WENDELL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Singing in front of a large audience can be a nerve-wracking experience, but Boyd Huselid seems to have struck a chord with the Minnesota Twins.
Diamond in the rough
Local perspective:
On a family farm near Fergus Falls, about three hours north of the Twin Cities, the sounds of both man and nature fill the air.
But in the middle of all the insects and farm implements, there's a man in harmony with more than just Mother Nature.
"I really enjoy music. It does a lot for me. Gives me a positive feeling," said Boyd Huselid.
Five days a week, Huselid tends to 88 acres of corn and soybeans, but in the process, he's also planting the seeds for a harvest of song.
The 84-year-old retired high school physics teacher has been cultivating his voice since he was a little boy.
And it's not unusual to find him giving his instrument a workout while working the land.
"There's just melodies going through my head. I'm not very good about words. I suppose every day, not continuously, but quite often," said Huselid.
Normally Huselid's audience is limited to his family members on the farm, but recently he took his talents to a different type of field.
"I find sports exciting, and I think music's exciting too. So it's just, I'd like to be part of it," said Huselid.
Growing his talent
The backstory:
Huselid and his wife Kathy are big Twins fans and singing before one of their games was on his bucket list.
After all, he's sung the National Anthem at his granddaughter's hockey game at St. Olaf College and regularly performs in musicals and at his church.
So his daughter recorded him singing and sent it to the Twins and the team said yes.
Before the Twins took on the Kansas City Royals at Target Field back in May, Huselid took the mic for a rendition of God Bless America.
In front of a crowd of more than 32,000 fans, he knocked it out of the park.
"It was great. When we went back to sit down, the people behind us stood up, and my family was all there, my brothers, and all of his grandchildren. and it was a special day. One lady even came up and gave me a kiss on the cheek and oh my goodness, that was a reaction I certainly wasn't expecting. People just shook my hand and it was just fun. They were all nice," said Huselid.
Singing his praises
What they're saying:
For Huselid, the opportunity to perform on such a large stage was the answer to his prayers. but he has no plans to put his passion out to pasture just yet.
"Even though I'm no longer able to play football or that kind of thing, I can still sing. As long as somebody doesn't think I shouldn't sing anymore, I'm gonna keep doing it," said Huselid.