Hall of Fame

Wally Dombrowski's journey into music began when he started taking trumpet lessons at five years of age. Once he got the basics of the instrument down, it was evident that he could play by ear and would play along with recordings at home without the aid of any written music. His perfect pitch assisted him in teaching himself how to play concertina at the age of six. At the age of nine, Wally's brother Rich organized the Polka Country Musicians and the band started performing at local functions around Connecticut in September, 1977.

By age 12, Henry Jasiewicz discovered his love for music and was practicing with a muted trumpet in his basement, often while his parents were sleeping.  In the years that followed, he also spent as much time as possible learning the violin.  His musical career began in the 1930's.  In 1935 he helped organize the Polish Ambassadors Orchestra.  It was at this time that he DJ'd a weekly radio broadcast over WHJB radio in Greensburg, Pennsylvania.  He then joined the Silver Moon Orchestra and that musical friendship continued for 25 years.  At that time he also played with the Sunset Orchestra and the Polish Diplomats.

Brunon Kryger was born in Lodz, Poland in 1899.  From early childhood his ambition was to be an entertainer.  The outbreak of W.W.I. dampened his career for a short time for he had to serve 3 years and 4 months in the Polish Army.  After his discharge he studied at the Poznan Conservatory of Music, and upon completion of his studies in 1923 he toured Poland with leading musical shows as on entertainer and M.C., becoming another Rudy Valle so to speak.

In the early days of polka music, what Alvin Sajewski was to Chicago ... Ignacy Podgorski to Philadelphia ... Brunon Kryger to Eastern Pennsylvania ... Joe Lazarz was to the Northeast.  Born in 1895 in the village of Swiebodzin, Poland, he started music lessons at an early age, as his father and uncles were musicians.

Mattie Madura's musical career began with an old broken violin given to Mattie's father by an old friend.  With time and bits of wire and glue, it was pieced together.  When it was finished he gave it to his younger son, Mattie.  From then on Mattie was "that boy with the violin."  At the age of nine, while attending St. Helen's School, he learned to sing while playing the violin.  His second love, the trumpet, he learned the hard way.  At the age of 13 he lost his mother and prior to that his dad was a victim of a hit and run driver, leaving the family with numerous hardships.  Mattie would walk to school and sell his lunches just to get enough money to pay for his trumpet lessons

Ted was born in New York of Polish parentage.  While attending Commerce High School, he began his first formal study of music at 13, and formed his first band shortly thereafter in 1935.  He played violin and trumpet.

Johnny Menko was born in Windsor Locks, Connecticut on June 13, 1915, and lived in Warehouse Point, Connecticut, during his earlier years.  At the age of nine, Johnny was already paying the violin with Polish records on a phonograph.

Ignacy Podgorski was a musician, composer, arranger, publisher, recording artist and violinist who conducted his own orchestra.  He was born on February 1, 1886 in Kielce, Poland.  As a boy he lived in Czestochowa where he obtained his musical education and acquired a love for native folk-lore.

Jan Robak was born in Poland on December 1, 1890, and passed away on September 8, 1967. He came to this country and Chicopee, Massachusetts with his violin at the age of ten. He started to play the violin in Poland and continued his study of violin and music after coming to this country. His first job in Chicopee was at the Johnson and Johnson Textile Mill. As he grew older he formed a band that played just about every Polish wedding in the vicinity which, incidentally, lasted for three days. The day before the wedding was known as "do welona" [the veil] and the next day was known as "poprawiny."

The gifted Eddie Skinger has always been clear about his commitment to his vocation.  Over the past 62 years, he has become an accomplished and respected vocalist, musician, arranger and composer.  His talent and ability shine through his music and can easily be considered as one of the bright lights within the Polka Industry.