Jeanne Arland Peterson
(1922–2013 )
Inducted in 1992
Jeanne Arland Peterson was Minnesota’s most formidable female jazz singer and pianist. She was the staff vocalist for WCCO radio for about 20 years, starting in 1940. After the death of her husband Willie Peterson in 1969, Jeanne took over the job as organist for the Minnesota Twins games. Peterson became the leader of a very musical family. Her album Wish features duets sung with her daughter Patty Peterson. Jeanne worked as a soloist and with small combos playing at nightclubs, receptions, parties, and trade shows. She was named to The Minnesota Jazz Hall of Fame in 1986. Peterson was a member of the all-female group called Women Who Cook! and performed in the Soviet Union in 1988. Jeanne and her children were all inducted as a Family to The Minnesota Music Hall of Fame in 2019.
