Northwest Minnesota music legend is being inducted into the MN Music Hall of Fame on Friday

MIDDLE RIVER, Minn. (KVRR) — To comedian Judy Tenuta it was the “squeeze box”.

But to a musician in rural Middle River, Minnesota it’s simply the accordion.

And after nearly a lifetime of playing it, Cathy Erickson will become one of the newest inductees to the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame.

A letter in the mail before Christmas notified accordionist and bandleader Cathy Erickson that she was one of seven inductees into the 2026 class at the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame.

“Oh, well it was just like unbelievable, I mean I couldn’t believe it and my daughter was here we had come back from some place and so she got all excited looking at all the papers and we had lots of information to read through and it was like, boy this is something else” said Erickson.

“Well you are joining some very big names in Minnesota music: Bob Dylan, Prince, Judy Garland is on the list I noticed. That’s impressive,” said KVRR’s TJ Nelson.

“I know. Florian Chmielewski, you know Johnny Holm, I mean Prince, I mean no it’s a big deal for me, it’s a big deal for nothern Minnesota I think, northwestern part here. Um, somebody said ‘Well at least somebody is putting us on the map,'”.

Her uncle brought her his piano accordion when she was just 13. Jam sessions started after she got married. Her first paying gig was fifty years ago.

“We played for a senior citizen pancake breakfast or dinner and then in June of that year, so June of this year it will be 50 years that we played our first paying dance job as The Alley Cats, that was our first band name.”

Through the years, she raised five kids on the farm and some would join the band at time playing instruments like the saxophone and drums. But she lost her husband and biggest fan a few years ago.

“My husband was very supportive of my music I will have to say I don’t think all husbands could have done that but I would have to give him credit for that, yes. And my kids enjoyed it too.

“I bet they’re proud” said TJ.

She is still playing county fairs and nursing homes to the delight of her fans.
It also takes a lot of stamina to play the accordion which is not light by any means.

“I’ve been very lucky that I haven’t had any back trouble after all these years. And I still enjoy playing it because if we go into nursing homes then they’ll come up and say, ‘Oh we used to dance to you years ago ya know and it’s so nice that you come and play for us, and oh we’re hearing songs we haven’t hear for awhile or oh this is the best music we’ve heard’ and it makes me feel good.”

The Minnesota Music Hall of Fame 2026 Induction Awards Banquet will be held Friday, April 10 at Turner Hall in New Ulm.

Congratulations to Cathy and the other inductees.