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Home | Obituaries

Accordionist Larry Malmberg leaves illustrious legacy

Submitted photo, Star Tribune

Larry Malmberg

Richfield native played for dignitaries and celebrities and mentored hundreds, including a world champion.

By TIM HARLOW, Star Tribune

Last update: September 17, 2009 - 11:35 AM

When Larry Malmberg was inducted into the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame in 1997, he stood at the microphone to accept the award, but he was speechless. He didn't need to say anything because the acclaimed accordionist's music had already done the talking.

Malmberg's illustrious career was already in high gear by the time he was 15 and playing at clubs across the Twin Cities. Over the years, he took his virtuosity to many corners of the Earth, playing for dignitaries such as the king of Sweden, President Gerald Ford and vice presidents Walter Mondale and Hubert Humphrey. He backed up Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti, made several appearances with the Minnesota Orchestra and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and played countless concerts, both solo and as a member of the Golden Strings.

"His legacy is that of first-rate musicianship, willing to work hard and willing to entertain so people could have a good time," said violinist Cliff Brunzell, leader of the Golden Strings. "He did it all with sincerity. He was a first-rate person."

Malmberg was found to have bladder cancer in April and died of the illness Sunday at the N.C. Little Hospice in Edina. He was 86.

He grew up during the Great Depression, and before his parents died they gave him an accordion. He left Roosevelt High School to embark on a music career to help his grandparents pay the bills. In the 1940s, he joined the internationally known Whoopie John Polka Band and by the 1950s, he was playing classical, jazz, polka and popular music as an in-studio radio musician for WCCO-AM and WDGY-AM. At the same time, he often played at the Radisson Hotel in downtown Minneapolis when celebrities such as Liberace, Dinah Shore, Ginger Rogers and Bob Hope performed, said his son Dennis, of Rosemount.

Between performances, Malmberg shared his musical prowess with the 50 to 70 students he taught each week in the basement of his home in Richfield and at the Professional Music Center on Lake Street. He was an accordion instructor at the University of Minnesota, Normandale Community College and what is now Metropolitan State University.

"Just about anybody who can play the accordion in this town looked up to him," Dennis said.

Leonard (Skeets) Langley, winner of the gold medal at the 1963 Coup Mondale World Accordion Championship and the runner-up in 1962, told Malmberg, "I'd be nothing without you" when he visited him last week. There were few pieces for the accordion in the 1960s, so Malmberg transcribed piano concertos by Schumann and Rachmaninoff into scores so Langley could play at the world competition.

"He did it all gratis," Langley said, who took lessons from Malmberg as a student at Augsburg College in Minneapolis. "He always stretched my 30-minute lesson into an hour. He was a kind and gentle person."

Malmberg joined the Golden Strings in the 1980s and in the latter portion of his career played in nursing homes. He was active until last year, his son said.

In addition to his son Dennis, Malmberg is survived by his wife of 64 years, Louise, of Richfield; two other sons, Al, of Richfield, and David, of St. Paul; seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Services will be held at 1 p.m. Sept. 26 at Richfield United Methodist Church, 5835 Lyndale Av. S., Minneapolis.

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