Mankato-born singer Mary Jane Alm celebrates a storied musical career
Mary Jane Alm is performing at the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre the last weekend of July to celebrate 50 years in music.
Courtesy of Mary Jane Alm
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Mary Jane Alm dipped a toe in the music business 50 years ago and since then has swept up numerous Minnesota Music Awards, including Artist of the Year.
The Mankato-born singer-songwriter is an inductee of both the Mid-America and Minnesota Music Halls of Fame.
She is looking back on her career with performances at the Chanhassen Dinner Theater on July 29 and 30. First, she shared a few stories with MPR News host Cathy Wurzer.
Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.
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Audio transcript
[MUSIC PLAYING] Why can't you tell it to me face to face? Oh, oh, I can feel it in the cold and gray. You can hide all your stories. It's up to you. No friend--
CATHY WURZER: Of course, that voice is recognizable. It's Midwest music icon Mary Jane Alm, singing on Minnesota Public Radio's former show Good Evening back in 1988. The Mankato native dipped a toe in the music business 50 years ago and since then has swept up numerous Minnesota Music Awards, including Artist of the Year.
She's an inductee in both the Mid-America and Minnesota Music Halls of Fame. Mary Jane is looking back on her career with performances the last weekend of this month at the Chanhassen Dinner Theater July 29 and 30. But, first, she's taking the time to share a couple of stories on the show. Mary Jane Alm, it is my pleasure. Welcome.
MARY JANE ALM: Oh, thank you so much. I'm such a fan of yours and of the show. I'm just thrilled to be on here today.
CATHY WURZER: I am really pleased. Thank you so much. This must be Mankato, Minnesota music. The whole show is about Mankato music. You started perform--
MARY JANE ALM: I know.
CATHY WURZER: You're a native, obviously, of Mankato.
MARY JANE ALM: Yes.
CATHY WURZER: And you started performing, I understand, the summer after you graduated from high school. And your first show was at the Holiday Inn. Do you remember that night?
MARY JANE ALM: Yes. Oh, I remember it well. And, yeah, Mankato was an amazing place to grow up anyway. But especially musically, there were so many amazing musicians when I was first starting out. And the drinking age was 18 back then. So I could get into all of the bars and hear so many talented musicians.
Yeah, and my first gig was at the Holiday Inn in Mankato. And I was too shy to say anything in between songs. So I didn't talk at all. I just played my guitar and sang for, I think, two sets. And I had all my high school friends there and my family. And [LAUGHS] that was my first gig in July of 1973.
CATHY WURZER: Oh, my gosh. When you look back at how you came up through the music business, there are some singers-- budding singers-- that sometimes fashion themselves after a favorite singer. Did you do that at all? Or are you a Mary Jane Alm original?
MARY JANE ALM: Oh, yeah. No, absolutely. I think I started singing because I just-- I loved Linda Ronstadt. And I actually wanted to be her.
[LAUGHTER]
And so I think that's why I started singing, honestly.
CATHY WURZER: She's the best. She's great. And she can belt out a song. And so can you. I recall that you taught at the Institute of Production and Recording in Downtown Minneapolis, which is no longer there. But did you ever think about what it would be like starting your career today?
MARY JANE ALM: I really have because I've got a son who is just a ridiculously amazing guitar player. And I've watched him come up in bands. And he's significantly more talented than I was at his age. And it is so hard for these talented young people to break into this local scene, not to mention the national scene.
In my day, there were so many music venues. And I played five or six nights a week every week and in different places. And I don't think that's available to musicians these days.
CATHY WURZER: Oh, gosh. The great thing about you, you've been around for a while. So we have a lot of audio tape of you. [LAUGHS] So we dug around. We dug around, and we found an interview that you did for Radio Heartland with our friend Mike Pengra. And, gosh, that was more than 10 years ago already. What the heck? It was just after you released Me and the Wild Blue. And you said something that really stood out to a number of us, that you never really found one niche where your sound fit neatly.
MARY JANE ALM: It was something that I tried to fight earlier in my life. And I tried to really fit into that Nashville country thing. And I don't know. I'm not really truly country. I'm not really truly folk. I'm not really truly pop. I'm not really truly rock and roll. But I have all those things in me.
CATHY WURZER: Yeah. Do you still think that's true?
MARY JANE ALM: Yes, absolutely. And looking back on some of the near misses that I've had, it was almost always because, well, you're just not quite country enough for our label. Or you're just a little too country for our label.
CATHY WURZER: Oh.
MARY JANE ALM: And I just never really fit neatly into a one genre.
CATHY WURZER: And you brought all of those genres into the album Me and the Wild Blue though.
MARY JANE ALM: Yes, I did. I did. And I think that's what I loved so much about Linda Ronstadt is that she just did whatever it was she wanted. And she would have a Hank Williams song right next to an Elvis Costello song on her record. And she would turn around and do an album that was really rock and roll, and then another one that was really country.
And then she did her jazz standards. And then she did her Mexican music. And every time she was told, this is going to be career suicide for you, and she just did it anyway. And, of course, it never was career suicide. And I just love that about her.
CATHY WURZER: She was a brave, brave person. I want to talk about a project that you've been involved with, which I loved-- Women Who Cook. Oh, my gosh.
MARY JANE ALM: Yes.
CATHY WURZER: I don't remember the genesis of that. Help me out.
MARY JANE ALM: Well, actually, the idea was from Marian Moore, who wound up being our producer. And she just wanted to put together a band that was all women musicians. And it was so fun because so many different genres represented in that band. And we did-- oh, jeez, I think our first concert might have been at the Guthrie.
CATHY WURZER: Sounds familiar.
MARY JANE ALM: And we did Orchestra Hall, and we did St. Kate's. And people just flocked out to see us, which was so much fun. And then we did a tour of the Soviet Union, which was so interesting and one of the highlights of my life. And I just dream about that band getting together again for some sort of anniversary concert on down the line. So--
CATHY WURZER: You never know. It might happen. So let me ask you about life. Of course, the pandemic upended life for everybody. But a lot of musicians, really, it hit them hard. And I'm wondering-- that's one blow to musicians, the pandemic, clearly. But what do you think AI will do? Some of the music we're hearing generated by AI is unnervingly good.
MARY JANE ALM: That's a really great question. It's scary to me. But on the other hand, there have been so many changes in the 50 years that I've been around that I just have to think that it's going to be OK. And musicians will find their way around it.
And I just don't think there's any replacement for the heart and soul of a wonderful singer or musician. I don't think that the technology can replicate that.
CATHY WURZER: When we have artists on the show, speaking of heart, we want to hear what music is inspiring them. We asked you this question, and you chose "The Song Remembers When." And your favorite version is one that I love! And I love Trisha Yearwood so much. So we're going to play Trisha Yearwood.
[TRISHA YEARWOOD, "THE SONG REMEMBERS WHEN"]
(SINGING) I was standing at the counter. I was waiting for the change when I heard that old familiar music start. It was like a lighted match had been tossed into my soul. It was like a dam had broken in my heart. After taking--
Oh, what a great version, Trisha Yearwood singing "The Song Remembers When." What do you love about her in this version?
MARY JANE ALM: Well, I just love-- I love her voice for one thing. I always have. She's one of my favorites. But this song speaks to me because I think everybody has had that connection with a song that they hear it, and it brings them right back to wherever that moment was where they first heard it. And you can smell the smells, and you can see the sights. And you're just right back there. That's something that music does that nothing else does.
CATHY WURZER: So true. Mary Jane Alm, you're going to be at the Chanhassen Dinner Theater Saturday and Sunday, July 29 and 30. The Jubilee will be so much fun. And I wish I had more time to talk to you. But we got to go. But tickets available, you've got to see this woman on stage. Mary Jane, congratulations on an amazing career.
MARY JANE ALM: Thank you so much for having me, Cathy. I sure appreciate it.
CATHY WURZER: Mary Jane Alm, singer, songwriter from Mankato, Minnesota. As I mentioned, she'll be at the Chanhassen Dinner Theater next weekend, celebrating 50 amazing years in the music business. She is truly a Minnesota treasure. Thanks for listening to Minnesota Now right here on MPR News.
CATHY WURZER: Of course, that voice is recognizable. It's Midwest music icon Mary Jane Alm, singing on Minnesota Public Radio's former show Good Evening back in 1988. The Mankato native dipped a toe in the music business 50 years ago and since then has swept up numerous Minnesota Music Awards, including Artist of the Year.
She's an inductee in both the Mid-America and Minnesota Music Halls of Fame. Mary Jane is looking back on her career with performances the last weekend of this month at the Chanhassen Dinner Theater July 29 and 30. But, first, she's taking the time to share a couple of stories on the show. Mary Jane Alm, it is my pleasure. Welcome.
MARY JANE ALM: Oh, thank you so much. I'm such a fan of yours and of the show. I'm just thrilled to be on here today.
CATHY WURZER: I am really pleased. Thank you so much. This must be Mankato, Minnesota music. The whole show is about Mankato music. You started perform--
MARY JANE ALM: I know.
CATHY WURZER: You're a native, obviously, of Mankato.
MARY JANE ALM: Yes.
CATHY WURZER: And you started performing, I understand, the summer after you graduated from high school. And your first show was at the Holiday Inn. Do you remember that night?
MARY JANE ALM: Yes. Oh, I remember it well. And, yeah, Mankato was an amazing place to grow up anyway. But especially musically, there were so many amazing musicians when I was first starting out. And the drinking age was 18 back then. So I could get into all of the bars and hear so many talented musicians.
Yeah, and my first gig was at the Holiday Inn in Mankato. And I was too shy to say anything in between songs. So I didn't talk at all. I just played my guitar and sang for, I think, two sets. And I had all my high school friends there and my family. And [LAUGHS] that was my first gig in July of 1973.
CATHY WURZER: Oh, my gosh. When you look back at how you came up through the music business, there are some singers-- budding singers-- that sometimes fashion themselves after a favorite singer. Did you do that at all? Or are you a Mary Jane Alm original?
MARY JANE ALM: Oh, yeah. No, absolutely. I think I started singing because I just-- I loved Linda Ronstadt. And I actually wanted to be her.
[LAUGHTER]
And so I think that's why I started singing, honestly.
CATHY WURZER: She's the best. She's great. And she can belt out a song. And so can you. I recall that you taught at the Institute of Production and Recording in Downtown Minneapolis, which is no longer there. But did you ever think about what it would be like starting your career today?
MARY JANE ALM: I really have because I've got a son who is just a ridiculously amazing guitar player. And I've watched him come up in bands. And he's significantly more talented than I was at his age. And it is so hard for these talented young people to break into this local scene, not to mention the national scene.
In my day, there were so many music venues. And I played five or six nights a week every week and in different places. And I don't think that's available to musicians these days.
CATHY WURZER: Oh, gosh. The great thing about you, you've been around for a while. So we have a lot of audio tape of you. [LAUGHS] So we dug around. We dug around, and we found an interview that you did for Radio Heartland with our friend Mike Pengra. And, gosh, that was more than 10 years ago already. What the heck? It was just after you released Me and the Wild Blue. And you said something that really stood out to a number of us, that you never really found one niche where your sound fit neatly.
MARY JANE ALM: It was something that I tried to fight earlier in my life. And I tried to really fit into that Nashville country thing. And I don't know. I'm not really truly country. I'm not really truly folk. I'm not really truly pop. I'm not really truly rock and roll. But I have all those things in me.
CATHY WURZER: Yeah. Do you still think that's true?
MARY JANE ALM: Yes, absolutely. And looking back on some of the near misses that I've had, it was almost always because, well, you're just not quite country enough for our label. Or you're just a little too country for our label.
CATHY WURZER: Oh.
MARY JANE ALM: And I just never really fit neatly into a one genre.
CATHY WURZER: And you brought all of those genres into the album Me and the Wild Blue though.
MARY JANE ALM: Yes, I did. I did. And I think that's what I loved so much about Linda Ronstadt is that she just did whatever it was she wanted. And she would have a Hank Williams song right next to an Elvis Costello song on her record. And she would turn around and do an album that was really rock and roll, and then another one that was really country.
And then she did her jazz standards. And then she did her Mexican music. And every time she was told, this is going to be career suicide for you, and she just did it anyway. And, of course, it never was career suicide. And I just love that about her.
CATHY WURZER: She was a brave, brave person. I want to talk about a project that you've been involved with, which I loved-- Women Who Cook. Oh, my gosh.
MARY JANE ALM: Yes.
CATHY WURZER: I don't remember the genesis of that. Help me out.
MARY JANE ALM: Well, actually, the idea was from Marian Moore, who wound up being our producer. And she just wanted to put together a band that was all women musicians. And it was so fun because so many different genres represented in that band. And we did-- oh, jeez, I think our first concert might have been at the Guthrie.
CATHY WURZER: Sounds familiar.
MARY JANE ALM: And we did Orchestra Hall, and we did St. Kate's. And people just flocked out to see us, which was so much fun. And then we did a tour of the Soviet Union, which was so interesting and one of the highlights of my life. And I just dream about that band getting together again for some sort of anniversary concert on down the line. So--
CATHY WURZER: You never know. It might happen. So let me ask you about life. Of course, the pandemic upended life for everybody. But a lot of musicians, really, it hit them hard. And I'm wondering-- that's one blow to musicians, the pandemic, clearly. But what do you think AI will do? Some of the music we're hearing generated by AI is unnervingly good.
MARY JANE ALM: That's a really great question. It's scary to me. But on the other hand, there have been so many changes in the 50 years that I've been around that I just have to think that it's going to be OK. And musicians will find their way around it.
And I just don't think there's any replacement for the heart and soul of a wonderful singer or musician. I don't think that the technology can replicate that.
CATHY WURZER: When we have artists on the show, speaking of heart, we want to hear what music is inspiring them. We asked you this question, and you chose "The Song Remembers When." And your favorite version is one that I love! And I love Trisha Yearwood so much. So we're going to play Trisha Yearwood.
[TRISHA YEARWOOD, "THE SONG REMEMBERS WHEN"]
(SINGING) I was standing at the counter. I was waiting for the change when I heard that old familiar music start. It was like a lighted match had been tossed into my soul. It was like a dam had broken in my heart. After taking--
Oh, what a great version, Trisha Yearwood singing "The Song Remembers When." What do you love about her in this version?
MARY JANE ALM: Well, I just love-- I love her voice for one thing. I always have. She's one of my favorites. But this song speaks to me because I think everybody has had that connection with a song that they hear it, and it brings them right back to wherever that moment was where they first heard it. And you can smell the smells, and you can see the sights. And you're just right back there. That's something that music does that nothing else does.
CATHY WURZER: So true. Mary Jane Alm, you're going to be at the Chanhassen Dinner Theater Saturday and Sunday, July 29 and 30. The Jubilee will be so much fun. And I wish I had more time to talk to you. But we got to go. But tickets available, you've got to see this woman on stage. Mary Jane, congratulations on an amazing career.
MARY JANE ALM: Thank you so much for having me, Cathy. I sure appreciate it.
CATHY WURZER: Mary Jane Alm, singer, songwriter from Mankato, Minnesota. As I mentioned, she'll be at the Chanhassen Dinner Theater next weekend, celebrating 50 amazing years in the music business. She is truly a Minnesota treasure. Thanks for listening to Minnesota Now right here on MPR News.
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