Episodes

Episode 3: Gordon Lightfoot & The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

One of Gordon Lightfoot’s most important works was "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald." Written shortly after the shipwreck of the same name, the song comforted many, became a chart-topping success at the time, and nearly 50 years later it has found a place in popular culture and social media. The song also served as the inspiration for former Split Rock Lighthouse keeper Lee Radzak to start the annual beacon lighting to honor the crew. This episode of Music Making History reflects on Lightfoot’s work, the way that he responded to the families of the crew, and how the song has centered community gatherings honoring those lost at sea.

Music Making History is funded by a grant from the Manitou Fund.

Episode 2: Queen Bernie, Mother of the Minneapolis Sound

What could bring a dozen luminaries of the Minneapolis Sound back to North Minneapolis for a day of celebration? Find out how Bernadette Anderson, lovingly known as “Queen Bernie,” helped guide a community, led organizations like the Urban League, KMOJ and the YWCA and nurtured a generation of artists the world would come to adore—including music icons Prince and her own son, André Cymone. With a stretch of Russell Ave now renamed Bernadette Anderson Way, Bernadette's legacy continues within the North Side community and beyond.

Music Making History is funded by a grant from the Manitou Fund.

Episode 1: How a Song Saved a Theater

Can a song save a building? Find out how a prohibition-era audio recording that was an unlikely inclusion on the most important folk music compilations of all time, combined with community action saved the building that was once known as the Victoria Theater in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Now reborn as 825 Arts, the building is providing a much-needed community art and gathering space.

Learn more by visiting the companion StoryMap.

Music Making History is funded by a grant from the Manitou Fund.