Jack was born on July 9, 1938 of Croatian descent, in Russellton, a suberb of Pittsburgh.
He attended West Deer schools in Russellton, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science
Degree in Music Education & English and a Master's Equivilency in Music from Duquesne
and Penn State Universities. Jack's first teaching position was as a Vocal & Instrumental
Music Teacher at Penn-Trafford School District from 1964-1968 and then he `transferred
to the Deer Lakes School District, were he spent the next 31 years, as a music teacher
and band director. He retired from his teaching position at Deer Lakes School District
in 1999 with a final music program called Mr. Tady's Opus, which featured many of
his alumni students. Jack started his first band,the Russ-Slovenes, in 1954 at the
early age of 14 and with the assistance of his parents, played all the little clubs
in the Russellton and surrounding areas. In 1958 Jack, renamed his band The Jack
Lads, and recorded his very first (45rpm) recording which featured his brother Dick
Tady on the Saxophone. The two selection were Millie's Polka,and Jaken Waltz , which
received a four star rating in Billboards Magazine. In 1959, when his brother went
off to college, Jack started his third group. The Swingn' Laddies as they were called
consisted of John LaBorda on accordion, Clare Taylor on sax, Ralph Jenets on banjo
& guitar, James Gaspari on bass & of course Jack Tady on drums and vocals. The group
attained great popularity and traveled & performed throughout the United States including
places such as Ohio, New York, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota and California.
The Laddies hosted tours to Bermuda, the Caribbean, Hawaii & the Mediterranean on
cruise ships. In fact, the Tady Bears had the great distinction of performing the
first Slovenian Polka Mass on the high seas. With the Swingn' Laddies behind him,
Jack Tady won, by majority vote, a Polka King Contest, sponsored by DJ Bill Seles
of WKPA Radio in New Kensington, Pa. That same year, 1968, America's Polka King,
Frank Yankovic crowned Jack , Western Pennsylvania Polka King. In 1973, due to a
job transfer of John LaBorda, the band added an exceptional young accordionist named
Benzy Rathbone. The band's name was changed again to Jack Tady & his Tady Bears.
The Tady Bears continued to thrive, performing on TV Polka Shows such as: Polka Varieties
in Cleveland, KDKA, WTAE & George Almasi's Polka Revue (WPGH) in Pittsburgh, and
a appearance on Canadian TV, with Canada's Polka King , Walter Ostanek. During the
years from 1973 and 1987, the Bears recorded several recordings such as , It's Terrific
It's Tady, Vantastic, Polka Cruise, Good & Plenty, Putting It All Together and Tady
Brothers Back To Back with his brother Dick Tady. On occasion, Jack was invited to
travel and perform with Polka King Frank Yankovic, and record several recordings
with him .One of Jack's greatest memories was traveling with Frank to record in Nashville
Tennessee. Upon hearing Jack play, Frank said: " He plays from the heart, that's
why the people love him so much." In an effort to encourage & inspire the younger
generation, Jack organized his own Polka Radio Show in 1983 called Jack Tady's Polka
Place. The show on WEDO 810am dial is a family oriented radio show featuring Jack's
wife Peggy and his daughters, Jackie and Maggie T. The show is in it's 26th year
and the purpose of the show is to retain and preserve the Cleveland-Style Polka Heritage.
That same year, 1983, Jack & the Bears were voted Best Band in the nation by the
SNPJ Voice of Youth Magazine. As the band became more popular, in 1990, they were
voted the Best Band in the Alle-Kiski area of Pittsburgh by the readers of the Valley
Daily News. Jack has been very proud to be a lifetime member of the Cleveland - Style
Polka Hall of Fame. In 1990, he was an announcer/presenter,in 1992 he was nominated
for support and promotion, in 1991 he was asked to perform with Hall of Fame All-Star
Band, and in 1992, he was nominated for support & promotion. In 1996, Jack was voted
and elected "Man of the Year," by the United Musicians Polka Association of Penna.
That same year, he contributed as a participant for a Grammy in the Polka Category
with Walter Ostanek on the recording "Putting It All Together," of which Jack wrote
the title track and also played with the Tady Bears.on a tune called Lefty's Polka.
That same year, he was featured with the Polka All-Star Singers with "America's Polka
King," Frank Yankovic,on the Grammy nominated recording,"Cleveland the Polka Town."
In 2005, Jack was proud to accept the Trustee's Award from the Penn-Ohio Polka Pals,
and the DJ Award from the United Musicians Polka Association of Pa. Jack's greatest
thrill came in 2000, after being nominated in 1996, he was voted by a majority of
votes for the "LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD," and was inducted into the Cleveland-Style
Polka Hall of Fame. This is the highest award to be given to an individual musician
in the polka industry. In march of 2006, Jack Tady was honored by the Penn-Ohio Polka
Pals as their "Man of the Year " for 2006, the highest degree of Ackowledgement to
be bestowed by the POPP Organization In the year 2007,the Cleveland-Style Polka Hall
of Fame invited Jack to perfrom with the All-Star Band at the Annual Hall of Fame
Show at Euclid High School. Participants included a majority of Lifetime Achievers
as Joey Miskulin, George Staiduhar & Fred Gregorich on accordions, Dick Tady. Paul
Yanchar & Duke Marsik on Saxophones, Ronnie Sluga on Guitar & Banjo, Jack Tady on
drums & Phil Srnik on bass. With the intent of preserving Slovenian-Style Polka Music,
Jack has founded polka booster organizations as: Western Penna. Polka Pals & Gals,
United Musicians Polka Association of Pa. and his radio show booster club called
(P.E.P. Boosters) People Encouraging Polkas. Throughout his prolific career, Jack
has always been unselfish in his willingness to help other young musicians. Many
young musicians have been inspired & tutored into becoming mature & experienced professional,
musicians with Jack's competent guidance. Jack is very proud of the musicians that
have performed with him over the past 57 years. Know for his excellent & versatile
accordion players, Jack remembers some of the greats as John Laborda, Benzy Rathbone,
Jack Slagel, John Kusmeriek, Carl Stocker, Tony Zupanchick, Larry Placek, Rob DeBlander,
Fred Gregorich & Brian Oboyle. Hall of Famers, Dick Tady, Norm Kobal & Ron Sluga
are just a few of the super musicians that have perform & recorded with Jack. At
the present time, Jack and his J.T.B have been recording various fight songs for
the Pittsburgh Steelers , in an effort to help to stimulate them to win the Super
Bowl. The Bears have appeared on the Today Show , ( KDKA TV) in Pittsburgh, with
show host Jennifer Ankowiak featuring Steeler Fight songs composed by friend & musician
Darlene Fejka and Jack Tady.These songs are: The Pride of Pittsburgh, We Love Our
Steelers & A Tribute to Big Ben. The present day band of Jack Tady includes: Brian
O'boyle & Blaise Cackovic on the Accordions and keyboards, Joe Alsippi on saxophone,
Jerry Zagar on Bass Guitar & Vocals and Jack Tady on Drums & vocals. Substitutes
include Tom Sitko on banjo & Larry Divis on guitar, bass & banjo and John Plesha
on clarinet & saxophone. In addition to Jack's ( Jack Tady Bears) band, he has organized
his own Button Box group which he calls, Jack's Guys & Satin Dolls, which has be
nominated to the Polka Hall of Fame in the Button Box Category for 5 consecitive
years. The groups cosists of daughter Blaise Cackovic, Carol Zagar, Pauline Snoznik,
Bruce Hayward, and his daughter, Jackie (Tady) Gutowski. Jack's love for children
has inspired him to raise thousands of dollars for children's charities such as:
Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh & Youngstown, Make a Wish, Muscular Distrophy and
the Cancer Fund. In his spare time, Jack enjoys doing his Radio Show ( Jack Tady
Polka Place )in it's 26th year, performing with his recording orchestra, The Jack
Tady Bears, his button box group, the Guys & Satin Dolls and performing on bus trips
with his brother Dick Tady(Tady Brothers) to Wheeling Island Gaming Resort. The Tady
Bears are in the process of recording a new CD celebrating their 55th anniversary.
