Frankie Yankovic
Encyclopedia
Frankie Yankovic was a Grammy Award
-winning polka
musician. Known as "America's Polka King," Yankovic was the premier artist to play in the Slovenian style
during a long and successful career.
. Yankovic released over 200 recordings in his career. In 1986 he was awarded the first ever Grammy in the Best Polka Recording category. He rarely strayed from the Slovenian-style polka, but did record with country guitarist Chet Atkins
, pop singer Don Everly, and a version of the “Too Fat Polka” with comedian Drew Carey
.
Yankovic enlisted in the armed forces in 1943, and cut numerous records while on leave, prior to his departure for Europe. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge
, where a severe case of frostbite
nearly resulted in the amputation of his hands and feet; fortunately, he was able to beat the gangrene
before that became necessary, and was awarded a Purple Heart
. The doctors urged him to have his fingers amputated, but he refused, since that would mean he would not be able to play the accordion.
Yankovic hit the national scene when he earned two platinum singles for Just Because (1947) and Blue Skirt Waltz (1949). Yankovic obtained the title of America's Polka King after beating Louis Bashell, Romy Gosz, Harold Loeffelmacher and the Six Fat Dutchmen, Whoopee John Wilfahrt, and Lawrence Duchow in a battle of the bands in Milwaukee at the Milwaukee Arena on June 9, 1948.
Yankovic also hosted the television series Polka Time for Buffalo, New York
-based WKBW-TV
for 26 weeks in 1962. He commuted from Cleveland to host each episode, which aired live. He also hosted a similar show at WGN-TV Chicago at about the same time.
He won a Grammy Award
in 1986 for his album 70 Years of Hits
. He was the first winner in the Polka category. The NARAS (Grammy) organization dropped the category in 2008.
He was not related to musical comedian and accordionist "Weird Al" Yankovic
, who also performs polka music. Al Yankovic, however was given accordion lessons as a child because his parents thought that "there should be at least one more accordion-playing Yankovic in the world".. Al performed accordion on "Who Stole the Kishka?
" on one of Frankie's final records, Songs of the Polka King, Vol. 1. A portion of Frankie's "The Tick Tock Polka" is included in the song "Polka Face" on Weird Al's Alpocalypse
.
. Hundreds of friends, family, his loyal fans and fellow musicians showed up to send him off. At his peak, Yankovic was performing on the road in 325 shows a year. During his lifetime, Yankovic had sold 30 million records.
The Square at the intersection of Waterloo Rd. and East 152nd St. in Cleveland 41.569°N 81.5752°W, not far from where Frankie grew up, was named in honor of Frankie Yankovic in a dedication ceremony on August 21, 2007.
Dave Wolnik, Frankie's long time drummer, observed in the Bob Dolgan biography of Yankovic published last year that the famed musician didn't have a street named for him in his own hometown. That launched a campaign for the square by the National Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame and Museum and City Councilman Michael Polensek, according to Dolgan.
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
-winning polka
Polka
The polka is a Central European dance and also a genre of dance music familiar throughout Europe and the Americas. It originated in the middle of the 19th century in Bohemia...
musician. Known as "America's Polka King," Yankovic was the premier artist to play in the Slovenian style
Slovenian-style polka
Slovenian-style polka is an American style of polka in the Slovenian tradition. It is usually associated with Cleveland and other Midwestern cities. It is also known as "Cleveland Style."...
during a long and successful career.
Background
Of Slovene descent, he was raised in South Euclid, OhioSouth Euclid, Ohio
South Euclid is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. It is an inner-ring suburb of Cleveland.-Geography:Acting almost as a central point for the east side of Cleveland, South Euclid is bordered by Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, University Heights, Beachwood, Lyndhurst, Richmond Heights,...
. Yankovic released over 200 recordings in his career. In 1986 he was awarded the first ever Grammy in the Best Polka Recording category. He rarely strayed from the Slovenian-style polka, but did record with country guitarist Chet Atkins
Chet Atkins
Chester Burton Atkins , known as Chet Atkins, was an American guitarist and record producer who, along with Owen Bradley, created the smoother country music style known as the Nashville sound, which expanded country's appeal to adult pop music fans as well.Atkins's picking style, inspired by Merle...
, pop singer Don Everly, and a version of the “Too Fat Polka” with comedian Drew Carey
Drew Carey
Drew Allison Carey is an American actor, singer, comedian, photographer, sports executive, and game show host. After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps and making a name for himself in stand-up comedy, Carey eventually gained popularity starring on his own sitcom, The Drew Carey Show, and serving as...
.
History
Yankovic was the son of immigrant parents. His father was a blacksmith, and his mother a cook. They met in a lumber camp in West Virginia where they both worked. At an early age the family moved to Cleveland. Young Yankovic was enthralled by the brass bands that played at the Slovenian social functions. His mother took on boarders to help with the family finances, and this included a man named Max Zelodec, who performed Slovenian tunes on a button box. Yankovic acquired an accordion at age 9, but never took lessons. By the late 1920s, in his early teenage years, he was a working musician, playing for community events. He formed a business relationship with Joe Trolli, and began making radio appearances in the 1930s, including stations WJAY and WGAR. As his reputation spread, he wanted to make phonograph records, but the major labels turned him down. Therefore, his first records were made for Yankee and Joliet, labels operated by Fred Wolf.Yankovic enlisted in the armed forces in 1943, and cut numerous records while on leave, prior to his departure for Europe. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
, where a severe case of frostbite
Frostbite
Frostbite is the medical condition where localized damage is caused to skin and other tissues due to extreme cold. Frostbite is most likely to happen in body parts farthest from the heart and those with large exposed areas...
nearly resulted in the amputation of his hands and feet; fortunately, he was able to beat the gangrene
Gangrene
Gangrene is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition that arises when a considerable mass of body tissue dies . This may occur after an injury or infection, or in people suffering from any chronic health problem affecting blood circulation. The primary cause of gangrene is reduced blood...
before that became necessary, and was awarded a Purple Heart
Purple Heart
The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
. The doctors urged him to have his fingers amputated, but he refused, since that would mean he would not be able to play the accordion.
Yankovic hit the national scene when he earned two platinum singles for Just Because (1947) and Blue Skirt Waltz (1949). Yankovic obtained the title of America's Polka King after beating Louis Bashell, Romy Gosz, Harold Loeffelmacher and the Six Fat Dutchmen, Whoopee John Wilfahrt, and Lawrence Duchow in a battle of the bands in Milwaukee at the Milwaukee Arena on June 9, 1948.
Yankovic also hosted the television series Polka Time for Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
-based WKBW-TV
WKBW-TV
WKBW-TV, channel 7, is the ABC affiliate for the Buffalo, New York television market, and is one of many local Buffalo TV stations seen over-the-air and on cable in Canada. Its transmitter is located at 8909 Center Street in Colden. The station is owned by the Granite Broadcasting Corporation, who...
for 26 weeks in 1962. He commuted from Cleveland to host each episode, which aired live. He also hosted a similar show at WGN-TV Chicago at about the same time.
He won a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
in 1986 for his album 70 Years of Hits
70 Years of Hits
70 Years of Hits is a compilation album by Frankie Yankovic, released through Our Heritage Records in 1985. In 1986, the album won Yankovic the Grammy Award for Best Polka Recording.-Track listing:-Personnel:* Michael Bishop – mastering...
. He was the first winner in the Polka category. The NARAS (Grammy) organization dropped the category in 2008.
He was not related to musical comedian and accordionist "Weird Al" Yankovic
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
, who also performs polka music. Al Yankovic, however was given accordion lessons as a child because his parents thought that "there should be at least one more accordion-playing Yankovic in the world".. Al performed accordion on "Who Stole the Kishka?
Who Stole the Kishka?
Who Stole the Kishka?, originally spelled "Who Stole the Keeshka?" is a traditional polka tune, written by Walter Dana , and by Walter Solek , and recorded and performed by various bands...
" on one of Frankie's final records, Songs of the Polka King, Vol. 1. A portion of Frankie's "The Tick Tock Polka" is included in the song "Polka Face" on Weird Al's Alpocalypse
Alpocalypse
Alpocalypse is the thirteenth studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on June 21, 2011. It is his first studio release in almost five years, following the release of Straight Outta Lynwood in 2006. It is also his first studio album since 1989's UHF – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and...
.
Death
Yankovic died on October 14, 1998, in New Port Richey, Florida, from heart failure, at the age of 83. He was buried in Cleveland's Calvary CemeteryCalvary Cemetery (Cleveland, Ohio)
Calvary Cemetery is the largest Roman Catholic cemetery in Cleveland, and one of the largest in Ohio. It is operated by the Catholic Cemeteries Association and was dedicated on November 26, 1893. The original purchase of land was approximately . There are now over 305,000 interments and the...
. Hundreds of friends, family, his loyal fans and fellow musicians showed up to send him off. At his peak, Yankovic was performing on the road in 325 shows a year. During his lifetime, Yankovic had sold 30 million records.
Square in Frankie's hometown named in his honor
Dave Wolnik, Frankie's long time drummer, observed in the Bob Dolgan biography of Yankovic published last year that the famed musician didn't have a street named for him in his own hometown. That launched a campaign for the square by the National Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame and Museum and City Councilman Michael Polensek, according to Dolgan.
Former band members
- Adolph Poczatek (Pozatek) (1911–1984) Violin, tenor banjo, plectrum banjo, accordion, mandolin, cordiovox, guitar, piano. Toured and recorded with Frankie throughout his career. Appearances on DonahueDonahueDonahue is the Americanized version of Irish surname Donohoe, which, in turn, is an Anglicized version of the ancient Irish name "Donnchadh" ....
and Lawrence WelkLawrence WelkLawrence Welk was an American musician, accordionist, bandleader, and television impresario, who hosted The Lawrence Welk Show from 1955 to 1982...
, among many live radio show broadcasts. His original band was the Polka Aces, known in the Chicago Community. Adolph Poczatek also frequently appeared with polka bands including Verne MeisnerVerne MeisnerLaVerne Donald "Verne" Meisner was an American polka musician born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and raised in Whitewater, Wisconsin. He was inducted into five halls of fame, including the International Polka Association Hall of Fame as a "Living Legend" in 1989...
, Roman Posedi, and Joe Kovich. - Johnny Pecon
- Georgie Cook - Banjo player, who helped Yankovic establish the "Cleveland Sound".
- Joey MiskulinJoey MiskulinJoseph M. Miskulin is a hall of fame accordionist and producer of Grammy Award-winning music albums. In a music career spanning more than four decades, Joey Miskulin has collaborated with a range of artists including Paul McCartney, John Denver, Ricky Skaggs, Andy Williams, Ricky Van Shelton,...
- Began playing with Frankie Yankovic in 1962 at the age of 13. This was the start of a relationship that lasted for the next 35 years. Joey developed his skill with the accordion and music while touring with the band. Joey began writing and arranging songs for Yankovic, eventually arranging and producing Frankie's albums,which included the Grammy Award-winning album "70 Years of Hits". - Jeff Winard - Accomplished accordionist from Milwaukee; traveled with Yankovic in later years.
- Marian "Lefty" Bell - played bass with Yankovic. His father was a tenor in the Slovenian operettas in Cleveland
Further reading
Dolgan, Bob (2006). America's Polka King: The Real Story of Frankie Yankovic. Cleveland, OH: Gray & Company, Publishers. ISBN 978-1-59851-026-3External links
- Sample text from the book America's Polka King by Bob Dolgan
- Polkas.com: Frank Yankovic...America's Polka King
- Newspaper Article
- Biography on ElvisPelvis.com
- Lifetime Achievement Honoree, sample music
- Dennis Kucinich's letter to Clinton in support of awarding Yankovic a National Medal of Arts
- Profile of Frank Yankovic at The Remington Site
- New York Times article of Yankovic's death