Brunon Kryger
Deceased Category - Inducted 1977
Brunon Kryger was born in Lodz, Poland in 1899.
From early childhood his ambition was to be an entertainer. The
outbreak of W.W.I. dampened his career for a short time for he had to
serve 3 years and 4 months in the Polish Army. After his discharge he
studied at the Poznan Conservatory of Music, and upon completion of his
studies in 1923 he toured Poland with leading musical shows as on
entertainer and M.C., becoming another Rudy Valle so to speak.
Finally in 1925 Brunon came to the U.S. to continue
his courtship with his childhood sweetheart Alice Wroclawski in
Philadelphia. The courtship ended in marriage; they raised five
children: George, Eleanor, Lucian, Brunon Jr., and Barbara.
Brunon had an operatic tenor voice and joined a
Polish theatrical group touring the country. Victor Records signed him
to make a series of Polish folk songs. He formed a music school in
Philadelphia teaching voice and violin. An opening for a church
organist brought him to Shenandoah where he became choir director of the
Chopin Choir. One day the parish needed an orchestra. Brunon organized
his own. He went over so well that he had to devote all of his time to
his orchestra and resigned as organist.
He then moved to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania in 1938
and from there climbed to the top of the polka field. He recorded for
RCA Victor and Harmonia. Some of his hits were: "Hula-La Polka,"
"Accordion Polka," "Ho-Siup Oj Dana Polka," "Rock Glen Polka," "Cornet
Polka," etc. His records sold in almost every state of the Union and
also in Germany, France, and England.
Brunon Kryger was crowned “King of Polkas” at the
Pittsburgh Arena in 1947. He received more than 51,000 votes beating
out 14 other orchestras. Brunon Kryger traveled from New England to
California. He was associated with radio stations WEEU in Reading,
Pennsylvania, WAZL in Hazelton, Pennsylvania, WBRE and WILK in
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He made over 200 records for RCA. He
composed many of his better known polkas and sang them with his group.
His life time friend and companion was another great Polish musician,
Ignacy Podgorski of Philadelphia.
Besides music, he wrote occasional articles and
poems for various Polish language newspapers throughout the country.
One of his most famous was a fifteen-part series on Ignacy Jan
Paderewski in 1934 in “Tygodnik Gorniczy.” He organized the
Polish Veterans Association (SWAP) Post 147 in Wilkes-Barre, and later
became the commander of the Post. He died in 1951 at the age of 52.
Brunon Kryger left behind a legend that will never
be forgotten. He was a person that music was life itself, and he
possessed the talent of coordinating many groups that enjoyed music as
much as he did.
Brunon Kryger stimulated his own sons, Lucian,
Bruce and Jerry, to the degree that they “The Kryger Brothers” have
continued the band their father began. The brothers already have eight
Polka LP’s and 8 tapes on the market and operate a music store in
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. |
