The Sammy Jensen Orchestra
Inducted 1998
The Sammy Jensen Orchestra, first organized by a young Sammy Jensen in 1939 after his high school graduation, was made up of local musicians from the Marshall, Minnesota area. As their music library expanded, so did the band. When Sammy’s health began to fail, he sold his band to Irv Peterson. Over the years, Irv played with many bands, but came back to the Sammy Jensen Orchestra as other members began to retire. In 1981, Irv expanded the playing area of the group and was heard throughout the Midwest and south to Texas and west to California. The Sammy Jensen Orchestra played about 200 dates each year in some of the larger and more popular ballrooms throughout the country.
