Past Entertainment

The Corn Palace Festival brings in some great entertainment every year. Below is a list of past entertainers dating back to the very first Festival!

  • 1892 - Phinney Iowa State Band
  • 1893 - Lynn Band, Lynn, Mass.
  • 1894 -1899 no Festival
  • 1900 - William Jennings Bryan
  • 1901 - No Festival
  • 1902 - Debaugh’s Band Chicago
  • 1903 - Sorrentina’s Red Band, Italy
  • 1904 - John Philip Sousa’s Band
  • 1905 - Italian Banda Rossa
  • 1906 - The Kilties, Scotland
  • 1907 - John Philip Sousa’s Band
  • 1908 - Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra
  • 1909 - U.S. Marine Band, Washington
  • 1910 - Pat Conway’s Band, New York
  • 1911 - Ellery Band, Syracuse, New York
  • 1912 - European Hippodrome Theatre Group
  • 1913 - Royal Circus And Banda Roma, Italy
  • 1914 - Ferullo Band, Italy
  • 1915 - Ferullo Italian Band
  • 1916 - Liberti’s Band
  • 1917 - Innes Band, New York
  • 1918 - Innes Band And Kilties Band
  • 1919 - Nor Formal Program
  • 1920 - Hart’s Girl Band, Chicago
  • 1921 - Karl L. King Band
  • 1922 - Ernie Young’s Arabian Nights Revue
  • 1923 - Call Of The North Radio Band
  • 1924 - Ernie Young’s Golden Girls
  • 1925 - Harry Santry’s Orchestra
  • 1926 - “London, Paris and New York” Stage Show
  • 1927 - New Wayburn’s Variety Girls
  • 1928 - Harry Carol Revue
  • 1929 - Rko Collegiate Show
  • 1930 - Frivolities Of 1930 With Johnny Perkins
  • 1931 - Benny Meroff’s Orchestra
  • 1932 - Rko Leahs And A Variety Show
  • 1933 - Lou Breese And His Band
  • 1934 - Frankie Masters
  • 1935 - Herbie Kay
  • 1936 - Bernie Cummins
  • 1937 - Isham Jones
  • 1938 - Jimmy Dorsey
  • 1939 - Paul Whiteman
  • 1940 - Johnnie “Scott” Davis
  • 1941 - Orrin Tucker
  • 1942 - Gray Gordon
  • 1943 - Russ Morgan
  • 1944 - Glen Gray
  • 1945 - Frankie Carle
  • 1946 - Ray Mckinley
  • 1947 - Tommy Dorsey
  • 1948 - Lawrence Welk
  • 1949 - Skitch Henderson
  • 1950 - Harry James
  • 1951 - Horace Heidt
  • 1952 - Guy Lombardo
  • 1953 - Duke Ellington
  • 1954 - Lawrence Welk
  • 1955 - Freddie Martin
  • 1956 - Patti Page
  • 1957 - Ray Anthony
  • 1958 - Guy Lombardo
  • 1959 - Shep Fields And The Mills Brothers
  • 1960 - Jimmy Dean
  • 1961 - The Three Stooges
  • 1962 - Lawrence Welk
  • 1963 - Lawrence Welk
  • 1964 - Andy Williams
  • 1965 - Sam Levenson
  • 1966 - Tennessee Ernie Ford
  • 1967 - Jack Benny
  • 1968 - Eddy Arnold
  • 1969 - Lawrence Welk
  • 1970 - Tennessee Ernie Ford
  • 1971 - Andy Griffith
  • 1972 - Eddy Arnold
  • 1973 - Pat Boone Family
  • 1974 - Roy Rogers and Dale Evans
  • 1975 - The King Family and Jerry Murad’s Harmonicats
  • 1976 - Bob Hope
  • 1977 - Red Skelton and Roy Clark
  • 1978 - Rich Little B Victor Borge
  • 1979 - Jim Nabors and The Mills Brothers
  • 1980 - Bill Anderson and Brenda Lee
  • 1981 - Tennessee Ernie Ford
  • 1982 - Red Skelton
  • 1983 - Lennon Sisters
  • 1984 - Carol Lawrence and Roger Williams
  • 1985 - Bobby Vinton, Louie Anderson, Box Car Willie, Williams and Ree
  • 1986 - Roger Williams, Tom T. Hall
  • 1987 - Eddie Rabbit, Sylvia, The Charlie Daniels Band, Doug Kershaw
  • 1988 - Larry Gatlin And The Gatlin Brothers, Shanana, Mickey Gilley And Kathy Mattea
  • 1989 - Crystal Gayle, Mel Tillis, And Don Williams
  • 1990 - Charlie Pride, The Oakridge Boys, Williams and Ree, The Gaither Trio
  • 1991 - Lee Greenwood, Suzy Boggess, Bellamy Brothers, Patty Loveless, Ronnie Milsap, Forester Sisters, The Dixie Melody Boys, The Speers, And Shanana
  • 1992 - The Oakridge Boys, Tanya Tucker And Redneck, Shari Lewis and Lampchop, Tammy Wynette, Myron Floren And The Stars Of The Lawrence Welk Show
  • 1993 - Bobby Layne And His Orchestra, Myron Floren And The Stars Of The Lawrence Welk Show, Mr. Magic, The Cathedrals, Highway 101 With Williams and Ree, Marty Stuart With Kris Kuester, Kathy Mattea With Radney Foster, Mark Chesnutt With Sweethearts Of The Rodeo
  • 1994 - Baker Street-Music For Kids, Discovery Mime Theatre, Molly And The Heymakers, Sammy Kershaw, Kris Kuester, Trisha Yearwood, Good Times Band, Shawn Camp, Myron Floren And The Stars Of The Welk Show, The Cathedrals, Orville Vonseggern
  • 1995 - Three Dog Night, Hal Ketchum, Doug Kershaw, Diamond Rio, Brian White, Myron Floren And The Stars Of The Welk Show, “1964”…The Tribute, Deb Weitala, The Cathedrals, Dwain Muller And Orchestra
  • 1996 - U.S. Army Ground Forces Jazz and Dixie Band, Guess Who, Grass Roots, Good Times, Joe Diffie, 1964…The Tribute, Myron Floren And The Stars Of The Welk Show, Pete George, David Seebach, Deb Weitala, Acappella, Mearl Lake Orchestra
  • 1997 - Musique, Village People, Good Times, BlackHawk, The Teels, Glad, Myron Floren and the Stars of the Welk Show, and Mearl Lake Orchestra
  • 1998 - Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, “Hondo” the Magician, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Williams and Ree, Martina McBride, Theea Daniels, Myron Floren and Stars of the Lawrence Welk Show, Deb Weital
  • 1999 - 38 Special and Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Granny and Jim Nabors, Full Choke and Blackhawk (Local Gospel Music and Cornstock 99/area bands)
  • 2000 - Wayne Newton, Kenny Chesney, Gordy Pratt, Gwen Matthews, Jason Zeher and Britney Spears and Backstreet Boyz Tribute Acts
  • 2001 - Jessica Andrews and Billy Gilman, Engelbert Humperdinck, Carrot Top, (50’s dance put on by Lions and KMIT - Tommy Roe and Hot Rod Chevy Kevy)
  • 2002 - Brule`, Neil Sedaka, Rockin’ Roadhouse - Mark Chesnutt, Joe Diffie and Tracy Lawrence, Scooby Doo and Friends, (50’s dance put on by Lions and KMIT - Bob and the Beachcombers, and Bill Schott an Elvis Impersonator)
  • 2003 - Willie Nelson, Williams and Ree, Tom Jones, Spirit of the Dance, Brule`
  • 2004 - Brad Paisley, REO Speedwagon, Williams and Ree, Buckskin Stallion, Switchfoot, Glen Campbell
  • 2005 - Big and Rich, Cowboy Troy, Terri Clark, Dierks Bentley, Styx, Chubby Checker, Grass Roots, Bowling for Soup
  • 2006 - LeAnn Rimes, Raven Symone, Eddie Money, Loverboy, Trace Adkins, Doo-Wah Riders, Michael Londra
  • 2007 - Phil Vassar, Joe Nichols, Weird Al Yankovich, Blood, Sweat and Tears, Chuck Negron, Night Ranger, Survivor, Oak Ridge Boys
  • 2008 - Jason Aldean, HER and Kings County, Juke Box Zeroes, Rick Springfield, Corbin Bleu, Justin Stein, Ferras, Lorrie Morgan
  • 2009 - Blake Shelton, Hailey Steele, Miranda Lambert (appeared with Blake) Herb Dixon, Mark Poolos, Scott Novotny, Joan Jett, Juke Box Zeroes, David Cook, Toby Kane Band, the Crash Kings, State Colgate Country Showdown, Ronnie Milsap
  • 2010 - Kenny Rogers, Joey and Rory, Dick Hardwick, Jason Latimer, Gary Allan, State Colgate Country Showdown, Bjorn Again-ABBA Tribute, Enation, Everly
  • 2011 - Tanya Tucker, Josh Turner and The Band Perry, Emily Osment, 38 Special, Happy Together Tour featuring The Turtles, The Association, The Buckinghams, Mark Lindsay of Paul Rever and the Raiders, The Grass Roots
  • 2012 - PowerPlay, Kory and the Fireflies, Frankie Ballard, Thompson Square, Doo-Wah Riders, Charlie Daniels, The Happy Together Tour 2012 starring The Turtles featuring Flo and Eddie, Micky Dolenz lead singer of the Monkees, The Grass Roots, Gary Puckett and The Union Gap, and the Buckinghams.
  • 2013 - Dwight Yoakam, Terry Fator, Craig Morgan, Gloriana, The Happy Together Tour 2013.
  • 2014 - Chris Young, Pat Benatar, Crystal Gayle, Tommy James and the Shondells
  • 2015 - Jerrod Niemann, Theory of a Deadman, Nitty Gritty Dirtband, Tony Orlando
  • 2016 - Judd Hoos, Styx, Gary Allan, Happy Together Tour
  • 2017 - Eddie Money, Diamond Rio with Black Hawk, Gary Lewis, Judd Hoos
  • 2018- Midland, Little Texas, Roots and Boots Tour: Aaron Tippin, Collin Raye, and Sammy Kershaw, and Righteous Brothers
  • 2019 - Clint Black, Trace Atkins, Blood Sweat & Tears with the Boxtops
  • 2020 - Sawyer Brown with Restless Heart,  Aaron Watson with Weston Frank,  Adam Pope with Rusty Rierson, Sherwin Linton with Allen and Jill Kirkham and the Texas Summer Jammers.
  • 2021 - Williams and Ree with The Something New Band, Whiskey Myers with Weston Frank, BlackHawk with The Powell Brothers, Barefoot Becky and the Texas Summer Jammers.
  • 2022 - Randy Houser, w/Danica Michaels,  Russell Dickerson, w/Thomas Mac, Night Ranger, w/The Jimmy River Band, The Music of Randy Travis w/James Dupré, 
  • 2023 - Michael Ray with Dylan Marlowe, Broadway's Rock of Ages Band