[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 145 (Tuesday, October 13, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2110]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      IN HONOR OF EDDIE BLAZONCZYK

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. ROD R. BLAGOJEVICH

                              of illinois

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 13, 1998

  Mr. BLAGOJEVICH. Mr. Speaker, my colleague, Mr. Kucinich, and I rise 
today to honor Mr. Eddie Blazonczyk for his contributions to the 
American polka tradition. He was recently recognized for his 
achievements by the National Endowment for Arts during a White House 
ceremony where he was presented with the prestigious 1998 National 
Heritage Fellowship Award. Mr. Blazonczyk is a bandleader who has set 
the standard for Chicago-style polka, a sound that defines ``polka'' 
music for millions of Americans.
  Born in 1941, Mr. Blazonczyk was raised surrounded by the sounds of 
polka. His mother directed a Gorale, a southern Polish music and dance 
ensemble, and his father played the cello for that group. His parents 
also owned a banquet hall where he was exposed to some of the great 
polka musicians of that time. Influenced by his childhood experiences 
with the Polish heritage, he decided to form his own polka band, the 
Versatones. He worked to forge a new polka sound that incorporated more 
raucous, ``honky'' sounds.
  Throughout his career, Mr. Blazonczyk has developed quite a 
following, not only among the tens of thousands of polka dancers in 
Polish-American communities, but also among younger musicians in Polish 
polka bands. His interpretation of old folk music and his ideal singing 
voice for Polish songs have made him a star in the polka music 
community. He has appeared more than 4,800 times since he began his 
band in 1963, and he still keeps a schedule with over 175 performances 
a year. His tireless zeal for his art was recognized when he received a 
Grammy for the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences in 1986.
  My fellow colleagues, please join us in congratulating Mr. Eddie 
Blazonczyk for receiving the 1998 National Heritage Fellowship Award in 
recognition of his revolutionary and outstanding contributions to polka 
music. His singing and more than 50 recordings will be enjoyed by polka 
lovers for years to come.

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