Jimmy Sturr
Encyclopedia
James W. "Jimmy" Sturr, Jr. is a polka
musician, trumpeter/clarinetist/saxophonist and leader of Jimmy Sturr & His Orchestra. His recordings have won 18 out of the 24 Grammy Award
s given for Best Polka Album
. Sturr's orchestra is on the Top Ten List of the All-Time Grammy Awards, and has acquired more Grammy nominations than anyone in the history of musical polka awards. His band is arguably the most popular polka band in America, and have their own TV show on the RFD-TV
network, a network devoted to rural America.
. On their travels, they have been to the most prestigious venues in the world, including seven sold out concerts at Carnegie Hall
and four sold out concerts at Lincoln Center in New York City and a sold out concert at the Palace of Culture
in Warsaw, Poland. The band has also played at many famous casinos.
The band usually attracts crowds of loyal fans wherever their travels take them.
son of a local bank president, his fans don't seem to mind the "I'm Polish" persona that he radiates. Sturr's first radio job was hosting an hour of polkas on Saturdays on WALL in Middletown, NY. The station sold Sturr an hour of time, which he re-sold to area businesses at a profit. He played polka tunes and promoted his Polka record label and sold albums via mail. Sturr was an excellent radio host and salesman and the show was packed full of ads from businesses large and small, thus setting the stage for his future business success and providing Sturr with an intimate knowledge of local radio. He and his engineer AC broadcasted live from a local restaurant "The Jolly Onion Inn" in Pine Island
on Saturday nights in the late 1960s, always to a packed house.
He now hosts a syndicated radio show that airs on stations around the country, including WTBQ
in his hometown of Florida, NY, the station he once owned.
the village of Florida, New York
, about an hour north of Manhattan. He is not married nor has any children.
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, trumpeter/clarinetist/saxophonist and leader of Jimmy Sturr & His Orchestra. His recordings have won 18 out of the 24 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...
s given for Best Polka Album
Grammy Award for Best Polka Album
The Grammy Award for Best Polka Album was an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality polka albums...
. Sturr's orchestra is on the Top Ten List of the All-Time Grammy Awards, and has acquired more Grammy nominations than anyone in the history of musical polka awards. His band is arguably the most popular polka band in America, and have their own TV show on the RFD-TV
RFD-TV
RFD-TV, or Rural Free Delivery TV, is a United States satellite and cable television channel devoted to rural issues, concerns, and interests. The channel's name is a reference to Rural Free Delivery, the name for the United States Postal Service's system of delivering mail directly to rural patrons...
network, a network devoted to rural America.
Touring
When touring, the band rides in Jimmy’s forty-five foot customized tour bus, previously owned by Billy Ray CyrusBilly Ray Cyrus
William "Billy" Ray Cyrus is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor and philanthropist, who helped make country music a worldwide phenomenon...
. On their travels, they have been to the most prestigious venues in the world, including seven sold out concerts at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
and four sold out concerts at Lincoln Center in New York City and a sold out concert at the Palace of Culture
Palace of Culture
Palace of Culture or House of Culture was the name for major club-houses in the former Soviet Union and the rest of the Eastern bloc. It was an establishment for all kinds of recreational activities and hobbies: sports, collecting, arts, etc., and the Palace of Culture was designed to have room...
in Warsaw, Poland. The band has also played at many famous casinos.
The band usually attracts crowds of loyal fans wherever their travels take them.
Radio show
Although Sturr is the Irish AmericanIrish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
son of a local bank president, his fans don't seem to mind the "I'm Polish" persona that he radiates. Sturr's first radio job was hosting an hour of polkas on Saturdays on WALL in Middletown, NY. The station sold Sturr an hour of time, which he re-sold to area businesses at a profit. He played polka tunes and promoted his Polka record label and sold albums via mail. Sturr was an excellent radio host and salesman and the show was packed full of ads from businesses large and small, thus setting the stage for his future business success and providing Sturr with an intimate knowledge of local radio. He and his engineer AC broadcasted live from a local restaurant "The Jolly Onion Inn" in Pine Island
Pine Island, New York
Pine Island is a hamlet in the town of Warwick in Orange County, New York, United States. It is the largest community in the Black Dirt Region, which is famous for the "black dirt onions." Pine Island is also home to the annual Onion Festival, celebrating the fact that nearly 30% of all the onions...
on Saturday nights in the late 1960s, always to a packed house.
He now hosts a syndicated radio show that airs on stations around the country, including WTBQ
WTBQ
WTBQ is an independent radio station broadcasting from Warwick, New York, featuring oldies, local talk shows and specialty programming. The last locally-owned radio station left in Orange County, New York , WTBQ broadcasts on 1110 AM and 93.5 FM, throughout Orange County and northern New...
in his hometown of Florida, NY, the station he once owned.
Personal life
Today, Jimmy Sturr lives in the house he grew up in, inthe village of Florida, New York
Florida, Orange County, New York
Florida is a village in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 2,757 at the 2007 census estimates. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York–Newark–Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined...
, about an hour north of Manhattan. He is not married nor has any children.
Television
The Jimmy Sturr Show airs weekly on Friday nights at 7:00pm ET, 6:00pm CT, 5:00pm MT, and 4:00pm PT on the RFDTV Network. In March 2010, PBS aired Jimmy Sturr's performance at the Polkapalooza Festival.Discography
- Not Just Another Polka
- Tribute to the Legends of Polka Music
- Polka Party
- Polka Cola with Bill Anderson
- Let the Whole World SingLet the Whole World SingLet the Whole World Sing is an album by Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra, released through Rounder Records on August 5, 2008. In 2009, the album won the group the Grammy Award for Best Polka Album.-Track listing:...
(2009 Grammy) - Come Share the WineCome Share the WineCome Share the Wine is an album by Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra, released through Rounder Records on August 21, 2007. In 2008, the album won the group the Grammy Award for Best Polka Album.- Track listing :...
(2008 Grammy) - Polka in ParadisePolka in ParadisePolka in Paradise is an album by Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra, released through Rounder Records on July 11, 2006. In 2007, the album won Sturr the Grammy Award for Best Polka Album.-Track listing:# "Put a Light in the Window" – 3:18...
with Bobby VintonBobby VintonBobby Vinton is an American pop music singer of Polish origin. In pop music circles, he became known as "The Polish Prince".-Early life:...
(2007 Grammy) - The Greatest Hits of Polka
- Shake, Rattle and Polka!Shake, Rattle and Polka!Shake, Rattle and Polka! is an album by Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra, released through Rounder Records on October 11, 2005. In 2006, the album won Sturr the Grammy Award for Best Polka Album.-Track listing:...
(2006 Grammy) - Let's Polka 'RoundLet's Polka 'RoundLet's Polka 'Round is an album by Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra, released through Rounder Records on August 26, 2003. In 2004, the album won Sturr the Grammy Award for Best Polka Album.-Track listing:# "Polka Round" – 2:18...
(2004 Grammy) - Top of the WorldTop of the World (Jimmy Sturr album)Top of the World is an album by Jimmy Sturr, released through Rounder Records in 2002. In 2003, the album won Sturr the Grammy Award for Best Polka Album.-Track listing:# "Top of the World" [Polka] – 3:27...
with Arlo GuthrieArlo GuthrieArlo Davy Guthrie is an American folk singer. Like his father, Woody Guthrie, Arlo often sings songs of protest against social injustice...
and Rhonda VincentRhonda VincentRhonda Lea Vincent is a bluegrass singer, songwriter, mandolin player, guitarist, and fiddle player.Her musical career started as a child in her family's band, The Sally Mountain Show, and has spanned almost four decades...
(2003 Grammy) - Gone PolkaGone PolkaGone Polka is an album by Jimmy Sturr, released through Rounder Records on September 25, 2001. In 2002, the album won Sturr the Grammy Award for Best Polka Album.-Track listing:# "Yellow Rose of Texas Polka" – 2:52...
(2002 Grammy) with Willie NelsonWillie NelsonWillie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
and Brenda LeeBrenda LeeBrenda Mae Tarpley , known as Brenda Lee, is an American performer who sang rockabilly, pop and country music, and had 37 US chart hits during the 1960s, a number surpassed only by Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Ray Charles and Connie Francis... - Touched by a PolkaTouched by a PolkaTouched by a Polka is an album by Jimmy Sturr, released through Rounder Records on August 15, 2000. In 2001, the album won Sturr the Grammy Award for Best Polka Album.-Track listing:# "Tic Toc" – 3:13...
with Mel TillisMel TillisLonnie Melvin Tillis , known professionally as Mel Tillis, is an American country music singer. Although he recorded songs since the late 1950s, his biggest success occurred in the 1970s, with a long list of Top 10 hits....
(2001 Grammy) - Prime Time Polka
- Life's a Polka
- 83 Giant Polka Hits
- Dance with MeDance with Me (Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra album)Dance with Me is an album by Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra. In 1999, the album won Sturr the Grammy Award for Best Polka Album....
with Oak Ridge Boys and Flaco JiménezFlaco JiménezLeonardo "Flaco" Jiménez is a Tejano music accordionist from San Antonio, Texas. Jiménez's father, Santiago Jiménez Sr. was a pioneer of conjunto music. He began performing with his father at age seven and recording at age fifteen, as a member of Los Caporales...
(1999 Grammy) - Polkapalooza
- Living on Polka TimeLiving on Polka TimeLiving on Polka Time is an album by Jimmy Sturr, released through Rounder Records in 1997. In 1998, the album won Sturr the Grammy Award for Best Polka Album.-Track listing:# "Dear Hearts and Gentle People" – 2:23...
(1998 Grammy) with Bill Anderson and Flaco JiménezFlaco JiménezLeonardo "Flaco" Jiménez is a Tejano music accordionist from San Antonio, Texas. Jiménez's father, Santiago Jiménez Sr. was a pioneer of conjunto music. He began performing with his father at age seven and recording at age fifteen, as a member of Los Caporales... - Polka! All Night LongPolka! All Night LongPolka! All Night Long is an album by Jimmy Sturr, released through Rounder Records in 1996. In 1997, the album won Sturr the Grammy Award for Best Polka Album.-Track listing:# "All Night Long" – 2:48# "Swirl" – 3:15...
(1997 Grammy) with Willie NelsonWillie NelsonWillie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized... - I Love to PolkaI Love to PolkaI Love to Polka is an album by Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra, released through Rounder Records in 1995. In 1996, the album won Sturr the Grammy Award for Best Polka Album.-Track listing:# "It's Party Time" – 2:41...
(1996 Grammy) - Polka Your Troubles Away
- Pure Polka
- Polka Favorites
- Saturday Night Polka
- Clarinet/Accordion Magic
- Sturr It Up
- Live at Gilley's!Live at Gilley's!Live at Gilley's! is a live album by Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra, released through Ranwood Records in 1991. In 1992, the album won Sturr the Grammy Award for Best Polka Album.-Track listing:# "2001 Theme" – 1:05...
(1992 Grammy) - When It's Polka Time at Your HouseWhen It's Polka Time at Your HouseWhen It's Polka Time at Your House is an album by Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra, released through Vanguard Records in 1991. In 1991, the album won Sturr the Grammy Award for Best Polka Recording.-Track listing:...
(1991 Grammy) - Fiddles On Fire
- Trip to Poland
- Pure Country
- All in My Love for YouAll in My Love for YouAll in My Love for You is an album by Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra. In 1990, the album won Sturr the Grammy Award for Best Polka Recording....
(1990 Grammy) - Born to PolkaBorn to PolkaBorn to Polka is an album by Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra. In 1989, the album won Sturr the Grammy Award for Best Polka Recording....
(1989 Grammy) - A Polka Just for MeA Polka Just for MeA Polka Just for Me is an album by Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra. In 1988, the album earned Sturr the Grammy Award for Best Polka Recording....
(1988 Grammy) - I Remember WarsawI Remember WarsawI Remember Warsaw is an album by Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra. In 1986, the album won Sturr a Grammy Award for Best Polka Recording....
(1987 Grammy) - 1st Class Polka's
- Hooked on Polkas
- On Tour
- All American Polkafest
- Polka Fever
- A Jimmy Sturr Christmas
- Polka Christmas
- Million Dollar Polkas
- Old Fashioned Christmas
- Christmas in My Hometown
Band members
- Jimmy Sturr - vocals
- Steve Swiader - accordion
- Dennis Coyman - drums
- Eric Parks - trumpet
- Frank Urbanovitch - vocals, fiddle
- Johnny Karas - vocals, tenor saxophone
- Keith Slattery - piano
- Kenny Harbus - trumpet
- Kevin Krauth - trumpet
- Nick DeVito - clarinet, alto saxophone
- Greg Dolecki - clarinet, alto saxophone
- Rich Pavasaris - bass guitar
- Gus Kosior - Manager