Back in California, where Hank was born, there was a family that played Mexican music called “Los Taconazos.” About 1970, Gus Guzevich, who was Hank’s father, realized that all of his kids adapted very easily to singing and playing music. Their style was different than everyone else, maybe because when they were kids they listened to all kinds of music, Mexican, Polish, jazz, classical and rock. Hank, as a musician, has…
Eddie Forman, musician, educator, composer, arranger and polka band leader of the Eddie Forman Orchestra, known to many as EFO, has been promoting polka music since 1968. Eddie was born on June 3, 1953 in Hadley, Massachusetts, His parents, both of Polish descent, exposed him to polka music at an early age. They were strong believers in keeping the Polish traditions and Polish music alive in the family. As a young boy, Eddie…
The first time Jimmy went to Fiedor’s Grove to see and hear Eddie Blazonczyk’s Versatones along with Little Ronnie and the Carousels, Jimmy’s interest in polkas began. Starting to play the sax at age twelve, in 1970 at the age of fourteen, he found himself playing polkas with his brother Gary (of Trel-Tones fame) in a local band called the Polka Preps. After six months, the Preps disbanded and Jimmy joined the Trel-Tones.…
Engineer, producer. announcer and owner of Peppermint Productions, Gary Rhamy has engineered four Grammy winning albums. He has produced over 500 albums for more than 175 polka artists alone. While at Ohio University where Gary (seated at right) received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in broadcasting he produced a live jazz program called “Campus Jazz” which aired weekly on WLW Radio in Cincinnati. After college, Gary went to Youngstown in 1967 to…
*Deceased in 2009* Matias “Math” Sladky grew up on a farm near Wahoo, Nebraska. With the love of polka music in his heart, when his folks would go to a dance, he would head straight for the stage where he would sit all evening watching the musicians. Sladky always wanted to play drums but his father tried early on to convince him to play the accordion. At 14 years old, with his father’s…
Eddie Siwiec began playing polka music in 1969 and continues to this day. He credits his parents, Chester and Catherine, and his uncle, Joe Smiell, renowned musician, composer and bandleader from Oakland, California, with introducing him to the wonderful world of music and dance. Edward is the youngest of four children and was born along with his twin sister on March 9, 1955, in Dearborn, Michigan, the hometown of Henry Ford, as he…
Freddy “K” Kendzierski has been a fixture in the polka scene for over thirty-five years. He was born in the Bronx, New York, which was then a mecca for polka music with greats like Bernie Witkowski and Regina Kujawa. At the age of seven, Fred decided he wanted to play the accordion and started taking lessons from Bernie Witkowski’s cousin Walter. In the early 1960’s, when the neighbors started to move out of…
Michael Nowakowski of Buffalo, New York has been involved in the Polka Music field for over 38 years. He has been successful in all aspects of the industry. In his 20 years as President and Executive Producer of the Sunshine Label, Mike has managed all details of the recording industry. These include not only the development and production of recordings for the nationally-recognized label, but also the manufacturing, artwork, printing, promotion and…
Billy Belina has spent a major part of his life playing and promoting polka music. Born in New Bedford, Massachusetts in 1947, Billy has his parents to thank for much of his success in the polka industry. In his early years, Billy often joined his parents on the two-hour drive to Connecticut to watch the local polka bands. He endeared himself to accordion greats such as Ray Henry and Al Soyka and soon desired…
Jackie Libera of Charlton, Massachusetts is a musician, former bandleader, deejay, arranger, vocalist, recorded many albums, and a featured performer with various bands. To say that John “Jackie” Libera has been involved with polka music virtually all his life is an understatement. Jackie began his polka music career at age five in 1960 when he joined his father, Polka Hall of Famer Johnny Libera, at the microphone of his dad’s polka…
Hank Haller of Westlake, Ohio, is a musician, vocalist, bandleader, deejay, has made numerous recordings and leads a traveling band. Mention Hank Haller and visions of oompah music and “lederhosen” [short leather pants], come to mind. But Haller is more. He is a very prolific recording artist in the polka field with seventy albums and three videos to his credit, with over one quarter of a mullion albums sold. While he…
Born January 25, 1942, Wally Maduzia was the eldest of three sons born to Walter & Jean Maduzia of Chicago, IL. While in grammar school, Wally showed an interest in music. His parents noticed his dedication and perseverance as he practiced the harmonica in his bedroom closet routinely. His father, Wally Sr., was an ardent fan and hobbyist of the concertina and belonged to a neighborhood musician’s club. What could be more perfect…
Don Lucki was born July 18, 1933 to Michael and Janet Lucki. Don’s polka career started as a teenager with the original Li’l Wally Orchestra. The ensemble consisted of Li’l Wally on the drums & vocals, Eddie Noga on clarinet & alto sax, Casey Siewierski on concertina & Don Lucki on trumpet. They were playing in excess of 300 dates per year. During those years Don recorded such classic hits with Li’l…
Johnny Karas, lead vocalist and tenor saxophone for the Jimmy Sturr Band, has regaled audiences with his virtuosity for over forty years. His intensity, versatility and creativity on the tenor sax have resulted in most observers describing him as one of, if not the best saxophonist ever in the polka field. His unique vocal styling and phrasing have afforded him the recognition of being one of the finest vocalists in the industry. Bobby Vinton…
*Deceased in 2015* The gifted Eddie Skinger has always been clear about his commitment to his vocation. Over the past 62 years, he has become an accomplished and respected vocalist, musician, arranger and composer. His talent and ability shine through his music and can easily be considered as one of the bright lights within the Polka Industry. Eddie Skinger has performed and recorded for some of the greatest Polka bands of all time including: …
Uniquely, making his name as a sideman, Richie Tokarz is well known particularly in the Polish sector of polka music. Through the years he has demonstrated his talents playing the accordion, trumpet and singing with top polka bands. Also, his efforts as a musical writer have always scored high on the list. Born on February 16, 1949, to Stanley and Florence Tokarz, he was raised in Whiting, Indiana and he was the older…
Polka music has been a part of Al Piatkowski’s life as long as he could remember. Born in Syracuse, NY on January 17, 1959, Al grew up listening to the Sunday polka programs. His parents, Mike and Gloria, would attend the local polka dances and bring home the latest recordings of the bands they had just seen, giving Al more music to listen to during the week. At the age of 7, he…
Keith Stras was born in Chicago, on October 9, 1961. At an early age, Stras seemed to be interested in entertaining people. His late Uncle Ned Locke, a 25 year veteran of Chicagoland television and radio, was responsible for Stras being bitten by the limelight bug. Ned, a Circus Ringmaster on WGN’s “Bozo Circus” can also be credited for Stras’ other love, the circus. Stras, half Polish and half Italian, was first…
Joey Miskulin is one of Cleveland-Style Polkas’ greatest pillars of musical talent. Plying his many skills in a myriad of ways. Joey has enhanced the quality of Cleveland-style music far and wide. In his most memorable role, Joey, the child prodigy discovered by Chicago’s Roman Possedi, became Frank Yankovic’s featured accordionist at age thirteen, beginning an association that would last over thirty-five years. Frank’s insistence that Joey be included in a Columbia…
Polka music speaks to the soul of Frank Liszka like no other music. Since the early 1960s going to local dances, Frank discovered his lifelong ambition, to become a polka musician. Following the examples of his polka heroes, Marion Lush, Li’l Wally, and Eddie Blazonczyk, Sr., Frank set out to become an integral part of the development and the play of polka music as we know it today. Born in Greenville, Pennsylvania…
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