Winners 2009
2009 Greatest All-
WALTZ OF LOVE
Stan Blout / Jack Tankovich, Composers
Original recording by Stan Blout And His Orchestra
Polka Sounds Of The 70's
Delta International Records DI-
Stan Blout, Accordion
Jack Tankovich, Vocals & Sax
Dennis Marold, Bass
Lou Pavlik, Drums
Al Markic, Guitar
Frank Piccirillo -
2009 Greatest All-
GLAS HARMONIKE
Lojze Slak, Fanika Pozek, Nico Zlobko, Composers
Original recording by Ansambel Lojzeta Slaka
Glas Harmonike
Helidon Records FLP-
Ansambel Lojzeta Slaka
Joze Sifar, Vocals
Lojze Slak, Harmonika
Niko Zlobko, Guitar
Franci Sever, Bass
Fantje S Praprotna
Andrej Bergant, Vocals
Franci Rebernik, Vocals
Janez Habjan, Vocals
Janez Kalan, Vocals
Janez Dolenc, Vocals
2009 Trustees Honor Roll
JOHNNY SPETICH
A band leader can not make good music without good sidemen, and Lifetime Achievement
Winner, Frankie Spetich, had a great saxophone and clarinet player, his brother,
Johnny Spetich. Johnny played in the Spetich band from 1946 until he retired in 1994.
In fact, the last six years after developing a lung illness, Johnny played piano
in the Spetich Orchestra. Throughout the years with his brother Frankie, Johnny could
be heard vocalizing, playing sax, clarinet, bass, piano and drums. When full-
2009 Trustees Honor Roll
KATHY HLAD
The "Queen of the Button Box Kathy Hlad has been around Slovenian polkas & waltzes her entire life. At an early age she was the star pupil of the late great Frank Novak and her playing was influenced by the music of Lojze Slak, Johnny Pecon, Lou Trebar, Eddie Habat, Johnny Vadnal, and Kenny Bass. She has been teaching button box since she was fifteen and twice won the button box player of the year award at the Cleveland Style Polka Music Hall of Fame.
2009 Trustees Honor Roll
GREG DRUST
Greg Drust, deejay and music historian has a personal collection of 240,000 records
meticulously organized and stored in his south side home. His basement is lined floor
to ceiling with shelves, and each shelf is stacked with 45s and 78s. There's a section
for Cajun zydeco and western swing, for Irish folk, rockabilly and hymns. Polka has
its own subsections: for the oompah, Slovenian and Polish styles, and for accordion
music. Greg is a musicologist of the highest order with an almost encyclopedic knowledge
of many different styles. He's one of the world's foremost authorities on American
roots music. Greg Drust is blind, so the albums have Braille labels. They're cross-
Trustees Honor Roll
RON LUZNAR
Ron Luznar has been a polka promoter for many years. As an orchestra leader, button accordionist and president of SNPJ Lodge 603. Ron has a weekly radio show. He has also appeared on Cleveland's Polka Varieties TV Show. Ron hosted in 1977 the first Florida overseas polka tour to Slovenia.
2009 Trustees Honor Roll
SNPJ FARM
SNPJ Farm founded in 1939.
The Cleveland Federation of SNPJ Lodges started looking
in 1929 for property suitable for their Slovenski Dom. Finally the Federation had
money to purchase property on Heath Road in Kirtland, Ohio. The SNPJ Recreation Grounds
was founded in 1939 and the Founders Farm Board consisted of twenty-
2009 Trustees Honor Roll
MIRK YAMA
Bass player Mirk Yama's love for music goes clear back to Slovenia where he was born in 1923. As a smal boy, he would listen in the ae to the traditional button box musicwhich was so much a part of their culture. Mirk immigrated to the U.S. In 1938. Mirk found an oportunity in the U.S. To study music at the Wurlitzer Music Studio. Later, hs talents landed him a job wit Tony Malavasic's Blue Jackets Polka Band. With the advent of World War II the Malavasic group splitup and mike entered the air force. On his return from the service, he played with various groups such as: johnny Vadnal, Frankie Mullec, Al Strukel, Georgie Cook and Mickey Ryance. In 1952 he joined the Johnny Pecon Band with his bass fiddle.
SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT CRYSTAL AWARD
Ray Somich (For 20 years of contribution and service)
CULTURAL / HERITAGE
SNPJ Heritage Center
SUPPORT / PROMOTION
John & Helen Kuzman
BEST BUTTON BOX-
Ron Likovic
BEST BUTTON BOX-
Fairport Jammers
BEST VOCALIST
John Ross
BEST MUSICIAN-
Joey Tomsick
BAND OF THE YEAR
Joey Tomsick Orchestra
RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Polka Funhouse (Joey Tomsick Orchestra)
BEST MUSICIAN – SIDEMAN
Hank Guzel (Joey Tomsick Orchestra)
Phil Hrvatin (Joey Tomsick Orchestra)
BEST NEW ORIGINAL POLKA OR WALTZ
Polka Funhouse (Joey Tomsick, Frank Doblekar)
2009 Lifetime Achievement
ART PERKO
Art Perko, who passed away in 2008, was previously named to the PHOF Trustee’s Honor Roll for his contribution to polka music. Art brought national acclaim to Cleveland style polka music with his hit recording of “Peanuts Polka.” The Perko band, based in Cleveland, was together with the same musicians for more than 25 years, and had an identifiable sound. Art recorded ten albums.
2009 Lifetime Achievement
DEL SINCHAK
Del Sinchak is a bandleader, accordionist, and owner of Peppermint Recording Studio.
Since the 1980s, Del has had a leading polka band in Youngstown, and has performed
in many states. Del has had a nomination for the polka Grammy. He has been a polka
disc jockey, and president of the local Musicians Union, and he served for 25 years
as president of the Penn-
National Cleveland-