By Tom Hintgen

Otter Tail County Correspondent

The Byrds sang the hit song, “Mr. Tambourine Man,” 60 years ago this summer, in 1965, at the old Balmoral Pavilion on the south side of Otter Tail Lake. Balmoral was one of the most popular dance halls in west central Minnesota.

“Balmoral was also one of the hottest hangouts of our time,” recalls Pete Ellingson, now a resident of the Twin Cities whose parents owned a lake cabin on the north side of Otter Tail Lake during the 1960s “The Byrds sang on a very small stage. It was one great time for all in attendance.”

Fergus Falls retiree Don LeRoy saw the Byrds perform with his older brother, Jim. “So many people packed the ballroom that Jim’s glasses fogged up when we walked in,” Don recalls. “It was a great night, and you could dance within a few feet of the band.”

Area and national radio DJ Chuck Knapp recalls foot stomping “on that good old wooden floor at Balmoral. Great memories,” he said.

Barbara Le Valleur, a 1963 graduate of Battle Lake High School who now resides in the Twin Cities, worked at the Battle Lake Motel where the Byrds stayed in 1965. She said it was a tough grind for rock bands touring, night after night, is those days.

Jerry Horgen, a former school administrator in Otter Tail County, says it’s fun to listen to the Byrds on SiriusXM, an online radio service offering a wide variety of music. Sirius also is accessible via car radios or streaming apps.

The writer of this article, Tom Hintgen, says he yearns for those good old days of the Balmoral Pavilion, no longer there, when he drives past the site of the pavilion next to the entrance to Balmoral Golf Course on the south side of Otter Tail Lake.

Deb Forstner of Fergus Falls remembers that Minnesota native Bob Dylan wrote the words of Mr. Tambourine Man, sung by the Byrds at Balmoral Pavilion in 1965.