This year’s inductees are:

– The Blenders, a vocal harmony group with roots in Fargo.

– Richard Torrance, an acclaimed singer-songwriter and guitarist.

– Lyle Russell “Skitch” Henderson, legendary bandleader and founding conductor of the New York Pops.

Skitch Henderson

– Chuck Suchy, renowned folk artist and musical ambassador of the prairie.

These musicians will be honored during an iInduction ceremony on Sunday, Sept. 28, at Dykshoorn Park in Mandan. The event is part of the Dakota Music Crawl, a daylong celebration featuring live music performances, a multi-venue crawl and a catered dinner. A limited number of tickets remain available.

Chuck Suchy

Suchy, who farms near Mandan, first gained statewide recognition in 1989 when he was named North Dakota’s Centennial Troubadour, according to the North Dakota Council on the Arts.

The 2005 Legislature named Suchy as the state’s first official State Troubadour, tasked with promoting the state’s musical legacy through public performances and educational opportunities. Legislators also designated Suchy’s composition “Dancing Dakota” as the state waltz.

Richard Torrance

Suchy’s songs often highlight farm life, family relationships and North Dakota history.

One of his best-known compositions is “The Story of Hazel Miner,” a ballad about a 15-year-old girl who died in a 1920 blizzard after saving her siblings, the Council on the Arts said. Suchy included the piece on several of his albums, helping to preserve the story for future generations.

During the winter of 2020, he worked with the Council on the Arts’ Art for Life Program to create songs based on conversations with elders in care facilities in Bismarck, Enderlin and Jamestown. His wife, Linda, is also a musician and often performs with him.

Skitch Henderson

Henderson, born Jan. 27, 1918, built a career that blended roadhouse piano, classical training and television stardom, according to Encyclopedia.com. The reference said he began piano lessons with his aunt in Minnesota and, after his mother’s death, ran away as a teenager, supporting himself by playing in roadhouses across Minnesota and Montana.

The Blenders

The State Historical Society of North Dakota said Henderson also had early ties to Bismarck, where he spent part of his youth developing his craft before moving on to Hollywood. The society noted these connections in its program “Musician Skitch Henderson’s North Dakota Connections,” presented with the help of his cousin Glenn Strom.

According to Playbill, Henderson’s career break came in the late 1930s when he accompanied Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney during a promotional tour before joining MGM’s music department. Playbill also said Bing Crosby suggested he keep the nickname “Skitch” — short for “Sketch Kid” — because of his knack for sketching out new scores in minutes.

Radio expanded his reach. Encyclopedia.com reported he became music director for Bing Crosby’s “Philco Radio Hour” and later Frank Sinatra’s “Light Up Time.”

Television made him a household name. The Paley Center for Media’s archives list Henderson as conductor for “Tonight” with Steve Allen and in Johnny Carson’s early years. The Library of Congress described Carson’s band under Henderson as “loud and jazzy,” a sound that gave television its late-night sparkle.

Henderson also succeeded in the recording world. He won a Grammy Award in 1963 for “Great Scenes” from Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess.”

In 1983, Henderson and his wife, Ruth, founded The New York Pops, according to Carnegie Hall and the orchestra’s own history. Henderson said the mission was to celebrate the American songbook while making Carnegie Hall approachable to broad audiences.

The City of New York presented Henderson the Handel Medallion in 1997, according to the mayor’s office archives. The Smithsonian Institution awarded him the James Smithson Bicentennial Medal in January 2005, according to Smithsonian exhibition notes. The Smithsonian also mounted an exhibition titled “Skitch Henderson: A Man and His Music” that displayed his memorabilia.

He and Ruth also turned their Connecticut property into Hunt Hill Farm, later called The Silo. The nonprofit said the farm became a cultural center, offering concerts, cooking classes and arts programs.

Henderson died Nov. 1, 2005, at his home in New Milford, Connecticut, at age 87, according to Encyclopedia.com.

RIchard Torrance

According to a 2023 interview with It’s Psychedelic Baby Magazine, Torrance, from Bismarck, began his career in the early 1970s after moving from North Dakota to California. He said he signed his first recording contract with Shelter Records in 1972, releasing three albums under the label.

Torrance explained in the same interview that by 1975 he had joined Capitol Records, where his first release, “Bareback,” featured the track “Rio de Janeiro Blue.” He said the song became one of his most enduring works and was later recorded by other artists.

According to West Coast Music Magazine, Torrance toured extensively during the 1970s, opening for major acts and building a following with his Los Angeles-based band. The magazine noted his group was known for high-energy live performances that broadened his reach beyond studio recordings.

Torrance said he left Capitol Records in 1979 to build a home recording studio in Ojai, California. According to West Coast Music Magazine, Torrance returned to Bismarck in 2004 after decades in California. He continued writing and performing music in North Dakota, releasing albums including “The Stories They Tell.”

The Blenders

According to the group’s official biography, The Blenders, a vocal harmony group that started in Fargo before moving to Minneapolis, formed in the early 1990s, when the four original members discovered their shared passion for vocal harmony. They said their sound blended pop, soul and rhythm and blues influences with a focus on tight arrangements, quickly setting them apart in the Midwest music scene.

The group explained in their biography that by 1994 they had relocated from Fargo to Minneapolis to expand their opportunities. Despite the relocation, the band has consistently described its North Dakota roots as a defining part of its identity.

The Blenders’ official press materials note it has performed on stages across the United States and appeared on television. Their career included opening slots and collaborations with acts such as Chicago, The Righteous Brothers, Blues Traveler, Savage Garden, Lou Rawls and Chuck Berry.

According to the group’s biography, The Blenders also contributed to film soundtracks. Their version of “Lean on Me” was used in the trailer for the holiday film “Nothing Like the Holidays,” and additional songs were included in “The Perfect Holiday.”

Holiday music has become central to the group’s legacy. The Blenders said they have released several Christmas albums and built an annual holiday tour.

The Blenders emphasized in their press biography that they have remained independent throughout much of their career, releasing their music on their own label. They said this approach allowed them to maintain artistic control and continue producing work that stayed true to their original vision.

“This year’s class showcases the extraordinary range of talent with North Dakota roots,” said Marlo Anderson, president of the North Dakota Music Hall of Fame. “From nationally recognized performers to cultural icons, each of these inductees — The Blenders, Richard Torrance, Skitch Henderson, and Chuck Suchy — has made a lasting impact on the world of music. We’re proud to celebrate their contributions and ensure their legacies are honored right here at home.”