Twin Cities Music Highlights

Minnesota Music Awards 1983

I apologize for any misspellings of anyone’s name; it could be from the source, or it could be from my typing.  Please contact me if you need to have something corrected.  Thanks!

For other years, see MINNESOTA MUSIC AWARDS.


DATE:   May 16, 1983

PLACE:  Carlton Celebrity Room, Bloomington

SPONSORCity Pages, Great American Music, Wax Museum, Budweiser

HOST:  Alex Cole

NOTES:

  • All proceeds went to KFAI and KMOJ community radio stations.
  • The ballot was write-in only, allowing the public to nominate favorite groups and musicians.  1,100 public ballots were returned.  The top nominees’ names were submitted to a second vote of the public for the top six awards (marked with an * below).  The top nominees in all other categories were submitted to a music industry panel made up primarily of musicians (including past award winners) and people who work with musicians, such as recording engineers, producers, etc.  Over 100 industry ballots were returned.
  • Martian Colour of the City Pages noted that the Suburbs have consistently refused to participate in the MMAs.

PERFORMERS:

  • Doug Maynard
  • Mary Jane Alm
  • Lamont Cranston (minus an ill Pat Hayes)
  • Patty Peterson
  • The Phones
  • J.D. Steele Singers
  • The Wallets
  • Hardly Herd
  • Becky Reimer Thompson

The house band featured Bobby Vandell, Billy and Ricky Peterson, and Kent Saunders.  The show ended with a 10-minute jam featuring Prince, Dez Dickerson, Bobby Z, Matt Fink, and Jesse Johnson, Morris Day, Vanity 6.  After the show Prince and the rest joined Jah Wobble on State at First Avenue, and then launched into another jam with Jesse Johnson on drums and Sue Ann Carwell.


 

1983 NOMINEES AND WINNERS

*** For each category, the winner is at the top of the list in bold; the other nominees follow. ***

45 or EP OF THE YEAR *

  • Little Red Corvette – Prince
  • Dream Hog – Suburbs
  • Kelly’s Eyes – Andre Cymone
  • Stink – The Replacements
  • Supermarket – Willie and the Bees
  • The Walk – The Time
  • 1999 – Prince

ALBUM OF THE YEAR *

  • 1999 – Prince
  • Ain’t About to Change – Both Barrels
  • Changing Minds – Phones
  • Little Girls – Crash Street Kids
  • Shadowland – Fairchild
  • What Time Is It? – The Time

BAND OF THE YEAR *

  • Prince
  • The Phones
  • The Suburbs
  • Sussman Lawrence
  • The Time
  • Tropic Zone
  • The Wallets

MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR *

  • Prince
  • Peter Himmelman – Sussman Lawrence
  • Steve Kramer – The Wallets
  • Peter Plath – Snaps
  • Chan Poling – Suburbs
  • Will Sumner – Tropic Zone

 NEW BAND OF THE YEAR *

  • Quintessence (described by Martian as an acoustic folk-jazz (world) fusion combo)
  • Answers
  • Brinkz
  • E. Brown
  • High Tops
  • The People
  • Suprees
  • Swinging Combo
  • Wize Guy

COMEDIAN OF THE YEAR *

  • Alex Cole
  • Louie Anderson
  • Jeff Cesario
  • Scott Hansen
  • Joel Hidgson
  • Joel Madison
  • Rita Paskowitzt & Susan Fuller (Last Laugh)
  • Susan Vass

Rock Band

  • Wallets
  • Chameleon
  • Crash Street Kids
  • Fairchild
  • Lamont Cranston
  • Metro All Stars
  • Phones
  • Raggs
  • Replacements
  • Suburbs
  • Sussman Lawrence

Country/Country Rock Band

  • Becky Remer Thompson Band
  • Breakheart Pass
  • C.W. Flyer
  • Comfort Station
  • Both Barrels Band
  • Daisy Dillman
  • Double Nickles
  • Salt Creek
  • Stagebrush
  • Whisky River

Record Producer

  • Prince – 1999
  • Andre Cymone – Livin’ in the New Wave
  • Steve Greenberg, Paul Stark – Dream Hog, Suburbs
  • Willie Murphy – Supermarket
  • Tom Voegli – Raiders of the Lost Ark
  • James Walsh, John Riopelle, Steve Wiese – Shadowland, Fairchild
  • Miles Wilkinson – Changing Minds, The Phones
  • Yanni – Technicolor, Chameleon

Engineer

  • Dave Rivkin – Livin’ in the New Wave, Andre Cymone
  • Steve Fjelstad – Stink, The Replacements
  • Jerry Steckling – Chameleon, Jesse Brady
  • Tom Voegli – Raiders of the Lost Ark
  • Steve Wiese – Shadowland, Fairchild
  • Miles Wilkinson – Changing Minds, The Phones; Kenny Horst

Jazz Instrumentalist

  • Billy Peterson – Bass (Tie)
  • Eddie Berger – Sax (Tie)
  • Reginald Buckner – Piano
  • Bernie Edstrom – Trumpet
  • Manfredo Fest – Piano
  • Milo Fine – Drums, Piano, Clarinet
  • Eric Kamau Gravatt – Drums
  • Jimmy Hamilton – Piano
  • Phil Hey – Drums
  • Will Sumner – Guitar
  • Butch Thompson – Piano
  • Red Wolfe – Trumpet

Jazz Band

  • Rio Nido
  • Eddie Berger and the Jazz All Stars
  • Ron Evanuik Quintet
  • Kenny Horst Quintet (Quartet)
  • Samoa
  • Will Summer and Tropic Zone
  • Butch Thompson Trio
  • Tribute to Mingus
  • Steve Wright Big Band

Female Vocalist

  • Patty Peterson
  • Mary Jane Alm
  • Ginger Commodore
  • Margaret Cox
  • Roberta Davis
  • Carrie Gerendasy
  • Doris Hines
  • Prudence Johnson
  • Melanie Rosale
  • Liann Smith
  • Sue Ann Carwell
  • Becky Reimer Thompson
  • Shirley Witherspoon
  • Colleen Wold

Male Vocalist

  • Prince
  • Curtiss A
  • Beej Chaney
  • Mark Freese
  • Bruce Henry
  • Doug Maynard
  • Ron McCrae
  • Michael Monroe
  • Willie Murphy
  • Alexander O’Neill
  • Ricky Peterson
  • Steve Seamans
  • J.D. Steele
  • Dave Wagner

Gospel Artist and Band

  • J.D. Steele Singers
  • Sam Davis Gospel Ensemble
  • Rance Majestic Choir
  • Tom Tipton
  • Shirley Witherspoon

R&B, Soul, Ethnic Band

  • The Time
  • Alexander
  • Brinkz
  • Michael James Band
  • Macumba
  • Shangoya
  • Sue Ann
  • T.C. Jammers
  • Willie & the Bees

Acoustic Guitar

  • Leo Kottke
  • Adam Granger
  • Dakota Dave Hull
  • Michael Johnson
  • Lonnie Knight
  • Peter Lang
  • Dave Ray
  • John Roth
  • Tim Sparks

Wind/Brass Instrument

  • Eddie Berger – Sax
  • Dave Eiland – Sax – Doug Maynard Band
  • Dave Karr – Sax, Flute
  • Pat Moriarty – Sax
  • Rick O’Dell – Sax
  • Max Ray – Sax – Wallets
  • Billy Schiell – Trumpet
  • Steve Wright – Trumpet

Miscellaneous Instrument

  • Peter Ostroushko – Mandolin, Fiddle
  • Mark Anderson – Percussion
  • Tony Glover – Harmonica
  • Steve Kramer – Accordion
  • Bruce Kurnow – Harp, Harmonica
  • Russ Pahl – Steel Guitar
  • Tatania Wowk – Bandura

Folk Group or Artist

  • Koerner, Ray & Glover
  • Scott Alarik
  • Stevie Beck
  • Carrie Gerendasy
  • Gail Heil & Bob Bovee
  • Dakota Dave Hull & Sean Blackburn
  • Larry Long
  • Peter Ostroushko
  • Ann Reed
  • Pop Wagner
  • Tatania Wowk

Bluegrass Band

  • Middle Spunk Creek Boys
  • Armstrong Brothers
  • Eclectic Brothers
  • Hardly Herd
  • Stoney Lonesome
  • Uptown Boys

Electric Guitar

  • Charlie Bingham – Lamont Cranston
  • Geoff Bouchier – T.C. Jammers
  • Stevve Brantseg – The Phones
  • Joe Demko – Willie & the Bees
  • John Donaldson – Chameleon
  • Bob Dunlap – Curtiss A
  • Tom “Buffalo” Ferderer – Raggs
  • Paul Koloc – Sterling
  • Tom Riopelle – Fairchild
  • Bobby Schnitzer – Pyramid
  • John Della Selva – Doug Maynard Band
  • Dale Strength – Water & Wine
  • Will Sumner – Tropic Zone

Keyboardist

  • Ricky Peterson – T.C. Jammers
  • Andy Bailey – Metro All Stars
  • Lee Blaske – Peterson-Cox
  • Manfredo Fest
  • Gregg Inhofer – Zerox
  • Steve Kramer – The Wallets
  • Bruce McCabe – Lamont Cranston
  • Chan Poling – Suburbs
  • Ivan Rafowitz – Pyramid
  • Butch Thompson
  • Jeff Victor – Sussman Lawrence
  • Yanni – Chameleon

Bassist

  • Billy Peterson
  • Jim Clifford – The Wallets
  • Andre Cymone
  • Terry Grant – Lamont Cranston
  • Rick Houle – Samoa
  • Terry Lewis – The Time
  • Barb Montoro – New Prairie Ramblers
  • Willie Murphy
  • Charlie Riddle – Tropic Zone
  • Dik Shopteau – Mary Jane Alm Band
  • Josh Weaver – T.C. Jammers

Drummer

  • Gordy Knudtson – Lamont Cranston
  • Charlie Adams – Chameleon
  • Erick Anderson – The Wallets
  • Dan Bereneice – Pyramid
  • Phil Hey – Eddie Berger and the Jazz All Stars
  • Kenny Horst
  • Ernie LaViolette – Zenner
  • Red Maddox – Butch Thompson Trio
  • Bobby “Z” Rivkin – Prince
  • Bobby Vandell – T.C. Jammers

Classical Music Award:  St. Paul Chamber Orchestra

Publisher’s Award:  Leigh Kamman, KSJN

Critic’s Award:  Chuck Statler – Rock Video Pioneer – voted on by print media from the local papers.

Technical Award:  Art Welter – Southern Thunder Sound