This quartet is made up of Dick and Brenda Johnson from the Turtle Mountains in north central North Dakota; Carl Kannianen from the Stanley area; and Kevin Ternes from Minot. 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 a lot 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.
Kevin Ternes is the owner of Kevin’s Piano Service in Minot and also owns a commercial appraisal business. He started playing drums at age 4 and moved on to the guitar at 13, teaching himself the basics. He joined the Minot musicians’ union at 16 and played with The Redbirds, adding bass guitar to his skill set. He moved around a bit, continuing to play before settling back in Minot and joining The Bill Merck Polka Band and Tin Star. He continues to play at his church, in nursing homes and at other community events.
Brenda 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 farms 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.
All are inductees of the Dakota Musicians Hall of Fame in Aberdeen, SD. The group has completed recording three CDs.
This group plays a variety of country, gospel, and even some rock and roll. If you like Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Chet Atkins and other similar classic country music you’ll enjoy hearing this group perform.