Johnny O'Neil and Brian Bart have thanked the families, friends and fans who supported DARE FORCE after the hard rock band's nomination for induction into the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame.
The two guitarists founded the Twin Cities band in 1976. In a joint statement accompanying the nomination announcement, they recalled starting out at 18:
“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!”
The Minnesota Music Hall of Fame is located in New Ulm, Minnesota. The announcement names Soul Asylum, The Replacements, John Denver, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Prince, Lamont Cranston and Bob Dylan among the artists DARE FORCE could join.
O'Neil and Bart grew up across the street from each other in Golden Valley, a Minneapolis suburb, and began playing in bands together in elementary school. Bart's family moved to California while the pair were in junior high, returning to Minnesota four years later. The two then formed DARE FORCE, based in Minneapolis/St. Paul, building a Twin Cities following and an audience throughout the Midwest during the 1980s.
Early singers included Xeno, Cheap Trick's original lead singer, followed by David Reece, who later joined Accept. In 1982, DARE FORCE returned to a four-piece format with Bart and O'Neil sharing lead vocals, lead guitar and songwriting. Bassist Brian Lorenson and original drummer Mark Miller were part of that history, as was drummer Johnnie Bolin, brother of Deep Purple and James Gang guitarist Tommy Bolin.
The band's self-titled debut album arrived in 1983, followed by Makin' Our Own Rules in 1985. Both were primarily recorded at Minneapolis studios using two-inch analog tape; part of the second album was recorded at Bart's personal studio, which he began developing in 1983. Songs from the first two records received significant airplay.
DARE FORCE performed more than 3,000 live shows, headlining in America, Canada, Puerto Rico and Venezuela. The band also opened for KISS, Triumph, Kansas, Ted Nugent and Ratt. Its original four-piece incarnation disbanded in 1987.
Later in 1987, Bart released his first solo album, Future Vision, assembling a backing band with bassist Dean Vallecillo and drummer Paul Peterson. O'Neil and Bolin formed the short-lived touring band Rogues’ Gallery, after which Bolin became Black Oak Arkansas's drummer.
Bart and O'Neil subsequently reformed DARE FORCE with Vallecillo and Peterson, bringing in vocalist Karl Young for the third album, Firepower. Recorded at Bart's Logic Studio in Minneapolis, it was self-released in 1989 and received significant airplay and international distribution. That lineup lasted two years; the announcement attributes its end to potential record deals falling through with the onset of the grunge era. The album later secured another international distribution deal.
O'Neil resumed his musical career in 2017 and formed another four-piece version of DARE FORCE with original bassist Lorenson. That incarnation released the fourth album, Callin’ Your Name, with O'Neil on lead vocals, and played live shows before ending in 2019. DARE FORCE's music remains available to stream and purchase through Bandcamp.
During the 1990s, Bart expanded his recording studio. His work eventually included producing 400 albums and playing on 150 records by other artists. He produced and played guitar and keyboards on two Dean Vallecillo solo albums, and recorded two instrumental fusion albums with Outsiders, a group comprising musicians who had won Twin Cities Best of Competition honors. Those records came out in the early 1990s and were supported by concert tours.
Bart began the new millennium with the double solo album Always Busy. He also recorded and played multiple instruments on two albums with Night Ranger drummer Kelly Keagy, performing with him in England in 2000. In 2018, Bart built his fifth recording studio and released his third double solo album, A/V. The double compilation 20/20 Vision, featuring 50 Twin Cities musicians, followed in 2019. Keagy and O'Neil recorded tracks for both projects.
O'Neil stepped away from rock music and moved to Columbus, Ohio, in 1993. After a 12-year path from GED to Ph.D., he earned a doctorate in clinical psychology from The Ohio State University in 1999. He married, returned to Minnesota in 2001 and began raising a family. He continues working as a clinical and forensic psychologist, with more than 25 years in private practice.
His solo recording career began in 2020 with Truth or Dare, co-produced by Bart, his friend since age ten. The record received international airplay and critical acclaim, according to the announcement. O'Neil subsequently assembled a solo band with drummer Jo Baecker and bassist Benny Craig. His second solo album, Brand New Day, was recently released as of the announcement and was again co-produced by Bart and O'Neil. A third studio album is in progress for release in 2027.
The Hall of Fame's New Ulm site was proposed in 1988 as part of an initiative honoring past and present musicians, educators and others who contributed to Minnesota music. Its first banquet took place in 1989 and has continued annually. Incorporated and trademarked as Minnesota Music Hall of Fame, Inc., the organization maintains categories reflecting the state's varied musical heritage.
