*Deceased in 2017* As far back as Matt can remember, he had a love of polka music. When he was just a small boy, there were polkas playing the home form morning to night. No one in the family played a musical instrument, but Matt had a love for the accordion and was able to get his first accordion when in his teens. Through his life, he was covered just about every aspect of…
*Deceased in 2012* Respected as a staunch advocate of Slovenian and the Cleveland Style Polka Music, Joe has performed throughout the continental United States, Canada, Hawaii, Mexico and Alaska. He is recognized for his consistent and unselfish support for efforts toward the further enhancement and perpetuation of the Cleveland style polka movement. He has been instrumental in enlistment of other musicians into the Cleveland-style polka movement and has provided valuable support and assistance. …
Jerry M. Darlak has devoted his whole life to the promotion of polka music. In his many years as a working musician, he has performed and recorded with the nation’s most prestigious polka orchestras. His love of polka music is indisputable. He continued this tradition with his own band and work as a promoter. All too often, musicians like Jerry Darlak are overlooked for honors that are bestowed upon the industry’s most…
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 that can be heard in Chicago, all its suburbs, and large cities like Kenosha, Racine, Milwaukee, Rockford, South Bend, covering an area of approximately 200…
Carl Rohwetter was born March 1, 1930, the son of John and Elizabeth Rohwetter in Marion Township, County of Saginaw, Michigan. His father played the button accordion, as so many did in the farming area. Carl along with his brothers, John and Francis were always entertained with Polka Music. Carl’s love of Polka Music started as a very young child. In 1950, he was discharged from the United States Marine Corps after…
Fifty years is a long time. During that time span Andy has entertained polka fans throughout the United States with a distinctive style of musical talent all his own. Andy “Day” Dziagwa started his polka career in 1942 at the age of fourteen. He started to perform on trumpet with the late Joe Durlak Orchestra, the band also made several recordings on Rondo Records. During this time he and the band would perform…
Michael “Mitch” Biskup born in Montreal Canada, joined a new polka band back in 1969 called the Golden Brass, which soon became one of the top five polka bands in the nation and in 1971 captured the “Triple Crown” by winning the IPA Awards for Best LP, “Let The Sunshine In,” Best Instrumental Group and Best Single Recording. Although the combinations of musicians and instrumentation changed over the years (as well as a…
George Lesnansky, a business promotion student at Youngstown University had an idea for a new image in polka programming which he felt was needed to update the image of polka radio shows. In May of 1964, the radio career of Larry “Polka’ Walk was born. An idea and determination and a desire to make people happy was what ft took to take station management at WNIO Radio to realize that polkas could fit into…
An explosive entertainer, polka dynamite, and charged with TNT describes one of the 1994 Polka Music Hall of Fames inductees. Born on the Fourth of July and growing up on the East Side of Buffalo, known as the city’s Polonia, “Scrubby” was exposed to polka music at a very early age. When he was six he started to play the accordion, first by ear, then with formal lessons. Later in his early teens,…
It was 1960 when it all started for Virginia Seretny on a small community radio station WILI in Williamantic, Conn. As a result of an association with a friend named Homer who was employed as a newscaster and Sunday morning DJ at the station who enjoyed polka music and featured it during his program. During this time the owner of the station purchased another station in nearby Putnam, Conn., and he offered the…
*Deceased* Born in 1926 in Bristol Connecticut, he started to study the accordion at age ten while attending St. Stanislaus School. At the age of thirteen he was playing professionally at social affairs, concert solos, and private parties. He started a four-piece band at the age of eighteen. A typical Saturday consisted of a one hour broadcast over Radio station WBIS, a wedding reception from 2-6PM, a night club from 8PM-Midnight, and then played…
Fred Hudy’s introduction to music was at the age of 10 when a representative of the Midwest Accordion School visited SS. Peter and Paul School on Chicago’s Southwest side. Practicing daily, he soon joined his first polka band with Richie Gomulka and Louie Jedlowski called “Little Louie and the Lucky Boys.” At the age of twelve he and this band took second place on the then famous Morris B. Sachs amateur hour. The…
Bill Czerniak was born on June 20th, 1946, to Martha and Joe Czerniak–Joe is a 1989 inductee to the Polka Hall of Fame–of Duluth, Minnesota. At the age of six, Bill began taking concertina lessons from his father. Within a couple of years, Bill was making appearances with his dad and brother at local talent shows, wedding receptions, and parties. In addition, Bill and his younger brother Greg, made numerous appearances on a…
Having been raised in an ethnic community in Niagara Falls, New York undoubtedly had something to do with Freddie Bulinski’s early exposure to and fascination with Polka music. He was born February 5, 1947 to Fred and Martha Bulinski, the eldest of three children. His sister, Suzanne is administrative head of the Emergency Department at Rochester General Hospital; and his brother Dan is a Colonel in the U.S. Army, serving as the Professor…
Destined to be a prominent figure in the polka circuit, Chet Kowalkowski began his musical career with the accordion at the age of eight. At twelve, he already won his first merit of achievement for the accordion on the John Nieminski WOPA Polka Show. After entering high school, he became fascinated with the trumpet. His expert ability with this instrument earned him the first chair in the school’s concert band and shortly after…
Joe Marcissuk was born in Hamtramck, Michigan. After high school he joined the Armed Forces spending two years in World War II. In 1946 he married Wanda Kawucha and had three children, Patricia, Ronald and Sandra. In September 1958, he engaged in his first polka promotion. Obtaining sponsorship from the Am Vets, he brought into Detroit Li’l Wally to the Veterans Memorial Ballroom. Because of its tremendous success and the enjoyment which it…
The 1990 honorees to the Living Category of the Polka Music Hall of Fame were two individuals who have both in their own ways made great strides in the promotion and advancement of polka music. Myron Floren is a highly recognized name in the entertainment world besides his relationship to polka music. He was born and raised on a farm in Day County, South Dakota. His interest in the accordion began after…
Jolly Joe Timmer of of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, has a radio show, television show, polka band, music store and picnic grove all strongly promoting polka music. When asked when and how he became involved in polka music Joe said, “My time started after high school, 1948. Before he had a band, he used to go dancing every Saturday night at the Lincoln Hall in Miller Heights, Pennsylvania. He danced every polka, waltz…
The musical story of Verne Meisner began in 1949 when Verne, at the age of eleven, received his first accordion and twelve lessons. Verne attended dances and listened to the music of Frank Yankovic and the Six Fat Dutchmen on his wind up phonograph. In a few months Verne was playing songs by ear with amazing accuracy. In 1950 the first band was formed playing for relatives, neighbors, school functions and weddings. 1957 was…
As a teenager Lucian Kryger had recorded several 78 RPM recordings with his father’s orchestra (Brunon Kryger) on the Harmonia Label of N.Y. In 1951 Lucian, Jerry and brother Bruce recorded two 78 rpm recordings for Polo Records. One of the hit sides was entitled, “Little Boy Oberek.” Lucian started recording for RAVE Records of Bethlehem, Pa., in 1962 and later recorded for Starr Records of Florida, N.Y. The personal appearances of…
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