Romy Gosz
Deceased Category – Inducted 1979
Roman (Romy) Gosz was born on August 2, 1910. He
took his first piano lesson at age 7. At 11 he joined his father Paul,
and his two brothers, George and Mike, in the Gosz family orchestra in
1921. In 1930 Romy took
 over
the band. When he lost his trumpet player in 1931 and couldn’t find a
replacement, as a band leader, Romy had to fill in himself. He taught
himself to play the trumpet and never went back to piano. The Gosz
band played all over the state during the 30’s and cut its first polka
record in 1930, “Pilsen Polka”. This big seller led to other recording
contracts in New York and Chicago, and the band soon racked up
thirty-seven discs for Decca, Okeh, Brunswick, and Columbia. Among the
best sellers were “Picnic in the Woods” in 1938; “Red Handkerchief
Waltz” in 1935; and probably the most famous, “Prune Song” in 1933. In
1934, the Wisconsin American Legion picked the “Prune Song” for its
convention theme song; we all know it today as “We Left Our Wives Back
Home”.
Romy spent a summer in Hollywood where he met the
biggest recorder for Decca—Bing Crosby. He made his last record for
Decca in 1939. In 1945 he signed with Mercury at the height of his
career.
During the 40’s while the nation swinged and swayed
with Sammy Kaye, and waltzed with Wayne King, polka lovers in the
Midwest were urged to “Jump and Toss with Romy Grosz”. He was
proclaimed Polka King in 1946 when his band took first place in a
contest of Midwestern bands and was promptly cited in national magazines
like Life, Time, Pic and Coronet. The band played six or seven nights a
week for groups including Dutch, Bohemian, Belgian, German and Polish.
“When I play for a Polish wedding, I’m Polish for the night,” Romy once
quipped. Romy had his own television show for five years and was
honored by the Wisconsin Orchestra Leaders Association for his
contributions during his 45 years in the business. Romy passed away on
August 29, 1966. |
