Donald R. Gralak was born on August 19, 1952, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His father bought him his first concertina at the age of six, and he was taught by local Milwaukee virtuoso Stan Nowicki. By the age of nine, he had performed publicly on radio and made several television appearances…
New York City …. “Hi Polka Cuzzins!” Walt Procanyn is an accordionist and bandleader who currently resides in Woodside, the Queens section of the big apple. Walt is well known throughout the big band and polka circle as a maverick and innovator. He has revolutionized the polka industry by incorporating…
The back story on the Krew Brothers Band is that it was established in 1958 as a three-piece combo with members Tony, Don, and Gary. The year was 1967 when Allen and Dennis joined the group, and just two years later, the band recorded its first album. “A Lively…
Roger T. Lichwala was born on September 27, 1945, in Indian Orchard, Massachusetts. As a result of his exposure to polka music in his local Polish community, he began playing drums at the age of 14. Roger first gained national recognition while playing with the Happy Louie & Julia polka…
Leon “Bud” Hundenski was born in Canonsburg, Pa, on July 26, 1944. After his dad bought him his first accordion, he started taking private lessons at age nine. As a youth, bud won many solo amateur contests and formed his own trio by the time he was in junior…
Since 1968, Marge Machay and her predeceased husband Chuck, owned and operated Polonia Ballroom and Grove. A Chicago landmark, its name was changed to Polonia Banquets in the 1980’s as renovations were made to broaden the business and better accommodate its patrons. For almost a half century, Marge leveraged…
Elmer Scheid was born on October 4, 1921 in New Ulm, MN. At the young age of 8 years old, he learned to play the concertina from his father and performed his first professional dance event with the John Fritsche Band at the age of 14. Elmer later played…
Don Jodlowski was born on August 30, 1940 into a musical family that lived on the southwest side of Chicago, il. His family’s love for polka music inspired him to take drum lessons at a young age. Don developed his skills so that by the 1960’s he was drumming with…
Born on May 20, 1921 in the “Old Polish” Fleet Avenue neighborhood of Cleveland, OH, Chester Budny became one of the city’s great southside musicians of the 1940s and 1950s. At the young age of 4, he displayed a keen interest in music and was given a violin at…
Musician and ballroom owner Cliff Hermel was born March 18, 1918 in Mankato, Minnesota. He graduated from high school in 1934 and entered the wholesale business with his father A.H. Hermel. He was on the road in that business for 17 years, all the while though being…
In his youth, Jan Cyman was an avid boy scout in his home-town of Buffalo, New York. He also was first music chair at his high school. The year was 1965, Buffalo, New York. Fifteen-year-old Jan Cyman played the trumpet in school. A couple of good friends,…
When one hears “Wendinger,” it is difficult to think of Peter without Paul. “Peter and Paul,” the concertina playing duo, had been a household name in the polka industry for over 47 years. Their partnership began as children playing with their tractors, pretending to be farmers. As they…
Johnny Krizancic was born March 31, 1929, and at the age of eight years old he started his musical career with the area tamburitzans. After serving in the Air Force and attending college, he married Martha Dzurinda and performed with many musicians. In 1960, Johnny and his wife…
Richard J. Bobinski was born in Waterbury, Connecticut, on January 18, 1939, to Mr. & Mrs. Robert Bobinski. Rich began playing the trumpet when he was about nine years old after seeing a Harry James movie. His first instructor was Polish and it wasn’t long before he…
Eddie Habat was born in Cleveland, Ohio on September 16, 1926, the youngest child of John and Anna Habat. He had two brothers, John and Herman, and two sisters, Betty and Anna. When Eddie was eighteen months old, his mother was tragically killed in an auto accident. His…
William (Bill) Borek was born in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, on July 19, 1941, to Joseph and Stella (Socha) Borek. His dad owned and operated a very successful Polonia Bakery in northern Rhode Island for many years, where he and his younger brother Edward would work as kids helping…
Wesoły Stas was born Stanley Joseph Lyskawa in Chicago on March 15, 1920, to immigrant Polish parents. He grew up in the Back of the Yards community and attended St. John of God, St. Joseph, St. Casimer and St. Pancratius grade schools. He went on to graduate from…
Gary Seibert, originally from Cleveland, Ohio, started playing the accordion at the age of 8. By the age of 12 he started his own two-piece band, resulting in over 60 years of musicianship. Throughout his school, Gary would play at the local canteen, parties, and of course,…
Li’l Richard Towalski was born in 1942 in Chicago, Illinois. When he was four years old, grandma began taking him to picnics at Caldwell Woods. At age ten, he formed a polka band and started his musical career playing in local clubs, at carnivals, wedding and anniversary parties.…
Thomas Anthony (Tommy) Karas was born March 28, 1946 in Buffalo, New York. He was the eldest of four children born to Anthony J. and Carrie M. (Bieniek) Karas. Both sets of grandparents were Polish immigrants. His father was a steel worker at Bethlehem Steel and his mother…