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Billy Belina
Living Category - Inducted 2004
Billy Belina has spent a major part of his life playing and
promoting polka music. Born in New Bedford, Massachusetts in 1947,
Billy has his parents to thank for much of his success in the polka
industry. In his early years, Billy often joined his parents on the
two-hour drive to Connecticut to watch the local polka bands. He
endeared himself to accordion greats such as Ray Henry and Al Soyka
and soon desired to try the instrument on his own. At the age of
eight, Billy convinced his parents to buy him his first accordion
and sign him up for lessons. By his mid-teens, Billy's practice and
dedication began to pay off as he started a band of his own, known
as the BelAirs.
 Several
years later, Billy's accordion playing and vocal ability caught the
attention of Rhode Island bandleader Wesoly Bolek and Billy began
playing with Bolek throughout New England. By this time, Billy had
taught himself trumpet, piano, drums and bass guitar and started
filling in with other top Polka bands in places as far away as
Buffalo and Chicago. His heart stayed close to New England though,
and in the early seventies, he jumped at the opportunity to join The
New Brass. Billy appeared on two New Brass albums and made an
immediate impact, writing a handful of songs including Everybody
Love Somebody Sometime and Dance a Happy Polka. In the
mid-seventies, Billy and his wife Jean relocated to Easthampton,
Massachusetts hoping to start a family (sons Bill Jr. and Kevin
would soon follow). This decision forced Billy to change bands, and
he spent the next few years playing bass guitar and singing with
Heavy Chicago. Billy appeared on three Heavy Chicago albums and
penned another nine songs. He helped Heavy Chicago build national
recognition until the group disbanded in 1981. The break-up
presented Billy with the opportunity to start his own band, the Bay
State IV. It was with the Bay State IV that Billy began playing the
Cordovox accordion he continues to play today (an accordion with an
electric bass left-hand). He led the Bay State IV for over ten
years, recording four albums and performing across the country. His
most notable achievements with the Bay State IV include the Bay
State IV Salutes the Polka Stars album and a 1988 performance at
the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C. In addition,
his original song, Slippery Fingers Oberek, appeared on the
Rhino Records compilation Legends of Accordion. In the early
nineties, Billy added a fifth man to the group, which forced a name
change to Billy Belina and Bay State. For the last ten years, Bay
State has played a light schedule across the northeast, which has
allowed Billy to focus his attention on promoting Polkas in other
ways.
Since 1979, Billy has been a fixture on WMUA, the non-profit
student radio station at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst,
Massachusetts (he has worked in housing services at the university
for the same amount of time).
With the help of the internet, his Saturday morning Polka show
has garnered thousands of listeners nationwide and his annual
Polkathon fundraiser has helped provide the radio station with the
necessary funds to stay in operation.
In addition to his radio work, Billy has organized a series of
Polka album trade shows over the past few years, hoping to provide
an outlet for fans and collectors alike to share the music they
love.
Whether on the radio, at a trade show or at a Polka dance, Billy
willingly shares his vast knowledge of Polka music with anyone who
will lend an ear. He leaves no doubt that he is one of Polka music's
greatest historians and is a true asset to the Polka industry. |
