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Bill Czupta
Deceased Category - Inducted 1996
Bill Czupta was an acclaimed musician and formidable accordionist. He
learned to play the accordion at an early age, and became a member of
the group known as Bobby Sawicki and the New Englanders. Bill resided in
Massachusetts, and in 1970 he joined The Golden Brass, which soon became
a much-sought-after national polka band.
 He
excelled at playing the accordion to the extent that many polka fans
described him as having "walking fingers." Bill produced most of the
music and arrangements with the Golden Brass. He composed such songs as
"Let The Sunshine In," "Broken Heart Polka," "Around The Stove Polka"
and arranged "San Antonio Rose" and "ala Danny Davis and the Natural
Brass." Bill Czupta is credited with producing the lively and dynamic
sounds of the Golden Brass.
Because of a change in band personnel, the band
changed its name to the New Brass. The New Brass received awards in 1971
for having the Favorite Single, Favorite Song entitled "Let The Sunshine
In" and for Favorite Instrumental Group. In 1977, The New Brass received
awards for the best Single for "Roll Out The Barrel Polka" and for the
Best Album – "The New Brass Rolls Out The Barrel." These awards were
presented by the International Polka Association. It produced two albums
before Bill transferred in 1974 to a group called Trumpets Unlimited.
Bill Czupta was an energetic motivator who was always
involved in the promotion of polka music. In 1975, he became a polka
deejay with his wife, Jackie. Their program was among the most popular
in New England and acquired a vast listening audience. After producing
this program for eleven years, his wife, Jackie died suddenly and left
three young children - Michelle, Jeff and Eric. Bill continued to
broadcast his polka program for a few years, but friends have stated
that he had difficulty accepting the loss of his wife and he too died at
an early age.
He had been elected as a director of the
International Polka Association and served in that capacity from 1973
through 1976. In 1977, he happily accompanied the famed Joe Lazara from
Massachusetts to Milwaukee to be inducted into the Polka Music Hall of
Fame. |
