Joe Zalewski was born in Toledo, Ohio, on June 26, 1963, the oldest of five children born to Rosemary (Bullinger) and Stanley Zalewski. Joe’s first instrument is Drums, and he also plays Bass Guitar. Joe’s first band was called the Peanuts Polka Band and included his brothers Jim and John. In May 1978, Joe got his big break. At a wedding reception, Joe’s family was seated with IPA Hall of Famer Chet Zablocki. The next…
John Zelasko was born on March 22, 1967, at Fort Carson Army Base in Colorado Springs, CO. Within his first year, John’s parents John and Christine (Chris) moved back to Michigan once his father was honorably discharged. John was influenced by his father, who played accordion and was also the leader of the Polka Kavaliers (The Kavaliers) until the band retired in 2006. In 1977, he attended a dance in Detroit with his parents and…
Rich was born and raised in Norwich, Connecticut, and fell in love with the accordion after attending numerous Polish functions with his parents, Walter and Sylvia Bernier. At the age of nine, he started taking private lessons on the accordion. Rich remarks that during his seventeen years of instruction, his teacher had to give him a polka or oberek to keep up his interest along with the lessons he was given. Since then, Rich and…
2023 marks Peter J. Danielczuk’s 53rd anniversary of being involved in polka music. Very rarely is there a DJ/IJ who becomes involved in all aspects of polka music the way he has. He started his polka career in 1970 at WADS 690AM in Ansonia, CT as the engineer for the Victor and Sophie Zembruski “Polish Eagle Polka Show” while he was still attending the University of Connecticut. When Sophie had to have an operation, he…
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 Music Hall of Fame). Dee-Dee started to sing with the Bell Hops’ “Hopettes” and then solo with the Bell Hops when she was 9 years…
David “Nigel” Alan Kurdziel was born on May 2, 1963, in Buffalo, NY. He was first exposed to polka music at church picnics and from polka shows. Nigel’s cousin, Gino Kurdziel, played for the renowned G Notes. His older brother Mike was a drummer, and his younger brother Kevin played accordion. Nigel started playing guitar at the age of 11 and joined his first band, The Melody Men, at age 12, playing bass with his…
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 the Faust White Music Company and at eight years of age, he gave his first paid performance at a Christmas party. In the 1950’s, Don…
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 to coast resulting in sold out shows, renewed cultural interest, and growing mainstream acceptance. For Alex, it’s more than playing energetic shows; it is a mission to…
Richard Drongoski was born in Clifton, New Jersey to John and Val Drongoski in 1958. He does have an older sister and brother. Richard’s sister lives in Florida near Richard and his parents. His one brother still remains in the state of New Jersey. At the young age of three the Drongoski’s knew that Richard would lead a life centered around polka music. At this very young age Richard wanted and did receive an accordion.…
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 to Chicago-style polkas at the Dover Polanka in Dover, NJ. Michael’s Dad, played bass and guitar with local bands. Growing up in a home filled…
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 played trumpet in the same band program that taught Lenny Gomulka and Jerry Mytych, along with many other prominent polka musicians. Later, he joined a…
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, on a low power college radio station. Shortly after that, he was the first to participate in a fundraising effort that raised the wattage to…
David M. Zychowski was born on October 9, 1953, to John and Catherine Zychowski of Ambridge, PA. His parents met at a Frank Wojnarowski dance in 1949 and later exposed their children to the rise of polka greats such as Li’l Wally, Marion Lush, and Eddie Blazonczyk. It was a given that their two sons, Jan and David, would learn to play polka music. At the age of six, David began taking saxophone lessons…
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 as a full-time musician and has performed with some of the nation’s top artists that include Myron Floren, Frank Yankovic, and Joey masculine. He has…
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 addition to his contributions as a musician, songwriter and arranger, Ted has served as a polka radio dj, festival promoter, president of the Ohio Polka…
Mollie Busta Lange, commonly known as “Mollie B,” has been active in the polka industry her entire life. She began at age three on vocals with the Jim Busta Band, and to date, has performed in 35 states and eleven countries in addition to appearing on over 35 recordings. Always involving polka music, Mollie has been an educator and role model through her performances, dance lessons, and school workshops. While best known as the…
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 time he was nine, he played his first job with the Ridgeland Dutchmen. At age 10, he was given his first concertina, which began his…
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 music on Public Television. The Trel-Tones recorded six albums on such renowned record labels as Bel-Aire of Chicago, IL, WRS of Cleveland, OH, and WAM…
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 learned to play the button box by his senior year in high school. Upon his graduation from Indiana University in 1977, he formed Fred Ziwich…
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 by buying him an accordion. After several surgeries, he was able to walk and take music lessons from various teachers including Fritz Poppe, who influenced…