Dakota Drifters

The Dakota Drifters is a quartet made up of Dick and Brenda Johnson from the Turtle Mountains in north central ND, Carl Kannianen from Stanley, ND, and Toby Nelson from Minot, ND. All four are home grown, self-taught musicians who really enjoy country music!

Dick farms near the International Peace Garden. He has been involved with music from the time he was young. He plays guitar and handles most of the vocals. He is known to favor Merle Haggard and Johnny Cash songs and always includes a few Norwegian jokes to keep things lively.

Brenda retired from the North Dakota Forest Service in Bottineau. She started playing the standup bass a few years ago. She keeps the group organized and is always looking for new “old” material. She and Dick have played and entertained together for several years.

Carl lives in the Stanley area and has played the guitar for many years. He found out early in life that he enjoyed music. He sings harmony on several songs and also does vocals. Carl has a unique style of picking and his instrumentals are fabulous.

Toby is the owner of Prairie Winds Band Instrument Repair LLC in Minot. He and his staff keep busy repairing and maintaining all types of musical instruments for the upper northwest region of ND. As a sophomore in high school, he taught himself how to play drums. Toby is excited to help keep traditional country western music alive.

This group plays a variety of country, gospel, and even some rock and roll. So if you like Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Chet Atkins, and other similar old time music you’ll enjoy hearing this group perform!