Richard Midura – Pioneer Category – Inducted 2016

Richard Midura was born on August 12, 1935, in Chicopee, Ma. Known as “the pioneer of polka clarinet improvisation” by his peers, he lent his smooth clarinet and saxophone mastery to the live performances and recordings of the most prominent eastern style polka bands of his day. Richard’s unique playing…

Continue reading

Dean Hansen – Living Category – Inducted 2016

Dean Hansen was born in Ithaca, Ne in April of 1933 into a farming family of German ancestry. He was stricken with polio at the age of four and suffered paralysis of his right leg. Fearing his condition would prevent dean from ever farming, his parents introduced him to music…

Continue reading

Carl Finch – Living Category – Inducted 2016

  Carl Finch was born in Texarkana, Tx on November 29, 1951. He began performing at the early age of 4 years old by singing in church choirs and later spent his high school years forming and playing in rock bands in northeast Texas. Carl minored in music at the…

Continue reading