dakota

Inducted Members: Joe Andes, Lou Cossa, Eli Hludzik, Jerry Hludzik, Bill Kelly, Jon Lorance, Rick Manwiller, Bill McHale, Jeff Mitchell, Tony Romano

The Buoys were one of the earliest national success stories in Luzerne County music history, largely boosted by the controversial hit “Timothy.” The band had begun to fracture by the mid-to-late 1970s, however, and leading members Jerry Hludzik and Bill Kelly decided to break off and do their own thing. This manifested as the Jerry-Kelly band, who recorded one album, Somebody Else’s Dream, on Columbia’s Epic Records label.

After receiving a bit of pressure from Columbia to alter the band’s name, Hludzik and Kelly decided to change their moniker to Dakota. A self-titled debut album released in 1980 did quite well, as songs like “If It Takes All Night” and “Crazy for Your Love” received radio airplay. “If It Takes All Night” actually cracked the Billboard charts, peaking at number 78. It was an impressive debut effort that caught the industry’s attention.

An old friend of the band, Michael Stahl, helped make the connection that led to Dakota’s biggest opportunity. They were tabbed to open dozens of shows for Queen during The Game Tour in 1980 and 1981. Dakota and Queen formed a nice camaraderie during the tour, and Dakota’s name became widely recognized by the thousands of audience members for whom they performed. Notably, Dakota played New York’s Madison Square Garden, a gold standard venue for musicians, three times while supporting Queen.

Despite their early successes, Dakota had a rocky relationship with Columbia record executives. They broke off from their label and joined MCA Records, where they enjoyed the support of Irving Azoff. Additionally, Dakota was well-connected to their musical peers, earning the respect of Brian May of Queen, Danny Seraphine of Chicago, David “Hawk” Wolinski from Rufus, and others. Seraphine and Wolinski lent their talents to several Dakota recordings.

Runaway, released in 1984, was Dakota’s second album, and featured a number of the band’s most popular songs, including the title track, “Into the Night,” and “When the Rebel Comes Home.” The album was a bigger hit in the southern and western United States, but it and the song “Runaway” have been reevaluated over the years. A consensus opinion has formed over the decades that Runaway is one of the more underrated albums of the 1980s.

In terms of style, Dakota played progressive, melodic rock that was released in album cycles rather than singles. They were a part of the broader album-oriented rock (AOR) genre. Like the Buoys, Dakota was perhaps more popular in Europe than in the United States. Nevertheless, their light-based live shows earned them a stateside — and local — following.

Dakota was nothing if not persistent. Key members Hludzik, Kelly, and Rick Manwiller not only focused on their own work, but supported younger artists, as well, with their production expertise. They were especially helpful to local band Synch, who they essentially tutored as they navigated the music industry. Synch’s lead singer Jimmy Harnen scored a major Billboard hit with “Where Are You Now,” produced by Hludzik and Kelly. Dakota, Synch, and other local bands teamed up in 1986 to perform charitable, original Christmas songs. Dakota’s contribution to that collaborative album was a track called “Give a Little Love for Christmas.”

Following the release of the album Lost Tracks and Dakota's final formal performance at Montage Mountain in 1987, Kelly departed the band. Hludzik carried the group forward, using a combination of guest musicians and his son, Eli Hludzik, to fill out the Dakota sound. Under Hludzik’s leadership, Dakota released four albums throughout the 1990s and 2000s: Mr Lucky, The Last Standing Man, Little Victories, and — with contributions from Kelly — Deep 6.

Hludzik and Kelly performed again in 2005 for an unplugged Dakota performance at the Northeast Fair, and opened for the Beach Boys the following year at Wilkes-Barre’s bicentennial celebration. The duo did not miss a beat, despite not playing together for years. Their later collaboration culminated in the release of the final Dakota album, Long Road Home in 2015. Both Hludzik and Kelly have since passed away, but their musical collaboration remains a high-water mark in Luzerne County’s music history. Their successful second wind as the leaders of Dakota is indicative of their persistence in a brutal industry.