The Minnesota Music Hall of Fame have announced that DARE FORCE have been nominated. Dare Force could join such legendary Minnesota artists as Soul Asylum, The Replacements, John Denver, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Prince, Lamont Cranston and Bob Dylan.
“We are most humbled and honored for Dare Force to be nominated for induction into the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame, an achievement we could only have dreamed of as a couple of 18-year-old punks who started the band in the summer of 1976. We are so grateful to our families, friends, and fans around the world for your support of our band and music—we couldn’t have done it without you!” – Johnny O’Neil and Brian Bart
The Minnesota Music Hall of Fame is located in New Ulm, MN. New Ulm was proposed as the site of the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame back in 1988 when the idea originated to honor musicians, educators, etc., both past and present, who have contributed significantly to the Minnesota music scene. The first banquet was held in 1989 and has continued every year since.
Established with categories reflecting the wide variety of Minnesota’s musical heritage, the founding organization is incorporated and trademarked as the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame, Inc.
Visit: https://mnmusichalloffame.com
Dare Force was founded by lead guitarists Johnny O’Neil and Brian Bart in
1976. The guitar duo started playing in bands together in elementary school, and grew up across the street from each other in Golden Valley, a suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota. While they were in junior high, Brian’s family moved out to California and returned to Minnesota four years later, at which time the two 18-year-old guitarists started Dare Force, based out of the Twin Cities of Minneapolis/St. Paul. The band soon developed a large following in the Twin Cities metropolitan area, and became very popular throughout the Midwest during the 1980s. An early version of the band featured a singer by the name of Xeno, the original lead singer for Cheap Trick. Xeno was soon replaced by another lead singer, David Reece (who later went on to join Accept). Dare Force returned to their four-piece line up in 1982, once again featuring the team of Bart and O’Neil as the group’s dual lead singers, lead guitarists, and songwriters. Bart and O’Neil were backed up by bassist Brian Lorenson, original drummer Mark Miller and at one point drummer Johnnie Bolin (brother of the legendary Deep Purple and James Gang guitarist, Tommy Bolin). Dare Force released their first self-titled album in 1983, followed by the release of “Makin’ Our Own Rules” in 1985. Although both albums were primarily recorded at several large 2” analog recording studios in Minneapolis, part of the “Rules” album was recorded at Bart’s personal studio, which he began developing in 1983.
The first two Dare Force albums yielded several songs that received
significant airplay. In addition, the band performed over 3,000 live shows,
headlining concerts in America, Canada, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela. Dare Force also opened for numerous national acts, including KISS, Triumph, Kansas, Ted Nugent, and Ratt, among many others. The original four-piece version of Dare Force disbanded in 1987.
Later that same year, Brian Bart released his first solo album “Future
Vision,” and put together a backing band with bassist Dean Vallecillo, and
drummer Paul Peterson. Meanwhile, O’Neil and Bolin formed a short-lived
touring band called Rogues’ Gallery, after which Bolin became the drummer for Black Oak Arkansas. Bart and O’Neil then reformed Dare Force, with Dean Vallecillo on bass, and Paul Peterson on drums, and quickly started working on a new album, “Firepower.” They soon found the voice for their album with Karl Young. “Firepower,” the group’s third album, was recorded at Bart’s Logic Studio in Minneapolis and released in 1989. The “Firepower” line-up of Dare Force ended after just two years. Even though the self-released album received significant airplay and international distribution, this version of Dare Force folded after potential record deals fell through with the onset of the “grunge” era.
During the decade of the 1990s, Brian Bart built a bigger recording studio,
and eventually produced 400 albums and played on 150 records by other
artists. Bart also produced, and played guitar and keyboards on two solo
albums released by Dean Vallecillo. In addition, Bart recorded two instrumental fusion albums with a band called Outsiders, which was
comprised of several “Twin Cities Best of Competition” winning musicians.
Both albums were released in the early 1990s, and supported by concert
tours of the band. Brian Bart began the new millennium with releasing a double solo album called “Always Busy.” Living up to the album’s title, Bart also recorded and played multiple instruments on two albums with Night Ranger drummer Kelly Keagy, and performed in England with him in 2000. Soon after, the Dare Force “Firepower” album received a new international distribution deal and gained even more worldwide recognition. In 2018, Bart built his fifth recording studio and put out his third double solo album called “A/V,” followed by a double compilation record with 50 Twin Cities musicians called “20/20 Vision,” released in 2019. Kelly Keagy and Johnny O’Neil each recorded tracks on both of these Bart projects.
Meanwhile, Johnny O’Neil took a hiatus from rock ‘n’ roll and moved to
Columbus, Ohio in 1993. After a 12-year journey from GED to Ph.D.,
O’Neil received a doctorate in clinical psychology from The Ohio State
University in 1999. With the new title of “Dr. O’Neil,” Johnny married and
moved back to Minnesota in 2001, and soon started raising a family. Now
with over 25 years in his own private practice, Dr. John continues to work in his “day gig” as a clinical and forensic psychologist.
In 2017, Johnny O’Neil resumed his musical career and reformed a new
four-piece version of Dare Force with original Dare Force bassist Brian
Lorenson. Together they released the band’s fourth album, entitled “Callin’ Your Name,” with Johnny singing lead vocals. The “new” Dare Force played a number of live shows, but ended altogether in 2019. 2020 marked the launch of Johnny O’Neil’s solo career with the release of his first solo album, “Truth or Dare,” co-produced by none other than his “Blood Brother” since the age of ten, Brian Bart. “Truth or Dare” received international airplay and critical acclaim. After its release, Johnny formed a solo band featuring Jo Baecker on drums, and Benny Craig on bass. Johnny and his band just recently released his second solo album, “Brand New Day,” again co-produced by the “Blood Brothers,” Bart and O’Neil. Johnny is now working on his third studio album, to be released in 2027.
Dare Force can be streamed and purchased at: https://dareforce.bandcamp.com/
