.

In the 1980s, Randy and the band represented Minnesota when they performed at The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee and won the Star Search Wrangler Jean competition. The song “Come on Sunday Morning," written by The Barn Boys, reached #88 on Billboard, #68 on Cashbox, and #2 on the National Indie Charts and stayed on the charts for 8 weeks. The band sang the national anthem at a Twins game and through the years played at We Fest in Detroit Lakes many times. Randy has also played with the bands Equinox, Imagine, Saddle Tramp, and Eagle Creek.

According to Dean Hedlund, “Randy Larson is a one-of-a-kind musician. He grasps a new song instantly, and he's at home on nearly any instrument that's put in front of him. Randy is a unifier and one who inspires - he's like super-glue that holds a band together. He not only tightens up a band musically but brings cohesiveness. He's a player-coach, a Wayne Gretzky type of addition to a team, making everyone want to do their very best. Young people see and hear him play, and how many of them he's inspired to pursue their own musical talents is impossible to guess.”

Larson gave this advice for aspiring musicians, “You have to work for it. I spent a lot of time on the instruments. It’s a perishable talent. Don’t give up on it and don’t get discouraged. Surround yourself with others who help you. Have fun with it. Just have music in your life.”

Fellow bandmate and Back Behind the Barn Boys co-founder Terry Ruud, said “Since our Barn Boy days, Randy has been involved in all aspects of music -- playing in bands, filling in for bands in need, playing any instrument he picks up, writing and recording songs with his brother Lowell, mentoring his own children and others in their own bands and talents, operating sound consoles and PAs at schools, churches, fairs, and other functions---often times volunteering, sometimes solving audio problems in emergency situations. He is always helping and encouraging aspiring area musicians and artists. Not only that, but he has also been known to quietly donate quality equipment and instruments to local schools needing them.”

On the impact of the arts on society, Larson shared “there’s always some turmoil in the world. The only thing that consistently brings people together is music. It’s one of the few things that doesn’t drag you down. Art is everywhere.”

Our Artist of the Year award can be given to any discipline artist including visual, performing, or creative writing who are emerging or at a mid-way point in their artistic endeavors. It is a cash award of $500. Funding for the Northwest Artist of the Year comes from The McKnight Foundation. Three awards are given each year to recognize artists and arts advocates within our seven-county region who stand out in terms of artistry or volunteerism in the arts. Of the Year Award winners were nominated by area residents.

Congratulations, Randy Larson!