Photo by Clay Schuldt Next weekend, the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame (MMHF) will host its 34 annual Induction Ceremony. Five new members will be added to the over 200 inductees.

NEW ULM — The Minnesota Music Hall of Fame (MMHF) will be inducting five new members on April 14 and hosting an inductee showcase on April 15.

The induction ceremony is a chance for the public to meet the latest additions to MMHF. The showcase is a chance to experience the entire history of Minnesota music.

MMHF Executive Director Bonnie Ubl said this year’s showcase will be extra special thanks to the inclusion of new Prince memorabilia.

Ubl said the entire museum received an overhaul during the winter. All displays have been reorganized to better open up the space for visitors.

This year’s inductees are The Jolly Huntsman, Rebecca “Becky” Buller, The Del Counts, Gwen Mathews and Father Jan Michael Joncas.

• The Jolly Huntsman is an Old Tyme band that has performed since 1961. The group specializes in German and Alpine music and is considered one of the best polka entertainment in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Texas.

• Becky Buller is an American Bluegrass singer, writer, fiddle, banjo player and music teacher. She is the first woman to win the International Bluegrass Music Award and the first artist to win awards in vocal and instrumental categories in the same year. Buller is a St. James native who currently lives in Tennessee with her family.

• The Del Counts are the longest-running rock and roll band in Minnesota, with 61 years of history. The band has opened for many recording artists and can still be found on stage. The current lineup is Charles Schoen, Chris Casteneda and Mark Medcalf.

• Gwen Mathews is an international recording artist, producer, singer and songwriter. She began her career in Minneapolis and has received awards for best female R&B, Gospel, Pop and Jazz. She currently lives in St. Paul.

• Father Jan Michael Joncas is a composer, author, liturgist, professor and priest. He is best known for composing “On Eagles Wings.” He attended the University of St. Thomas, Notre Dame and earned his doctorate in Rome.

In order to be inducted into the MMHF an artist must have a connection to Minnesota and have had an influence on the music scene in the state.

A 13-member board of MMHF takes nominations all year and begins whittling the list down in September. By December, the board has the final list of nominees.

Ubl said nominations are never thrown out. If an individual or group is nominated one year, they will be considered in the next year.

The induction ceremony will be held at Turner Hall and include a banquet dinner. Social Hour is 5 p.m. with the dinner at 6 p.m. and the ceremony at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $55 a person, $50 for MMHF members.

A special inductee showcase will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 15 at the MMHF. Admission to the showcase is free and it is a chance for visitors to see the changes made to Hall over the winter, which includes over $85,000 in Prince memorabilia.

MMHF acquired most of the Henderson, MN Prince collection and created a display at the front of the museum. The display includes a life-size statue of Prince, paintings, clothing and a replica of his “Purple Rain” motorcycle.

A 15-foot tall Prince guitar sculpture will also be placed outside the MMHF before the end of the year. The sculpture was planned to be installed this month, but a slab of concrete needs to be put in place first. With the ground still frozen, the installation will likely wait until May.