2014 news archives

June 2014

Sherwin Linton - Forever On the Stage

A Documentary of My Life and Career in Music

As one of the longest touring musicians in the Upper Midwest, Sherwin Linton is a living legend and his talent, wit, determination and generosity have made him a favorite to thousands of fans. Pioneer Public Television producer Tim Bakken has taken on the task of encapsulating this storied career into a 90 minute documentary of Sherwin Linton's life. Produced over the past two years, Pioneer Public TV's production crew has traveled with Linton to his boyhood homes across South Dakota, visited with many of his old friends and fellow musicians, filmed his touring show and spent hours with Sherwin and Pam perusing old film footage and photos.

Now it is time to share the story with Sherwin Linton fans! We hope you will attend one of the three Movie Premier Events planned for this fall.

September 28: The Heritage Theatre - Watertown Event Center, Watertown, SD - 2:00 PM

October 5 - The Palace Theatre - Laverne, Minnesota - 2:00 PM

October 12 - The Heights Theatre - Columbia Heights, Minnesota - 2:00 PM

Each location will host just one viewing of the 90 minute documentary and seating is limited to 400 at each showing. Tickets are $10.00 advance. With the limited number of tickets available at each location we expect these events to sell out quickly.

May 2014

Sherwin - Two New Hall of Fame Inductions

Sherwin has been recently contacted by the "Legends of South Dakota Country Music Association" and the "Nebraska Country Music Foundation" to inform him that he will be inducted into each of their "Halls of Fame" in 2014.

Mary Jo Roemen, President of the "Legends of South Dakota Country Music Association" wrote in her letter, "From the early days in Hazel, SD to the present time you have entertained thousands upon thousands of fans and have traveled thousands of miles to perform for your fans and do what you love to do best. We want to thank you for this achievement and let you know that your career history will live on through the "Legends of South Dakota Country Music Association" and your fans. We are honoring you at your induction ceremony September 21, 2014 at 2:00 PM." This event will be held at American Legion Post 15 - 1701 Legion Drive - Sioux Falls, SD. Sherwin and Pam are planning to attend this event.

Ron Grimes is Vice-President of the Nebraska Country Music Foundation. He wrote the following letter to Sherwin's Fans:

Fan's Of Sherwin,

It is with great pride and previlage that I announce Sherwin Linton's induction into the Nebraska Country Music Foundation's Hall of Fame! His induction will take place Saturday, October 18, 2014 at 6:00 PM at the Adams County Fairgrounds in Hastings, NE. This event will be held during the Nebraska Country Music Foundations Festival.

Sherwin is a great legend and tribute to Nebraska's Country and Gospel music. His song writing speaks for itself. Congratulations Sherwin!

Sherwin and Pam plan to attend this event.

Friends and fans are invited to be present for these special ceremonies. Watch our newsletters and web sites for additional information or contact the inducting organizations directly.

Legends of South Dakota Country Music Association

Nebraska Country Music Foundation

This will bring Sherwin's number of Hall of Fame inductions to eleven and if you ask him about them he will first tell you, he's "Not Famous!"

Documentary Dispatch - Pioneer Public TV

"Sherwin Linton - Forever On The Stage"

Pioneer Public TV - Appleton, MN is in the midst of making a new documentary entitled "Sherwin Linton - Forever On The Stage."

On March 16th they gave viewers a sneak preview of it as part of their March Festival pledge drive. Sherwin was in studio to talk about his 58-year career as a performing artist and Pioneer aired three twenty minute segments of video they have produced.

We are currently working on the next phase of the project. We have re-united the original "Cotton Kings" to appear on film visiting about their memories of the road following Sherwin's hit recording of "Cotton Kings" and their day spent in the South Dakota State Penitentiary recording the best selling album "Hello, I'm Not Johnny Cash."

As one of the longest touring musicians in the Upper Midwest, Sherwin Linton is a living legend and his talent, wit, determination and generosity have made him a favorite to thousands of fans.

The complete 60-minute documentary is schedule to air on Pioneer Public TV on October 25, 2014. We are currently working to arrange theatre releases of the 90-minute documentary, which will happen prior to the October television release. For those who would wish to have a copy to view again and again we hope to have this project available on DVD in early 2015.

Sherwin On-Air Pioneer Public TV - March 16, 2014

Sherwin Linton , Cleo Bee and “The Cotton Kings” – Mr. Nib’s 1971

Back Row From Left: Dick Moebakken, Red Freeman, Mike Graunke

Front Row: Sherwin Linton & Cleo Bee

Sherwin Linton, Cleo Bee and “The Cotton Kings” May 7, 2014

From Left: Dick Moebakken, Red Freeman, Mike Graunke, Cleo Bee & Sherwin Linton

March 2014

Pioneer Public TV Presents "Sherwin Linton - Forever On The Stage"

Pioneer Public TV is in the midst of making a new documentary "Sherwin Linton: Forever on the Stage" featuring the 58 year career of the county fair circuit musician. Linton, 74, will be appearing live in the Pioneer Public TV studios in Appleton to talk about his life on the road on Sunday March 16 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. A sneak preview of segments of the documentary, which is scheduled to be released in October 2014, will be broadcast in between the live interviews.

"As one of the longest touring musicians in the Upper Midwest, Sherwin Linton is a living legend," stated Pioneer Public TV's Production Director Tim Bakken. Bakken says that the documentary will feature archival footage of Linton's performances dating all the way back to the 1950's,. Pioneer's production crew traveled with Linton's to his boyhood home in Watertown South Dakota in the summer of 2013 to capture footage for the documentary. The finalized broadcast will also include Linton's original music recordings and his reminiscences about the history and evolution of country western music in the Upper Midwest.

Plans call for the completed special to be broadcast starting in the Fall of 2014 as an hour long feature presentation on several public television stations in the region. A 90 minute DVD will also be produced for sale and distribution with the broadcast, according to Pioneer officials.

Pioneer is currently conducting a Spring Pledge drive to raise funds to support programming costs. Pioneer first went on the air as a viewer supported, locally owned and governed TV station in February 1966. Pioneer serves the region with three towers broadcasting programs to 45 rural counties that are home to 1 million people in western and southwestern Minnesota, northwestern Iowa and the eastern Dakotas. In 2013, there were more than 148,000 views of videos posted by Pioneer Public Television online through the station's website and youtube channel. For more information, visit www.pioneer.org or call 1-800-726-3178.

February 2014

Pioneer Public TV Presents "Sherwin Linton - Forever On The Stage"

Pioneer Public TV is in the midst of making a new documentary entitled "Sherwin Linton - Forever On The Stage," and we're going to give our viewers a sneak preview of it on Sunday March 16that 7:00 PM on Pioneer 10 HD as part of our March Festival pledge drive.

Sherwin will be in the studio to talk about his 58-year career as a performing artist. We encourage you to tune in and hear the stories about Sherwin's life, interlaced with videos from past shows and perhaps even a live studio performance! As one of the longest touring musicians in the Upper Midwest, Sherwin Linton is a living legend and his talent, wit, determination and generosity have made him a favorite to thousands of fans in the Pioneer Public Television viewing area.

The complete 60-minute documentary is schedule to air on Pioneer Public TV in October 2014. We are currently working to arrange theatre releases of the 90-minute documentary, which will happen prior to the October television release. For those who would wish to have a copy to view again and again we hope to have this project available on DVD in early 2015.

Pioneer Public TV KWCM-TV and KSMN-TV are broadcast in Minnesota, Iowa, North and South Dakota. In South Dakota it is also available to satellite subscribers in Sioux Falls and Mitchell. KWCM is currently working to make programming available to satellite subscribers in the Minneapolis, St. Paul market.

Pioneer Public TV Presents - "Sherwin Linton - Forever On The Stage"

Sherwin - "Mr. 1975" in South Dakota 125!

2014 will mark South Dakota's 125th year of statehood and South Dakota Magazine has produced a photographic history coffee table book of this fascinating state. One picture represents each year, beginning in 1889 and continuing to today. This past August Sherwin was excited when Bernie Hunhoff, editor of South Dakota Magazine phoned him requesting permission to publish a photo of Sherwin to commemorate the year 1975 in this very special book. The photo was taken in the little town of Hazel, SD. This special photo comes with a story. In 1975 Sherwin produced a best selling album "Dusty Roads and Prairie Towns." The record label exec's wanted a cover image depicting Sherwin in a ghost town. Sherwin asked them how many they would want, "I'll go back to the towns I grew up in in South Dakota, they look like ghost towns!" Sherwin did just that. He hired photographer James MacKay from Pollock, SD and they spent several days taking photographs and journeyed to his boyhood home, the disappearing railroad town of Hazel, with it's diminishing building facades and shot the cover photo. Sherwin submitted the photos to the record company but they had rushed the record release and used a line drawing instead. The photo, which looks like it's right out of a Hollywood movie, was never published until now. So, how exciting it is that this photo taken in 1975 is now being appreciated by so many! The book shows the buffalo ranchers, bridge builders, cowgirls, war heroes, artists and many famous political figures and celebrities who's roots are in South Dakota and all who make South Dakota unique ... plus histories of each decade.

This "Coffee Table" quality, 220 pp., black and white book is an artistic souvenir of the states quasquicentennial and a great gift!