Minnesota musician still rockin’ and twanging at age 82

GRANITE FALLS, Minn. — He may not be quite as well-known, but Verlyn Kling deservedly belongs in the company of musical performers including Willie Nelson, Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger.

At age 82, Kling continues to perform as a musician, just like Nelson, age 92, and McCartney, age 83, and Jagger, age 82.

“I tell audiences once in a while Willie and I are still out there. He’s got me beat,” said Kling with a smile.

Kling, of Granite Falls, began performing as a 15-year-old sophomore at Montevideo High School in 1959. He joined classmates as part of a band known as The 7 Teens. The band needed a guitar player and vocalist. Kling fit the bill.

“In the Mood” was the first song he played with the band in a rehearsal. They played a mix of music heavy on horns, but also incorporated the n