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Roger Bright
Deceased Category
- Inducted 2003
Roger Bright (New Glarus, WI) Musician, Bandleader,
Recording Artist, Deejay and Performer. Deceased.
 Roger
Bright was born February 12, 1937, and died August 28, 2001, at Boulder
Colorado Community Hospital from a heart attack he suffered while
performing at a polka festival in Boulder.
Roger began his musical career at age twelve. He
formed a band at age fifteen and made his first recording at the age of
nineteen. Roger is no stranger to the music and recording industry,
releasing fifteen albums of his own assisting others on thirty five
albums and countless singles. He also produced the 150th
Anniversary Wisconsin. Every Sunday he hosted “The Roger Bright Show,”
which aired on radio station 1260AM, WEKZ in Monroe, Wisconsin.
Roger was a member of Frank
Yankovic ("America’s Polka King") and the Yanks and recorded ten albums with Frank on the
Columbia record label.
Roger has played in thirty three states including
the major entertainment cities of Las Vegas, Reno and Lake Tahoe. He
has performed concerts with the St. Louis Pops Orchestra in St. Louis,
Missouri and at the Town Hall in New York City. He has also entertained
throughout Europe and most of Canada. He has appeared on the Tonight
Show with Johnny Carson, the Phil Donahue Show, Polka Varieties, the
Charlotte Peters Show, the Orion Samuelson Show, Don McNeil’s Breakfast
Club and Joey Miskulin’s "Cleveland-The Polka Town." He has received
countless awards including a commendation from the state of Michigan, a
key to the city of Grand Haven, MI and honor for the preservation of
polka music for Frankenmuth, MI as well as multiple accolades in his
home state of Wisconsin. Those awards include a special notice for the
promotion of University of Wisconsin athletics, the Senior Achievement
Award in 1997, Band of the Year in 1997, a certificate of commendation
from Governor Tommy Thompson and being inducted into the Wisconsin Polka
Hall of Fame in 2000. He also had been a part of the "Cleveland Style
Polka Hall of Fame Awards Show" held annually in Cleveland, Ohio. He
was honored at “Roger Bright Day” in New Glarus, WI.
Roger is survived by his wife Barbara (Wifely)
Bright, mother-in-law Hazel Wifely, New Glarus, two sons – Kim (Brenda)
and Kevin, New Glarus; three daughters – Kathy (Dale) Voegeli, Waunakee;
Kay (Rudi) Feller, New Glarus; and Kelly (Duane) Kreklow, New Glarus;
brother Duane (Ellen) Bright, Colorado Springs, CO. Roger has eleven
grandchildren. His parents John and Alice (Ingwell) Bright preceded him
in death. |
