Don Gralak – Deceased Category – Inducted 2022

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…

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John Gora – Living Category – Inducted 2011

    John Gora was born on July 27, 1959, in Poland and emigrated to Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, with his parents in 1974.   He learned to play clarinet and saxophone in 1977. John formed a musical group “Gorale” catering to “Continental” music crowds and they played their first polka…

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Richie Gomulka – Living Category – Inducted 2010

    Richie Gomulka was born on February 6, 1942, in Chicago, Illinois to first generation American-born parents, Ted and Mary (Owca) Gomulka.   Richie is the oldest of four children. He has two sisters, Angie Gomulka and Dianne (Steve) Paliga, and one brother Lenny (Estelle) Gomulka.   Richie is…

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Edward Guca – Living Category – Inducted 2009

    Ed Guca was born on August 7, 1944 to a very musical Polish family in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. His uncle played clarinet in a popular wedding band and was of particular influence in Ed’s love for Polka music. It was in his youth that Ed learned how to…

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Chet Gulinski – Pioneer Category – Inducted 1997

    The First Chet Gulinski Show was broadcast at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, November 5, 1955. Since that time, many thousand Chet Gulinski Shows were broadcast. Approaching its 43rd anniversary, The Chet Gulinski Show was broadcast Sundays at 9:30 a.m. and at 11 a.m. over WNDZ (750AM), a 5,000-watt station…

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Lenny Gomulka – Living Category – Inducted 1988

    Lenny Gomulka at age 5 took an immediate interest in polka music.  He especially liked the drums which he self-taught himself in spare time.  His formal training began at age 11 when inspired by his mother to take trumpet instruction.   Before organizing his own polka band, Lenny…

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Walt Groller – Living Category – Inducted 1986

         Walt Groller was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania on February 12, 1931.  His parents were Austrian immigrants.  At four years of age, they bought him a small accordion.  He was a self taught musician who picked up the Austrian folk songs his mother sang to him.  …

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Bernie Goydish – Living Category – Inducted 1984

  Bernie Goydish has been an active member of the polka community for more than 28 years.  He is a musician, bandleader, promoter, record manufacturer, distributor, and polka disc jockey.  He introduced more young new polka bands to the field than anyone else.  His Sunday polka radio show is the…

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Romy Gosz – Deceased Category – Inducted 1979

  Roman (Romy) Gosz was born on August 2, 1910.  He took his first piano lesson at age 7.  At 11 he joined his father Paul, and his two brothers, George and Mike, in the Gosz family orchestra in 1921.  In 1930 Romy took over the band.  When he lost…

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