Born on June 5, 1945, in Buffalo, New York, Stephen w. Krzeminski was destined to make his mark in polka music.  Standing tall at 6 feet, 3 inches by the time he was 16 years of age, the charismatic accordionist first led Big Steve’s Orchestra and later Big Steve and the Bellares until 1995.  For over three-and-a-half decades, steve toured throughout the U.S. northeast and midwest and performed in Hawaii, Canada, and the Caribbean.  His band recorded various albums and singles and was featured on a track of Walter Ostanek's Grammy-winning Music & Friends recording.  Big Steve made use of his personality on radio as the host of the Big Steve Polka Show heard in various formats on different stations starting in 1960 until his sudden death in 1999 at the young age of 54.  He also hosted the polka Saturday night cable tv show from 1984 - 1986.  In 1995, Big Steve was honored by the Buffalo Bisons baseball team as Polish American of the year, and in 1999 recognized as citizen of the year in the music category by the Ampol Eagle Newspaper.

For his many accomplishments in the polka industry, Stephen “Big Steve” Krzeminski has been deemed deserving by the electorate of the International Polka Association for induction into the Polka Music Hall of Fame®.