Frankie Yankovic facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Frankie Yankovic
|
|
|---|---|
Frankie Yankovic in 1958
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Frank John Yankovic |
| Born | July 28, 1915 Davis, West Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | October 14, 1998 (aged 83) New Port Richey, Florida, U.S. |
| Genres | Slovenian-style polka |
| Instruments | Accordion |
| Associated acts | Frankie Yankovic and His Yanks |
Frank John Yankovic (born July 28, 1915 – died October 14, 1998) was a famous American accordion player and polka musician. People knew him as "America's Polka King." He was the best at playing polka in the Slovenian style for many years. He was not related to the musician "Weird Al" Yankovic, who also plays accordion. However, they did work together on music.
Contents
Frankie Yankovic's Early Life and Music
Frankie Yankovic was born to parents who came from Slovenia. His father, Andrew, was a blacksmith, and his mother, Rose, was a cook. They met in West Virginia where they both worked. When Frankie was young, his family moved to Cleveland, Ohio. His father moved there first to avoid problems with the law.
In Cleveland, Frankie loved listening to the brass bands that played at Slovenian parties. His mother took in people who needed a place to stay to help with money. One of these people was Max Zelodec, who played Slovenian songs on a special instrument called a button box.
Frankie got his first accordion when he was 9 years old. Max Zelodec gave him a few lessons. By the time he was a teenager in the late 1920s, Frankie was already a working musician. He played music for community events and parties.
In the 1930s, he started working with Joe Trolli. Frankie also began playing on radio stations like WJAY and WGAR. As more people heard about him, he wanted to make records. But big music companies said no to him at first. So, Frankie paid for his first records himself. These records were made for smaller companies called Yankee and Joliet.
Frankie's Family and Business Ventures
In 1940, Frankie married his first wife, June, and they started a family. Raising a family cost a lot of money, more than he was making from music. So, he decided to open his own bar. He called it the Yankovic Bar.
His bar became a popular spot for local musicians to hang out and play. Frankie kept running the bar until 1948. After that, he sold it and decided to focus only on playing his accordion and making music.
Serving His Country and Music Success
Frankie joined the army in 1943 during World War II. Before he left for Europe, he recorded many songs while he was on leave. In the army, Frankie was part of the infantry. He fought in a big battle called the Battle of the Bulge.
During the battle, he got very bad frostbite on his hands and feet. Doctors thought they might have to remove his fingers and toes. Luckily, he got better and did not need surgery. He was given a Purple Heart medal for being wounded in battle. Doctors told him to have his fingers removed, but he said no. He knew that would stop him from playing music. After leaving the hospital, Frankie and four other musicians were chosen to entertain soldiers. They even played for famous leaders like General George Patton.
Frankie became very famous across the country with two hit songs. These were "Just Because" (1947) and "Blue Skirt Waltz" (1949). These songs sold millions of copies. Other musicians also recorded "Blue Skirt Waltz," like Guy Lombardo and Lawrence Welk.
Frankie found a song called "Cervenou Sukynku," which means "Red Skirt Waltz." He asked a songwriter named Mitchell Parrish to write new words for the song. Parrish changed "red" to "blue," and that's how "Blue Skirt Waltz" became a hit. Frankie sold over 2.5 million copies of his version. With other versions, the song sold over 4 million copies in 1949.
At first, Columbia Records did not want to record "Just Because." Other versions of the song had not been popular. But Frankie said he would buy the first 10,000 records himself, so they agreed. Frankie earned the name "America's Polka King" after winning a music contest. He beat other famous polka bands in Milwaukee on June 9, 1948.
In 1970, a fire at his house destroyed the special gold records he received for "Just Because" and "Blue Skirt Waltz."
Television Shows and Grammy Awards
Frankie Yankovic also had his own television show called Polka Time. It aired in Buffalo, New York, in 1962 for 26 weeks. He traveled from Cleveland to host each show, which was live. He also hosted a similar show in Chicago around the same time.
In 1986, Frankie won a Grammy Award for his album 70 Years of Hits. He was the very first winner in the Polka music category. However, the Grammy organization stopped giving out an award for polka music in 2008.
Frankie also played with musical comedian and accordion player "Weird Al" Yankovic. Even though they have the same last name, they are not related. "Weird Al" jokes that his parents wanted another accordion-playing Yankovic in the world. "Weird Al" played accordion on one of Frankie's last records, Songs of the Polka King, Vol. 1. A part of Frankie's song "The Tick Tock Polka" is even in "Weird Al's" song "Polka Face."
Frankie Yankovic's Passing
Frankie Yankovic passed away on October 14, 1998, in New Port Richey, Florida. He was 83 years old and died from heart failure. He is buried in Cleveland's Calvary Cemetery. Many friends, family, and fans came to his memorial service.
When he was most famous, Frankie traveled a lot. He performed about 325 shows every year. He sold an amazing 30 million records during his lifetime.
Hometown Square Named in His Honor
After Frankie passed away, his longtime drummer, Dave Wolnik, said that Frankie did not have a street named after him in his hometown. This led to a special effort by the National Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame and Museum. With help from City Councilman Michael Polensek, they worked to honor Frankie.
On August 21, 2007, a special ceremony took place. The square where Waterloo Road and East 152nd Street meet in Cleveland was named in his honor. This spot is not far from where Frankie grew up.
Musicians Who Played With Frankie
Many talented musicians played with Frankie Yankovic over the years. They helped create his famous "Cleveland Sound." Some of these band members included:
- Denny Boneck, who played stand-up bass and sang backup from 1970 to 1981.
- Johnny Pecon, who played button box and piano accordion with "Frankie Yankovic and His Yanks" from 1946 to 1949. Many thought Johnny was the best polka accordion player of his time.
- Henry "Hank The Yank" Bokal, who was the drummer from 1941 to 1949.
- Anthony "Tops" Cardone, who played second accordion in the early 1950s.
- Georgie Cook, a banjo player who helped create the "Cleveland Sound."
- Joey Miskulin, who started playing with Frankie in 1962 when he was only 13. Joey played with Frankie for 35 years. He also wrote and arranged songs for Frankie, including the Grammy-winning album "70 Years of Hits."
- Jeff Winard, an accordionist who traveled with Frankie in his later years.
- Adolph "Church" Srnick, a longtime bass player who played with Frankie from 1945 until he passed away in 1968.
See also
