Dee Dee Ogrodny – Living Category – Selectee 2023

Dee-Dee Jasiewicz Ogrodny has had polkas in her heart since she was born, and she has been a fixture at polka events since she was 18 months old, first with her Mom, Josephine Jasiewicz, and with her Dad and brother, Henry and Henny Jasiewicz (both Inductees of the IPA Polka…

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Donald Lee Cialkoszewski – Living Category – Inducted 2022

Donald Lee Cialkoszewski was born to John and Frances Cialkoszewski of Polish, Russian and German ancestry in Trilby, Ohio, a suburb of Toledo. Don’s entire family was musically inclined, and at age seven, he asked his parents for a red accordion for his birthday.  He began formal accordion instruction at…

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Alex Meixner – Living Category – Inducted 2022

Alex Meixner is a nationally acclaimed musician, performer, bandleader, educator and a leading advocate of polka music. Formally trained in classical, jazz and ethnic music, Alex has cross-pollinated his versatile playing styles through pop music, funk, jazz and polka. He is an active ambassador for polka music, revitalizing interest coast…

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Michael Costa – Living Category – Inducted 2021

Michael Costa was born on July 5, 1961 to William and Phyllis Costa of Irvington, NJ. He is the first born of two children. His parents met in the mid 50’s at the Irvington Polish Home where weekly polka dancing was extremely popular. As their children grew, they were exposed…

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Rick Rzeszutko – Living Category – Inducted 2020

Richard Walter Rzeszutko was born on March 6, 1958, to Sally & Chester Rzeszutko of Chicago, IL. Since his grandfather was the original drummer with the Steve Adamczyk Band, Rick was exposed to the sounds of polka music from an early age. While attending St. Peter & Paul School, Rick…

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Bill Shibilski – Living Category – Inducted 2020

  Bill’s radio career started in 1963 when involved with supporting a Rock n Roll radio show at Fordham U in NYC. He quickly got the radio bug and was invited by the Jesuit priest and station director, Father Trivett, to host a Polka show starting on November 28, 1964,…

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Steve Meisner – Living Category – Inducted 2019

Steve Meisner was born into a musical family on April 17, 1961, in Beloit, Wisconsin, and raised in Whitewater, Wisconsin.  He began playing the piano accordion at age five, performing soon after on stage with his legendary father, Verne Meisner.  Since the age of 16, Steve has earned a living…

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Ted Lange – Living Category – Inducted 2019

Ted Lange has been active in the polka industry his entire life.  He got his start on drums with his parents’ band, the buckeye polka band at age five, and to date, has performed in 34 states, Canada, Mexico and Europe in addition to appearing on over 40 recordings.  In…

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Gary Brueggen – Living Category – Inducted 2018

  Gary Brueggen was born in the small farming community of Cashton, Wi, where at the young age of two he became captivated by polka music he heard on the radio. Recognizing his potential, Gary’s parents bought him his first set of drums at five years old, and by the…

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Andrew “Andy” Fenus – Living Category – Inducted 2017

Andrew (Andy) Fenus, along with his brother Steve Fenus, organized The Trel Tones polka band in 1954.  Since that time the band has performed at venues across the United States and Canada and appeared on numerous radio and TV shows in Ohio and Pennsylvania, including a three-hour special about polka…

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Fred Ziwich – Living Category – Inducted 2017

  Fred Ziwich was born in Cleveland, Ohio on March 10, 1954.  He began taking accordion lessons at the age of 5, and could read music before he could read English.  Fred started taking clarinet lessons in the 4th grade, began playing the tenor sax in the 8th grade, and…

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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…

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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…

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Mark Trzepacz – Living Category – Inducted 2015

Born on November 3, 1956 in Buffalo, NY, Mark Trzepacz was 15 years old when he started taking trumpet lessons. Remarkably, he was performing in his first band only seven months later. Growing up in Buffalo’s heavily-Polish East Side, Mark’s passion for polka music was a foregone conclusion. First playing…

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