[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 132 (Monday, September 23, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1669]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   TRIBUTE TO HELEN ANN AND BOB BATES

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. DAVE CAMP

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 23, 1996

  Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor two Michigan residents 
as they are recognized for their contribution to Polka and the State of 
Michigan. Helen Ann and Bob Bates will be inducted into the State of 
Michigan Polka Music Hall of Fame on Sunday, October 6, 1996.
  America was built by the hard work and commitment of settlers who 
brought with them a rich and varied heritage. Polka flourished in 
Michigan largely due to the devotion of those who brought with them 
their family traditions and customs, as well as their love of polka. 
Helen Ann and Bob are just a few of those special individuals who were 
proud to keep an honored tradition alive.
  Helen Ann Hedrich of Elsie, MI, was a musician well before she 
married her husband, Bob, in 1958. She has played with many different 
musicians during her career, including the Swinging Bees, and she has 
criss-crossed Mid-Michigan playing inns, clubs, lodges, and Veterans of 
Foreign Wars Posts. But it was with her husband that she found her most 
rewarding musical experience.
  Bob Bates, also of Elsie, is a self-taught musician. He bought his 
first electric bass guitar in 1965, the same year as the birth of their 
third child. Helen Ann and Bob played their first gig together that 
year, and their 31 year performing career together began.
  As the MBC Band, and later as the MBC Trio and the Helen Ann Dance 
Band, the Bates were regulars at places such as Lamplight Inn in Carson 
City, the Washington Society Club in Saginaw, and the Owosso Eagle 
Club. For the Bates, however, their most memorable appearances have 
always been playing to appreciative nursing home audiences.
  Mr. Speaker, thanks to the efforts of Helen Ann and Bob, we are all 
still able to enjoy a rich musical tradition. They will be honored at a 
reception in Owosso, MI because of their dedication and commitment to 
spreading the polka tradition and helping others enjoy this special 
music. I am confident that the musical legacy of these outstanding 
individuals will be remembered for decades to come.

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