The History of the International Polka Association traces the founding, growth, and ongoing mission of the IPA since its charter in 1968. Through documents, photographs, recordings, and personal stories, this exhibit explores how the organization got its start and has continued to promote polka music, support polka artists, and preserve a vibrant cultural tradition for generations of fans and musicians.
The first national Polka Convention was held in 1963, with the International Polka Association forming in 1968. This exhibit features posters, tickets, programs, and other memorabilia from past IPA Conventions and Festivals.
Check out the plaques, bios, and other fun information from the IPA Polka Hall of Fame inductees, dating back to 1969
Born on June 5, 1945, in Buffalo, New York, Stephen w. Krzeminski was destined to make his mark in polka music. Standing tall at 6 feet, 3 inches by the time he was 16 years of age, the charismatic accordionist first led Big Steve's Orchestra and later Big Steve and the Bellares until 1995. For over three-and-a-half decades, steve toured throughout the U.S. northeast and midwest and performed in Hawaii, Canada, and the Caribbean. His band recorded various albums and singles and was featured on a track of Walter Ostanek's Grammy-winning Music & Friends recording. Big Steve made use of his personality on radio as the host of the Big Steve Polka Show heard in various formats on different stations starting in 1960 until his sudden death in 1999 at the young age of 54
Happy Louie was born August 4, 1934 in Ware, Massachusetts. His mother is Polish and living. His father was French, and is deceased. At the age of nine, he played his first note on a Bugle and then changed to a B-flat Trumpet and has kept it up ever since. Happy Louie attended the eight grades of St. Mary's Polish Grammar School in Ware, where he was taught to write and speak the Polish language. In fact, his dad, for being French, living among Polish people, had a beautiful Polish vocabulary.
Richard Drongoski was born in Clifton, New Jersey to John and Val Drongoski in 1958. He does have an older sister and brother. Richard's sister lives in Florida near Richard and his parents. His one brother still remains in the state of New Jersey. At the young age of three the Drongoski's knew that Richard would lead a life centered around polka music. At this very young age Richard wanted and did receive an accordion. He always loved it when his father played the accordion and his grandmother sang songs in Polish. A little later in life his mother taught him to read Polish.
"Joe Pat" Paterek was born in Chicago to Joseph and Mary Paterek on May 21, 1919. His father was of Slovak ancestry and his mother was of Polish origin. Joe became interested in music at an early age and began taking music lessons while attending local schools. After developing a serious pursuit of music, Joe formed his first band in 1932. For several years he continued to lead his band and on Thanksgiving day of 1942, Joe was married to Irene Desecki. A few years later they became the parents of Joan Marie.
John Michael Robel was born in Austria February 14, 1903. His parents, John and Mary, were Austrian immigrants of Slovak descent, who settled in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He took his first music lessons on a clarinet from Tommy Dorsey, Sr. Later, John played with Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey in the Elmore Band. The nickname "Jolly Jack" was unwittingly spawned on the bandstand by Tommy Dorsey when Tommy engaged in a friendly scuffle with Robel and almost shoved Robel's clarinet down his throat. Instead of blasting him, Jack laughed it off. "What a jolly fellow Jack is", TD remarked ... and it's been Jolly Jack ever since.
Jolly Joe Timmer of of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, has a radio show, television show, polka band, music store and picnic grove all strongly promoting polka music. When asked when and how he became involved in polka music Joe said, "My time started after high school, 1948."
John Anthony Wilfahrt, better known as "Whoopee John" Wilfahrt, was born in 1893 on a farm near New Ulm, Minnesota. His grandparents, Joseph Wilfahrt and Franzeska Hauser, migrated to America in March, 1867, with three of their children and settled on a farm in Sigel Township, a few miles from New Ulm. The family came from the small village of Swarzach located in the Bohemian Forest of western Bohemia., then part of Austria. Whoopee's father was born in 1871 in Sigel, eventually marrying Barbara Portner, whose family also originated in the Böhmerwald, for whom Whoopee named his well known "Barbara Polka." It was his mother who taught him the folksong that later became his famous theme song, the "Mariechen Waltz."