Nominations / Winners 2010

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Fred Kuhar

Dick Sodja  WINNER

Hank Thunander

Bob Timko

Fred Ziwich  WINNER

Glasbena Matica Singing Society  WINNER

 

 

TRUSTEES HONOR ROLL RECIPIENTS

Chester Budny (Band Leader/Drummer)  WINNER

Frank Mauer (Accordionist, played with Al Tercek and Kenny Bass)  WINNER

Pat Hutch, Accordionist/Bandleader,  WINNER

Don and Rose Slogar  WINNERS

Kathy Zamejc Vogt (KC - Kathy from Canada)  WINNER

Jelse Vos (Polka DJ & Promoter from the Netherlands)  WINNER

 

 

CULTURAL / HERITAGE
American Slovenian Citizens Association (Acme Club)

Glasbena Matica Singing Society

Slovenian National Home East 80th

SNPJ Heritage Room  WINNER

Joe Valencic

 

 

SUPPORT/PROMOTION
Joe Gabrosek & Gene Kovack

Kathy Paulenich & Kay Sefcik

Val Pawlowski  WINNER

Jack Tady Polka Place

United Musicians Polka Association of Pennsylvania (UMPAPA)

Pam & Jerry Zagar

 

 

BEST BUTTON BOX-INDIVIDUAL/DUO
Joe Grkman Jr.

Ron Likovic  WINNER

Joe Novak

Dick Tady

Joey Tomsick

Fred Ziwich

 

 

BEST BUTTON BOX-GROUP
Fairport Jammers  WINNER

Magic Buttons

Mahoning Valley Button Box Club

Polka Pirates

Western Pennsylvania Button Box Club

 

 

BEST VOCALIST
Christine Hibbs  WINNER

Nancy Novak

Kim Rodick

John Ross

Dick Tady

 

 

BEST MUSICIAN-INDIVIDUAL
Bob Kravos  WINNER

Eric Noltkamper

Joe Novak

Brian O'Boyle

Dick Tady

 

 

BAND OF THE YEAR
Klancnik & Friends

Bob Kravos & the Boys in the Band

Joe Novak & Friends

Eddie Rodick Orchestra

Dick Tady Orchestra  WINNER

Fred Ziwich & International Sound Machine

 

 

RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Jerry Kernz - It's Never Too Late

Bob Kravos - Best of Cleveland Style  WINNER

Fairport Jammers - Jammin'

Alex Meixner - Stay All Night

Walter Ostanek - Timeless Polkas & Waltzes

 

 

BEST MUSICIAN – SIDEMAN
Gary Byndas  WINNER

Brian O'Boyle  WINNER

Bob Ferritto

Joe Gill

Ed Gould

Steve Grkman   

Phil Hrvatin  WINNER

Frank Puskar

Mike Yanek

Brian Zupancic

 

 

BEST NEW ORIGINAL POLKA OR WALTZ
LaBella Luna (Dick Tady)  WINNER

Come Home Safe (Fred Scherz Sr.)

Donuts (Alex Meixner)

Please Don't Wait Till Tomorrow Waltz (Fred Sherz Sr.)

I'm Here Waltz (Jerry Kernz)

 

 

GREATEST ALL TIME CLEVELAND-STYLE HITS
Daj, Daj Srcek Nazaj - Give Back My Heart Waltz  WINNER

Happy Days Polka

Iron Mike Polka

Kamnik Polka

No Beer In Heaven Polka  WINNER

Pony Tail Polka

Red Lips And Red Wine Polka

Squeezers Polka

 

 

NOTABLE DEATHS

Florence Unetich (Together with Angie Zabjek known as the Jadran Song Birds)

Marion "Lefty" Belle (bass player & vocalist on Kenny Bass and Almars Recordings)

Eddie Platt (Sax player who played on the Johnny Pecon Capitol Recordings 1948-1952)

 

 

 

Three Lifetime Polka Achievers to be Inducted.

Two accordionist/bandleaders and a Slovenian choir will be inducted into the National Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame for Lifetime Achievement.

 

Dick Sodja, Fred Ziwich, and the Glasbena Matica Singing Society will receive the organization’s highest honor, at the 23rd annual Crystal Polka Awards Show, 2 p.m., Saturday, November 27, 2010, at the Euclid High School Auditorium.

 

Sodja, who recently retired to Anthem, Arizona, was the lead accordionist with Kenny Bass’ Polka Poppers in the heyday of polka music.  He also operated Sodja’s Music Store in Richmond Heights, OH for 30 years.

 

Ziwich has 20 albums in the polka field to his credit, and is the bandleader of the International Sound Machine.  The North Olmsted resident has had a polka band since he was a teenager. Ziwich is a main attraction at numerous Oktoberfests in Ohio and neighboring states.

 

Glasbena Matica choir is celebrating 80 years of concerts and opera productions.  The choir is based at the Slovenian National Home, 6417 St. Clair Ave., Cleveland, where they will perform on Nov. 20, as well as at the Awards Show.  The music director is Angela Perrine.

 

The board of trustees of the Polka Hall of Fame will award the Trustees Honor Roll recognition to seven polka contributors.  The 2010 honorees are:  Chester Budny, late drummer and bandleader, Cleveland; Pat Hutch, accordionist/bandleader, Barberton, OH; Frank Mauer, accordionist, Aurora, OH; Don and Rose Slogar, husband and wife duo, Cleveland; Kathy Vogt, button accordionist/promoter, St. Catharines, Ont., Canada; and Jelse Vos, promoter/disc jockey, the Netherlands.

 

In addition, two Greatest All-Time Hit Songs will be inducted, as voted by the 1500 members of the Polka Hall of Fame, Give Back My Heart Waltz (Daj, Daj, Srcek Naza) and No Beer in Heaven Polka.  Both songs will be performed at the Awards Show.

 

Annual Awards for Recording of the Year, Band of the Year, and eight other awards will be announced at the two-hour Awards Show.   The Show’s entertainment will spotlight the accordion in several musical numbers. Ray Somich, of Willoughby Hills, will serve as Master of Ceremonies for the program.  The Polka Hall of Fame All-Star Band is under the direction of Jack Tady, of Pittsburgh, PA., with musical arranger Fred Gregorich of Pittsburgh, and associate arranger Fred Ziwich.

 

Tickets for the Awards Show are $15 each for adults.  Children 16 and under are free. A special ticket which includes a Meet the Winners dance, 6 p.m., at the Marriott Downtown Hotel ballroom, and the Awards Show, is available for $25, in advance. The 2009 Band of the Year Joey Tomsick and the JTO, and Del Sinchak orchestra will play for the dance.  The Awards Show and Meet the Winners dance is part of Tony Petkovsek’s Thanksgiving weekend Polka Party at the Marriott.

 

Tickets are available in advance at the Polka Hall of Fame, 605 East 222nd St., Euclid, OH, phone: 216-261-3263.

 

 

 

 

 

 

2010 NOMINATION / WINNER LIST

 

 

 

The 2010 Awards Show will be held at the Euclid High School Auditorium,

711 East 222nd Street, Euclid on Saturday, November 27, 2010.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lifetime

Achievement Award

 

Polka Hall Of Fame

 

2010 LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT HONOREES

The highest award of Lifetime Achievement for the National Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame. Members of the PHOF will vote for two honorees for 2010, five accorddionist-bandleaders have been nominated: Fred Kuhar, Dick Sodja, Hank Thunander, Bob Timko, and Fred Ziwich.
 

National Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame

 

Here are their accomplishments (by Cicilia Dolgan)

 

Fred Kuhar had a polka band continuously for 38 years. He recorded a series of five albums with his band playing Pecon-style of polka music. Fred produced seven Johnny Pecon live perfomance CDs, and preserved the Pecon sound for posterity. Fred also served as president of the American Slovenian Polka Foundation for nine years, and initated transferring 78 polka recordings to CD.

 

Hank Thunander has made a major contribution to Cleveland-Style polka music on the Iron Range of Minnesota and neighboring states. Hank was born in Michigan to parents of Swedish and Italian heritage. He began playing polka music in the 1960s, and recorded his first album in 1972. He played with the Frankie Yankovic Orchestra for Midwest engagements. Hank has recorded seven albums. He hosted a polka radio show for ten years.

 

Dick Sodja joined the Kenny Bass Band at age 17, and was the lead accordionist for 15 years. Dick has written polkas and was the arranger. He then performed with Frankie Yankovic's TV Band on a regular basis. Dick joined Al Markic in the late 1960s to form the Almars Orchestra. He operated a music store for more than 30 years. Dick played on more than 200 recordings. He later formed the dick sodja band.

 

Bob Timko is considered to be one of the premier accordionists born in Cleveland, Ohio. For many years, Bob was an accordionist and sometime bass player with the Kenny Bass Orchestra. In the late 1960s, the Bob Timko orchestra became one of the hottest Cleveland-Style polka groups in the Midwest. Timko's Polka Place was a popular Cleveland night spot. Timko recorded three albums and two cd's.

 

Fred Ziwich plays accordion, button box, clarinet, and saxophone. He started his own band at age 17. He became a professionel musician in 1973, joining the Hank Haller orchestra. Since 1977 Fred has lead the International Sound Machine. He is heard on 24/7 Polka Heaven. He recorded 16 albums for World Renowned Sound, and has recorded 20 albums of his own, plus recording with Walter Ostanek and others. Fred is past music director of the Polka Awards Shows, and serves on the Board of Trustees.