One year ago, COVID-19 began to upend the world It was a year ago, just before New Year's Day 2020, that concerns about a contagious illness emerged in China. Author: Danny Spewak Updated: 10:57 PM CST December 30, 2020 MINNEAPOLIS — Around this time a year ago, Joyann Parker sang her heart out, performing for a lively audience at Crooners Supper Club on New Year’s Eve. The Twin Cities-based professional musician felt tremendous energy in the room as the year drew to a close, making way for a new decade and the start of 2020. “It’s kind of surreal thinking back on that. We had no idea,” Parker said during a Zoom interview on Wednesday night. “We had no idea what was going to happen.”