“Queen of Polka” is inducted into Minnesota Music Hall of Fame
NEW ULM, Minn. (KVRR) — It is official! Cathy Erickson of rural Middle River, Minnesota is now in the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame.
The woman lovingly referred to as the “Queen of Polka” was joined by a number of family members at the induction ceremony on Friday night in New Ulm.
She was one of seven inductees into the 2026 class at the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame.
KVRR’s TJ Nelson had a chance to talk to her earlier this week about what the honor means to her.
“You know it is a big deal for me. It’s a big deal for northern Minnesota I think, northwestern part here. Um, somebody said ‘Well at least somebody is putting us on the map’,” Erickson laughed.
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.”
She continues to perform around the region as well as host weekly radio shows.
Other members of the Hall of Fame include some people you might have heard of: Johnny Holms, Florian Chmielewski, Bob Dylan, Lorie Line and Prince among many others.
